Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013

Floor Speech

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Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chair, today I rise in support of H.R. 5743, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. This bipartisan bill, which was reported by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence by a unanimous 19 0 vote, provides funding and policy guidance to the America's intelligence community. Few bills are as important to our nation's security as this one.

H.R. 5743 provides the necessary resources to vital security programs, many of which focus on detecting and preventing terrorist attacks. It is critical that America maintains its qualitative security edge with respect to intelligence gathering, data analysis, and counter-terrorism. This bill would ensure that happens.

I recognize that given these challenging economic circumstances, difficult choices have to be made. This has led the Committee to authorize funding for intelligence activities at level that is four percent below last year's enacted budget. I appreciate the way Chairman ROGERS and Ranking Member RUPPERSBERGER have worked together in an effort to fashion a bill that strikes an appropriate balance.

The committee has made fiscally responsible choices when deciding where to cut funding, eliminating redundancies and directing that other programs be managed more efficiently.

Mr. Chair, for obvious reasons many of the programs authorized by this legislation cannot be discussed publicly. However, these programs are subjected to congressional oversight and scrutiny by the Intelligence Committee, which takes seriously obligation to ensure that the programs authorized under this legislation and the officials who administer them operate within constitutional and legal bounds.

I am pleased that the bill also contains provisions to strengthen the protection of the identities of covert agencies, to combat attempts by other countries to buy technology that could be used to develop weapons of mass destruction, and to enhance our counterterrorism efforts. As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security I know how important it is to make counterintelligence and counterterrorism efforts priorities.

It is a sad truth that we live in an age where our most pressing concern is the imminent threat of another terrorist attack. Our enemy does not respond to logic or reason, and therefore we must be prepared for every situation.

Mr. Chair, I support this bill because I am persuaded that it furthers the nation's security interests and is the right thing to do. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 5743.

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