Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff).

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to say a few words about this very important bill. I say important because as we face threats around the world, threats like Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and terrorism, the annual Intelligence Authorization Act is meant to provide our intelligence personnel with the resources and authorities they need to keep America safe.

In some respects, Mr. Chairman, this bill accomplishes that very goal. We refocus our resources on countering our most significant adversary states. We better equip the intel community to counter foreign interference in our elections, which is very critical going into 2018, all the way to 2020.

We give new authorities related to pervasive challenges, including threats to our supply chain, recruitment and development of minority talent, and strengthening of the cyber and technical workforce.

I support these very important developments. Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, the bill also supports or indicates significant problematic changes to many classified authorities. I am particularly concerned about what this means for the way we conduct counterterrorism operations.

Mr. Chairman, the Trump administration has changed counterterrorism policies in a way that does not make America safer. By expanding the areas where the U.S. Government may be operating and broadening authorities, Mr. Chairman, we are planting the seeds of anger and hate which will fester and grow, increasing the threat of an attack in the future.

Mr. Chairman, I strongly believe in protecting the United States and her allies. But, if two decades of the war against terrorism have taught us anything, it is that we can't fight our way out of this. Yes, we need to target known terrorist leaders, Mr. Chairman, but we also need to actively minimize actions that spur new hatred and drive people to terrorism.

After years of striving for a more comprehensive, targeted, and productive counterterrorism approach, this bill sends us back to the days of broad unrestrained authorities. With so much on the line, Mr. Chairman, we should be using this bill to send a message to this administration that America must maintain her values.

Success at any cost is not success at all, but a foolhardy approach to leverage power. We must keep America safe, Mr. Chairman.

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