[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3612]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               THE EXPIRATION OF THE PROTECT AMERICA ACT

  (Ms. FALLIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. FALLIN. Madam Speaker, it has been well over 20 days since the 
Protect America Act expired. For 3 weeks and counting, this Congress 
has allowed the quality of our surveillance programs to erode. As a 
result, our intelligence agencies have lost critical tools in the war 
on terror and are left potentially blind to lethal terrorist plots. In 
light of these dangers, Democrat leaders are facing a chorus of Members 
demanding action on the bipartisan Senate-passed surveillance bill.
  Madam Speaker, it is time that we bring this bill to the floor. The 
Democrat chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee has said that 
passing this legislation is the right way to go in terms of the 
security of our Nation. In the House, over 20 Democrats have publicly 
urged Speaker Pelosi to bring the bill up for a vote. In fact, it seems 
that the Democrat leadership will not bring this bill up precisely 
because they know it will pass.
  Madam Speaker, enough is enough. We have floated temporary patches 
and Band-Aids for months. It is time to get serious about our national 
security. It is time to bring a permanent fix to FISA and to a vote on 
this floor.

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