[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E667-E668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. CAROLYN C. KILPATRICK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 26, 2006

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5020) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for 
     intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the 
     United States Government, the Community Management Account, 
     and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability 
     System, and for other purposes:

  Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I rise today for the 
purposes of explaining my vote on H.R. 5020, which this chamber 
considered yesterday. I have a high regard for the intelligence 
officials that serve our country, and I strongly support efforts to 
make sure that they have the resources to complete their mission 
competently, professionally, thoroughly and legally. After listening to 
the debate on this bill, I reached the conclusion that this bill does 
nothing to rein in this Administration's domestic surveillance program 
conducted by the National Security Agency.
  This bill contains some good provisions. It imposes restrictions on 
the growth of the National Director of intelligence to ensure resources 
are applied to strengthening the intelligence community's ability to 
penetrate hard targets, and not just add to the growth in bureaucracy. 
It fully funds the counter-terrorism program. However, the bill's 
provisions concerning oversight of domestic counterintelligence 
activity is tepid at best.
  I believe we can conduct domestic intelligence activities in a manner 
that is consistent with the requirements of the Foreign Intelligence 
Surveillance Act (FISA) and the protections guaranteed under the U.S. 
Constitution. There exists a debate in this country if whether the NSA 
domestic surveillance program is being conducted within the limits of 
the FISA. During the debate on the bill, I learned several Members 
sought to offer a bipartisan amendment clarifying that all surveillance 
of American citizens must follow the law and be consonant with the 4th 
Amendment of the Constitution. The Rules Committee denied us an 
opportunity to consider that amendment. Any process that denies us the 
opportunity to protect our constitutional guarantees does not deserve 
my support, and for that reason, I voted against the passage of H.R. 
5020.

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