[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22155]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              REFORM FISA

  (Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, one reason America has 
remained free of attack for the last 7 years is because we have given 
the tools necessary to those on the front lines, whether it be our 
military or our intelligence officers. Many tactics to defend and 
protect this country have been used, one being electronic surveillance 
to gather foreign intelligence through the FISA Act.
  Madam Speaker, FISA was first implemented to assist the gathering of 
information during another era, well before the invention of cell 
phones, satellite tracking, or even the Internet. Terrorist groups and, 
more specifically, al Qaeda, have adapted to modern technology, and 
it's time the U.S. did the same. We're not talking about skirting the 
legal process but, rather, giving our intelligence officers the ability 
to gather information coming from foreign and/or known terrorists in 
the United States.
  I urge the majority to fix this problem now and help keep our country 
safe.

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