Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012

Floor Speech

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1892, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, as amended by the manager's amendment.

As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Analysis, and Counterintelligence, I am pleased that we were able to work together to bring a bipartisan Intelligence authorization bill to the floor today.

H.R. 1892 will support critical U.S. intelligence capabilities by strengthening funding for our intelligence collection programs, enhancing counterintelligence efforts, and improving upon critical training operations vital to the future of the intelligence community.

This legislation also includes two provisions that I authored. The first provision requires the Director of National Intelligence to compile a threat assessment of foreign drug traffickers that are increasingly turning to public lands in the United States to further their operations.

Last year alone, over 3 million marijuana plants were eradicated on 62 of our national forests. The effect of these illegal drugs' growth has been profound, leading to unacceptable levels of violence and the devastation of our environment and our natural resources. Our public lands have been taken away from us. This is wrong, and it must be stopped.

This threat assessment will examine the ability of law enforcement and the intelligence community to gather, process, and share critical intelligence information regarding the presence of foreign drug traffickers on our Federal public lands. This coordination between the intelligence community and local law enforcement is extremely important.

The second provision that I authored requires the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency to provide Congress with a full report on the events surrounding the May 2011 Osama bin Laden raid. This record, once complete, will provide an official account of a critical point in our country's history.

We are all proud of the intelligence community's extraordinary effort in carrying out the bin Laden operation. I believe it is necessary that we never forget what actually happened in the raid and to be able to recognize the amazing contribution of the intelligence community and this important success.

The historical significance of this mission cannot be understated. That's why we must make a determined effort to document and preserve all that went into this operation so that in the future the history books will be accurate and complete. I would like to just take a moment to thank my friend, a former committee colleague of ours, Representative Eshoo, for her work on this important part of the bill.

Madam Chair, our intelligence community must be prepared for any and all threats. While Osama bin Laden may no longer pose a direct threat to our country's safety and security, the remaining elements of al Qaeda and other emerging terrorist organizations are more determined than ever. It is critical for Congress to pass an Intelligence authorization that furthers our national security, which I believe this bill, with a manager's amendment, will do.

This legislation is necessary, will enhance the capabilities of the intelligence community, specifically our counterterrorism efforts, and will make our Nation stronger.

I urge my colleagues to support the amended bill.

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