[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 157 (Wednesday, October 17, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H11642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HOUSE DEMOCRATS PUT FISA COURT BACK IN BUSINESS

  (Mr. STUPAK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, today the House will put the Foreign 
Intelligence Surveillance Court back in business after being shut down 
for the past 6 years. House Democrats know that our highest duty is to 
defend this Nation and protect our citizens. And we also know we can 
keep this Nation safe without our own government trampling the civil 
rights of our citizens and the principles upon which this country was 
founded.
  Before 2001, the FISA Court served as a check and balance to the 
administration to ensure that critical individual rights were not 
trampled. Such checks and balances have not been in place for the last 
6 years. Today, by passing the RESTORE Act, we restore the true role of 
the FISA Court by addressing the concerns we have with the Bush 
administration ignoring the FISA Court, jeopardizing our rights, 
violating our Constitution, and our core principles.
  Mr. Speaker, the RESTORE Act is a bill that all Members should be 
able to support. It provides a proper balance of giving our government 
the legal tools to go after terrorists without trampling our American 
beliefs and values.

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