[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8754-8755]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will state the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 372) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
     2007 for the intelligence and intelligence-related activities 
     of the United States Government, the Intelligence Community 
     Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency 
     Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.


                             Cloture Motion

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the motion.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

                             Cloture Motion

       We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     hereby move to bring to a close debate on Calendar No. 20, S. 
     372, the Intelligence Authorization bill of 2007.
         Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Russell D. Feingold, Jay 
           Rockefeller, Evan Bayh, Patty Murray, Dick Durbin, Jeff 
           Bingaman, Robert Menendez, B.A. Mikulski, Dianne 
           Feinstein, Bill Nelson, E. Benjamin Nelson, S. 
           Whitehouse, Byron L. Dorgan, Blanche L. Lincoln, Ron 
           Wyden.

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory 
live quorum be waived and the cloture vote occur on Monday, April 16, 
at 5:30 p.m.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
resume consideration of the bill on Monday at 3 p.m. and that Senator 
Rockefeller be recognized at that time to offer a managers' amendment 
on behalf of himself and Senator Bond.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, earlier today the Senate invoked cloture on 
the motion to proceed to the fiscal year 2007 Intelligence 
authorization bill.
  However, as a result of objections from the other side, the Senate 
now finds itself in the unfortunate position of having to run out the 
clock for the next several days rather than promptly considering and 
completing action on this important legislation.
  Let me remind my colleagues of the long road we have been down with 
this bill already.
  The previous Republican-controlled Congress failed to pass an 
intelligence authorization bill in fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 
2007--2 years in a row.
  That is an unprecedented and unacceptable record for this body: prior 
to that, Congress had passed this bill every single year for 27 years, 
often with the bipartisan support of every Senator.
  As my colleagues know, the Intelligence authorization bill funds the 
operations of the 16 agencies of the U.S. intelligence community--
including the CIA, the FBI, the NSA, the Defense Department--and all 
the critical work they do to keep Americans safe and fight the war on 
terror.
  It includes essential initiatives that would improve our efforts to 
fight terrorism and control weapons of mass destruction, enhance our 
intelligence collection capabilities, and strengthen intelligence 
oversight.
  Blocking the passage of this bill, as a handful of Senators on the 
other side of the aisle have done over the last couple of years, has 
left Congress silent on these important matters and made America less 
secure.
  Most of us in the Senate recognize how important it is to pass this 
bill. We know it is not a partisan issue, that there are no political 
points to be scored on either side. But I am increasingly disappointed 
at the continued obstructionism by several Republicans on a matter of 
national security.
  Earlier this year, Chairman Rockefeller and Vice Chairman Bond 
attempted to bring this bill up for consideration. We were told the 
objections of a single Senator on the other side of the aisle blocked 
their efforts.
  I have heard that some Senators on the other side of the aisle are 
interested in offering amendments, yet at this time none of these 
amendments have surfaced or seen the light of day.
  I would certainly like to be reasonable and accommodate every 
Senator's interest in debating amendments offered in good faith, but I 
am increasingly concerned that we are seeing obstructionism and delay 
tactics, rather than productive debate.
  Some may wonder what is behind the delay. At a time of war, why would 
a handful of Senators be willing to hold up a bill that is crucial to 
our national security?
  Why would a group of Senators hold up a bill that has always passed 
quickly, with little debate or amendment?
  Why would they hold up a bill that enjoys overwhelming bipartisan 
support?

[[Page 8755]]

  It appears the answer lies not in the legislation before us now but 
the legislation the Senate will turn to next:
  A Medicare bill that will lower drug costs for seniors and people 
with disabilities by giving the Federal Government the power to 
negotiate drug prices with some of this Nation's most powerful and 
profitable companies.
  This is not good faith debate--it is a cynical effort by the drug 
companies--their lobbyists in Gucci shoes and chauffeured limousines--
and their supporters--to hold this national security bill hostage and 
delay the Senate from acting on legislation to help society's most 
vulnerable.
  So I ask my colleagues to consider this fair notice: unless I see 
some signs of good faith from the other side of the aisle toward a 
reasonable timeframe for considering a reasonable number of amendments, 
I will file cloture on this bill tomorrow.
  The Senate has a lot of work ahead of it and it should begin with the 
swift consideration and passage of this bill.

                          ____________________