[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 852]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  FISA

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, just one further observation with 
regard to my friend's remarks.
  The Bond-Rockefeller bill is exactly the way we ought to be doing our 
business. It came out of the Intelligence Committee 13 to 2. It is 
supported on a bipartisan basis. It is supported by the President of 
the United States. We have a product that was carefully negotiated by 
Senator Bond and Senator Rockefeller, approved by the Intelligence 
Committee 13 to 2, and supported by the President of the United States. 
That is my definition of a bipartisan accomplishment. Now the question 
is, Can we finish the job and get a signature?
  This is not about frightening the American people. The American 
people should be frightened, and remember full well what happened on 9/
11. They also remember with gratitude that it has not happened again 
for 6 years. The reason for it, obviously, is we have been on offense, 
going after the terrorists where they are, and we have improved our 
defense.
  An integral part of protecting the homeland is the measure before us, 
carefully crafted on a bipartisan basis, supported by the President of 
the United States. If we want to finish the job and have a bipartisan 
accomplishment that all of us can be proud of, the way to do that is to 
pass this bill, send it to the House, urge them to take it up and pass 
it, and send it to the President, who awaits it to affix his signature.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, there is no question that Senator 
Rockefeller and Senator Bond have worked hard on this legislation. 
Also, we have had good work from Senator Leahy and Senator Specter of 
the Judiciary Committee. Senator Rockefeller wants a piece of 
legislation to pass very badly. He does not support cloture in this 
effort that is going to take place on Monday because he believes the 
bill needs to be changed. Just because there is a bill that comes out 
of committee doesn't mean we shouldn't deal with it here on the floor. 
Senator Rockefeller is not going to support cloture on this bill on 
Monday. It is a decision he made, and he has made it because we have 
not had the opportunity to do things to this piece of legislation that 
he believes should happen. It is a rare piece of legislation that comes 
out of one of these major committees that comes to the floor that 
doesn't require some improvement.
  So it is simply unfair to say that Senator Rockefeller and Senator 
Bond's piece of legislation should go through as if it were written in 
script on top of some big mountain. It was written in a committee room 
with a lot of discussion and votes, and some of the amendments passed, 
some didn't. It came to the floor. We all are happy it came to the 
floor. But at this time, even Senator Rockefeller believes there should 
be changes in it, and he will not support cloture, as he told me last 
night, because he feels it has been handled so poorly by the minority 
here on the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Missouri is 
recognized.

                          ____________________