[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 166 (Tuesday, December 20, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S14165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to speak on the fiscal year 
2006 Intelligence authorization bill.
  As every American knows, we are a nation at war--at war in Iraq and 
at war against radical terrorists. These are wars Democrats and 
Republicans agree we cannot afford to lose. These wars have demanded a 
great deal from our troops and our taxpayers and will require much more 
sacrifice before they are over.
  Given the stakes involved and the sacrifices required of so many, you 
would think that funding our troops and our intelligence community 
would be this Republican controlled Congress's top priority. You would 
think that our friends on the other side of the aisle would take up 
this must do legislation at the start of the Congress not at the end.
  Unfortunately, while the Republican leadership is fond of stating the 
importance of prevailing in these wars and taking care of our troops, 
they have not matched those words with action. In fact, the hypocrisy 
demonstrated by the Republicans in this Congress on national security 
matters is astounding. How else to explain that with less than a week 
to go before Christmas, in the waning hours of this session of 
Congress, our Republican friends have yet to complete action on three 
major pieces of national security legislation--the fiscal year 2006 
Defense authorization bill, the fiscal year 2006 Defense appropriations 
bill, and the fiscal year 2006 Intelligence authorization bill.
  In recent times, Republicans have been extremely fond of painting 
themselves as patriots and extremely quick to brand those who challenge 
their policies as traitors. Given the callous way Republicans have 
treated our national security and our troops, I feel I must speak out 
on the Republicans' hypocrisy.
  Although this point could be made with respect to each of the 
unfinished national security bills bottled up in this Congress, right 
now, I want to focus my remarks on the Intelligence authorization 
bill--a bill Republicans have not even seen fit to bring to the Senate 
floor despite the fact that the bill was reported out unanimously by 
the Senate Intelligence Committee.
  This bill should have been taken up months ago. And Democrats would 
have been more than willing to quickly debate and pass this legislation 
once it reached the Senate floor so it could go to a conference with 
the House. Democrats know that it is essential that we permit the men 
and women of the intelligence agencies to continue their critical work 
on the front lines of the war in Iraq and the war on terror.
  Unfortunately, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle 
apparently don't share that view. Republicans have taken months to move 
this bill through the legislative process. Once the committee acted and 
the bill was ready for the floor, an anonymous Republican placed a hold 
on the bill and prevented the Senate from working its will. As a 
result, the bill can't go forward. Vital intelligence operations are on 
hold while the bill languishes. And the men and women who selflessly 
serve are left wondering whether the Congress understands how vital 
their work is to this Nation's security.
  I hope the Republican-led Congress will eventually get its act 
together and get this bill passed before we adjourn for the year.
  In the meantime, to the men and women of the intelligence agencies, I 
say: Senate Democrats stand with you. We are proud of your bravery and 
your patriotism, and we thank you for your sacrifice working in silence 
and in the shadows against the threats America faces.

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