[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18338-18339]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  FISA

  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, earlier today, we were successful in 
passing H.R. 5949, the FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012, 
with strong bipartisan support. I am pleased that we are now in a 
position to pass the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2013, again with strong bipartisan support. These two bills are the 
result of Chairman Feinstein's exceptional bipartisan leadership of the 
Select Committee on Intelligence. It has been my privilege and honor to 
work with her these past two years during my tenure as Vice Chairman of 
the Committee.
  This bill looks a little different than the version we passed out of 
Committee back in July, by a vote of 14-1. The final product is the 
result of our extensive efforts to successfully address the concerns 
raised by the Executive branch, the House of Representatives, and, of 
course, our own membership.
  It is a good bill. It contains a number of provisions requested by 
the administration that will provide the intelligence community with 
certain authorities necessary to perform its vital mission for our 
country. Most important, it authorizes the funds appropriated for the 
intelligence and intelligence-related activities of our government. 
This congressional budgetary oversight is crucial to our national 
security. I am also pleased that the bill contains a provision which 
will require government officials, who are responsible for authorizing 
the disclosure of national intelligence or intelligence related to 
national security to the media or the general public, to notify the 
congressional intelligence committees on a timely basis with respect to 
such disclosures.

[[Page 18339]]

  It is my hope that the House of Representatives will take this bill 
up quickly, pass it, and then send it on to the President for 
signature.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a Feinstein-
Chambliss substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to; the 
bill, as amended, be read a third time and the Senate proceed to vote 
on passage.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3441) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
  (The text of the amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text 
of Amendments.'')
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read 
the third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there any further debate?
  If not, the bill having been read the third time, the question is, 
Shall it pass?
  The bill, (S. 3454), as amended, was passed.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and that any statements related to this matter be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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