[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 26, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H201]]
                 INTELLIGENCE REFORM IS STILL NOT DONE

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the House passed intelligence reform 
legislation last year, and the bill was another step to strengthen 
efforts against an enemy bent not on our defeat, but on our 
destruction. But the conference committee was dominated by those that 
ignored key recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
  The final product was watered down. It did not have a plan to prevent 
illegal immigrants from obtaining driver's licenses. It did not put in 
place stricter asylum standards, problems identified by the 9/11 
Commission as glaring weaknesses in our Nation's defenses.
  Mr. Speaker, 19 of the 9/11 hijackers had 63 driver's licenses 
between them. How can this Nation in a time of war leave such a glaring 
hole in our Nation's defenses? Mr. Speaker, this was wrong, and that is 
why I am hopeful that the legislation introduced this week by the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), which I cosponsored which 
strengthens security standards on driver's licenses and asylum 
standards, will pass. I hope the Senate and the 9/11 Commission will 
support our efforts to do so.

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