Protect America Act will expire on Saturday

    After getting no-where with the Republicans on this bill, the House has adjourned for Presidents' Day weekend. This version of the bill goes D.O.A. and guess what? contrary to President Bush's statements, we are all still going to be safe. That is unless the Bush Crime Syndicate comes up with some sort of terrorist threat after Saturday just so that he can blame the Democrats. I wouldn't put it past this idiot.

     Cong. Steny Hoyer

    THE DEBATES WE HAVE BEEN HAVING OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS ARE CONSEQUENTIAL AND ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT THIS BODY DOES. AND THAT IS UPHOLD THE LAW, NOT JUST PASS THE LAW, UPHOLD THE LAW. AND AS I SAID A LITTLE EARLIER IN THIS DEBATE, PART OF THAT WAS OVERSEEING THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT THEY EXECUTE OUR LAWS APPROPRIATELY AND LEGALLY, AND THE CONGRESS HAS BEEN GIVEN UNDER THE CONSTITUTION THE AUTHORITY TO SEEK INFORMATION. THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HAS SOUGHT INFORMATION, AND THAT INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN FORTHCOMING. THE CONGRESS, AS MR. BOEHNER SAID, CANNOT DO ITS JOB. IF THE CONGRESS SIMPLY FAILS TO ASSERT ITS CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE. NOW, THERE IS A SITUATION THAT WE CONFRONT, A LARGE NUMBER SAY THAT THEY WANT TO ADJOURN. THEY'VE BEEN MAKING MOTION AFTER MOTION AFTER MOTION TO ADJOURN. NOW THEY HAVEN'T BEEN VOTING FOR IT, BUT THEY'VE BEEN MAKING IT. AND NOW THEY WALK OFF THE FLOOR ON THE ASSERTION THAT WE'RE NOT WORKING. THEY ASSERT THAT WE'RE NOT PASSING THE FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE ACT. THEY ASSERT THAT BUT THEY ALL VOTED TO A PERSON NOT TO GIVE US THE TIME TO PERFORM OUR EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT DUTIES IN RESOLVING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SENATE AND IN THE HOUSE IN A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. NOW, I'LL TELL MY FRIENDS ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE OF THE HOUSE, THEY KNOW, AS WELL AS I DO, THAT THE REASON THE SENATE DID NOT PASS US A BILL THREE MONTHS AFTER WE PASSED OUR BILL TO THEM WAS BECAUSE OF REPUBLICAN DELAY IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE. THAT'S THE REASON THIS BILL IS SO LATE GETTING TO US. THAT'S THE REASON WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO WORK IT OUT. THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE ARE NOT PASSING LEGISLATION. NOW, THE PRESIDENT ASSERTS THAT THE EXPIRATION OF THE PROTECT AMERICA ACT WILL POSE A DANGER TO OUR COUNTRY. THE FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL ADVISOR ON TERRORISM SAYS THAT'S NOT TRUE. FORMER ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS THAT'S NOT TRUE. NUMEROUS OTHERS, AND THE CHAIRMAN, HAS ASSERTED THAT'S NOT TRUE. WHY IS THAT NOT TRUE? BECAUSE FISA WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT. THE AUTHORITY GIVEN UNDER THE PROTECT AMERICA ACT REMAINS IN EFFECT. AND IF THERE ARE NEW TARGETS, THE FISA COURT HAS FULL AUTHORITY TO GIVE EVERY AUTHORITY TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO ACT. SO I TELL MY FRIENDS, WE ARE PURSUING THE POLITICS OF FEAR. UNFOUNDED FEAR. 435 MEMBERS OF THIS HOUSE AND EVERY ONE OF US, EVERY ONE OF US WANTS TO KEEP AMERICA AND AMERICANS SAFE. NOT ONE OF US -- NOT ONE OF US WANTS TO SUBJECT AMERICA OR AMERICANS TO DANGER. THE PRESIDENT'S ASSERTION IS WRONG. I SAY IT CATEGORICALLY. THE PRESIDENT'S ASSERTION IS WRONG. NOW, THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE'LL DELAY HIS TRIP TO STAY HERE AND WORK WITH US.

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