Rep Michael McCaul on FISA

"Mr. Speaker, today Congress is engaged in an important debate, perhaps the most important debate, certainly in recent years. Our most solemn obligation to this country is to protect the American citizenry.

"In my view, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are playing a dangerous political game, and the American people are the pawns in this game. I bring to the Congress a unique experience. I worked in the Justice Department under the FISA statute. I have worked on national security wiretaps, and I can tell you that the statute was never intended to cover foreign targets in a foreign country. And, if Osama bin Laden is on the phone calling into the United Sates, I think the American people want us to pay attention to that and listen to that conversation.

"Intelligence, good intelligence, has stopped every threat to this country since 9/11. Intelligence is the first line of defense in the War on Terror, and we need to protect the American companies who we ask to protect the United States and the American people.

"They stood up to the plate, and now it is our time to stand up to the plate and protect them. They were doing their patriotic duty in a time of war when America asked them.

"If we do not protect them, then what company, American or otherwise, will dare help the United States of America in its greatest time of need, in a time of peril, in a time of war.

"Yesterday, the Senate passed the FISA bill, which included this immunity and also protects Americans. I say we put that bill on the floor, let’s pass that bill and let’s make the Protect America Act permanent. Now is the time, not 21 days from now, not several months from now. For the American people, let’s pass this and protect the American people now."

Michael McCaul
U.S. Congressman,
Texas' 10th Congressional District