[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
[September 21, 2006]
[Pages 1682-1683]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Senate Action on Military Commissions Legislation in Orlando, 
Florida
September 21, 2006

    I want to thank the Members of the United States Senate for working 
with my administration to meet our top legislative priority, and that is 
a law that will help us crack the terror network and to save American 
lives.
    I had a single test for the pending legislation, and that's this: 
Would the CIA operators tell me whether they could go forward with the 
program, that is a program to question detainees to be able to get 
information to protect the American people? I'm pleased to say that this 
agreement preserves the most single--most potent tool we have in 
protecting America and foiling terrorist attacks, and that is the CIA 
program to question the world's most dangerous terrorists and to get 
their secrets.
    The measure also creates military commissions that will bring these 
ruthless killers to justice. In short, the agreement clears the way to 
do what the American people expect us to do: to capture terrorists, to 
detain terrorists, to question terrorists, and then to try them. I hope 
the Congress will send me legislation before it wraps up their business 
next week.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 5:04 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando. In 
his remarks, he referred to S. 3930. The Office of the Press Secretary 
also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.

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