Intelligence Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. LYNCH. Madam Chair, I actually rise to support my colleague's amendment.

As the co-chairman of the Task Force on Terrorist Financing and Proliferation, I, too, am well aware that having an effective strategy on targeting the sources of terrorists in financing their operations is a very important part of our strategy.

This straightforward amendment offered by my friend, Mr. Castle of Delaware, simply restates the basic requirement that the President, through the Treasury Department, report to Congress on the current status of U.S. efforts to combat terrorism financing. This reporting requirement is not new; in fact, it was mandated in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorist Prevention Act of 2004. A report was due out in 2005, but here today it has yet to be submitted.

I've had an opportunity, as co-chair of the task force, to spend a lot of time with our Treasury employees, very brave and courageous Treasury and State Department employees, in Afghanistan and Pakistan and Jordan and the Maghreb, North Africa; and they're doing wonderful and courageous work. However, that much being said, Congress still retains its oversight responsibility; and without this report we are not able to be certain, I think, that we have an accurate picture of the entire antiterrorist financing protocol and we are not fully informed as to whether or not we are operating as effectively as we could be. Only by understanding where we currently stand--what our strengths are and, indeed, what our weaknesses are--can we ensure that the best possible strategy for cutting out terrorist financing is ultimately accomplished.

Again, I want to thank Congressman Castle, the gentleman from Delaware, for his support of this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time

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