[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 50 (Monday, December 13, 2004)]
[Pages 2923-2924]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Congressional Passage of the ``Intelligence Reform and 
Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004''

December 8, 2004

    I commend the Congress for passing historic legislation that will 
better protect the American people and help defend against ongoing 
terrorist threats.
    We already have taken numerous steps to improve our intelligence 
capabilities, and the ``Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act 
of 2004'' further strengthens intelligence gathering and operations. The 
legislation includes important reforms, such as creating a strong 
Director of National Intelligence with full budget authority to 
integrate and manage the foreign and domestic activities of the 
Intelligence Community. In addition, the law will further enhance the 
National Counterterrorism Center, established earlier this year and 
tasked with ensuring a unified effort across the Government for 
counterterrorism activities. It will also preserve the chain of command 
in our Cabinet departments and agencies and the military by respecting 
the clear lines of authority within the executive branch.
    We remain a nation at war, and intelligence is our first line of 
defense against the terrorists who seek to do us harm. I am pleased the 
measure also contains many critical law enforcement tools that I have 
called for that will help make America more secure. I look forward to 
signing this landmark piece of legislation into law.

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