WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement today as Democrats' brought forth another flawed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) bill to the House floor:
"Of all the communications that take place around the world, we ought to be most concerned about an al Qaeda terrorist abroad attempting to contact someone here in the United States . But in crafting this latest FISA bill, Democrats built in an enormous blind-spot when it comes to securing this vital information. The law already protects Americans from inappropriate government surveillance. Now Democrats are trying to give those same protections to those outside the country, including terrorists.
"The stakes are too high to get our intelligence gathering wrong. When will the majority learn? Ignoring the needs of our intelligence community is hardly the way to ensure the security of American people, and scarcely the way to protect their basic freedoms.
"While House Democrats continue to play political games with our national security, Senate Democrats continue to work with Senate Republicans -- in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence -- to find a genuine compromise. Unfortunately, Democrats in the House believe that crafting a bill in strict isolation is the best way to move forward. They are mistaken."
SOURCE Office of the Republican Whip
