Fighting Terrorism

FIGHTING TERRORISM -- (House of Representatives - September 12, 2006)

(Mrs. BLACKBURN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, last night our President gave a prime time address for the remembrance of September 11, and I know the media is working overtime right now criticizing that speech and saying it was political.

I would suggest it is the media and not the American people who are fixated on that. The American people want to know what we are doing to make this Nation more secure. I don't think the speech was overtly political, but let's say for the sake of argument that it was.

Now, Mr. Speaker, there are two political parties voting on these security measures, and it boils down to this: you either support the PATRIOT Act legislation or you don't. You either support terrorist surveillance and terrorist tribunals or you don't. You either support aggressively fighting terrorists by using our military or you don't.

Mr. Speaker, Republicans voted for these measures. We supported them. And some across the aisle voted for them too; but, the liberals in the Democratic Party don't support these measures; and in my opinion, yes, that would make them weak on security. That is not a partisan political statement; it's the truth.

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