Local Congresswoman votes against adjournment

Washington, DC, -  Today, Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand called on House Democratic and Republican leaders to put partisanship aside and focus on coming up with a solution to reform and renew FISA legislation.

Earlier, this week, Congresswoman Gillibrand voted to extend the current FISA provisions that passed Congress earlier this year. However, that extension failed.

After the provision failed, Rep. Gillibrand was one of ten Democrats to buck their leadership and vote against adjournment for recess. Shortly thereafter she joined with Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ), a fellow House Armed Services Committee Member, in writing a letter to the Speaker of the House, urging Congress to address an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act now.

A copy of that letter can be viewed here: www.gillibrand.house.gov/images/Documents/fisanoadjourn.pdf

Below is the text of that letter.

February 14, 2008

Dear Speaker Pelosi:

As members of the House Armed Services Committee, we write to you today because securing our nation and protecting Americans from terrorist attacks is our greatest responsibility in Congress. Therefore, we urge you to cancel the district work period and call the U.S. House of Representatives back into session next week so that we can complete work on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Yesterday, we voted against adjourning for the President's Day recess in order to allow this to happen. We also voted to allow House, Senate and White House negotiators the 21-day extension that they requested to negotiate a final bill. We must continue to work to develop effective foreign surveillance legislation instead of leaving on recess.

Last November, the House passed a FISA bill, which we voted for, that provided our intelligence community with the authority they need. It would allow them to spy on foreign terrorists, while continuing to protect American citizens from unwarranted wiretapping. The Senate completely revised that bill and sent it back to the House this week. Clearly there is a lot of negotiating needed in order to reconcile them and develop a final bill. We strongly encourage you to consider bringing the House back into session in order to negotiate this important law.

Sincerely,

Gabrielle Giffords             Kirsten Gillibrand
Member of Congress        Member of Congress