House Republican Conference Radio Address by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)

Statement

Copyright ©2008 by Federal News Service, Inc., Ste. 500, 1000 Vermont Ave, Washington, DC 20005 USA. Federal News Service is a private firm not affiliated with the federal government. No portion of this transcript may be copied, sold or retransmitted without the written authority of Federal News Service, Inc. Copyright is not claimed as to any part of the original work prepared by a United States government officer or employee as a part of that person's official duties. For information on subscribing to the FNS Internet Service at www.fednews.com, please email Carina Nyberg at cnyberg@fednews.com or call 1-202-216-2706.

REP. JORDAN: Hello, this is Congressman Jim Jordan, and I represent Ohio's Fourth Congressional District.

Since our homeland came under attack on Sept. 11, 2001, our nation has been engaged in a dedicated effort to eliminate the threat foreign terrorists pose to our security and our way of life and though the terrorist threat does not expire Saturday night, a law that gives us ability to track terrorist communications does.

The law I'm talking about is called the Protect America Act. It gives our intelligence community the tools they need to track the movements of foreign terrorists in an era when al Qaeda can transmit its marching orders anywhere in the world in an instant. It allows intelligence agents to detect and disrupt terror plots before they can be carried out and kill untold numbers of innocent Americans.

It is this law that House Democrats are allowing to expire. Earlier this week, the United States Senate passed a bipartisan extension by an overwhelming vote, and House Republicans and some of our Democrat colleagues demanded immediate action, yet House Democrat leaders spurned our bipartisan pleas and instead decided to adjourn for a 13 day recess without extending the Protect America Act.

Make no mistake, this essential law will expire because House Democrat leaders decided to put partisan priorities over the public interest. And when that moment comes, in a matter of hours from now, our intelligence community will be at a disadvantage and your security will be at greater risk.

What's worse, Democrat leaders' disgraceful actions this week call into question whether they fully appreciate the magnitude of the terrorist threat. In fact, asked about a scenario where the Protect America expired, the Democrat chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said, and I quote, "things will be fine." He is tragically and dangerously wrong, and national security and intelligence experts say so.

By failing to act, House Democrats have done our nation a terrible disservice this week. The times we live in demand vigilance, not indifference, from Washington.

This is Congressman Jim Jordan and thank you for listening.

Source