[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 120 (Tuesday, July 22, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1519-E1520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. PETER WELCH

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 16, 2008

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5959) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2009 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:

  Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman 
Reyes and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for 
their great work on this bill and for agreeing to include my amendment 
in the Manager's amendment to the bill.
  Mr. Chairman, my amendment recognizes that we have a responsibility 
to the Iraqis and Afghanis who have willingly put a target on their own 
backs by choosing to help our servicemen and women and our diplomats. 
These interpreters put themselves and their families in immense 
jeopardy every single day.
  Unfortunately, Congress has been shamefully slow in ensuring their 
safety. Only now are we beginning to make progress in providing the 
opportunity of resettlement to those whose lives are at risk because of 
their work for us. This has come about largely because of the advocacy 
of our own troops, who have benefited day in and day out from the 
services of these interpreters and who have come to call them their 
brothers. They are asking us to stand up for the people who have stood 
up for them.
  Meanwhile, our intelligence community faces a critical shortfall in 
linguists and cultural experts. Our national security is jeopardized 
daily by our inability to field the specialists necessary to translate 
and interpret valuable intelligence information.
  Mr. Chairman, my amendment is simple, it requires the Director of 
National Intelligence to

[[Page E1520]]

assess whether some of the critical language needs in the intelligence 
community can be met by these Iraqi and Afghan interpreters who have 
already proven their loyalty through their service to our government. 
In doing so, my hope is that we could meet this urgent need for 
translators and interpreters in the intelligence community while 
providing meaningful employment to individuals who have risked their 
lives in service of our country.
  I thank Chairman Reyes and the Committee again for their support of 
my amendment, which is included in the Manager's amendment, and urge my 
colleagues to support it as well.

                          ____________________