Pete Hoekstra

Contact: Jamal Ware 202-225-4121

Washington, Oct 1 - U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, pointed out that President Barack Obama failed to sign the Democrats’ Fiscal Year 2010 Intelligence Bill before the period of time it covers expires.

“This bill was an embarrassment from the start, and it’s even more so now that President Obama has failed to sign it before the budget period it covered expired,” Hoekstra said. “Given that it wasn’t updated to reflect several terrorist attacks against our homeland since it was first passed last year, and didn’t contain a classified annex, there wasn’t much in the way of intelligence in the bill anyway. It’s unfortunate, because our nation needs the president and Democrats in Congress focused on the security of our homeland, especially during this reported period of heightened threat.”

Hoekstra pointed out that the Intelligence bill did not go through regular congressional order, instead it was rushed through the Senate Monday night in a procedure known as “hotlining” and then crammed through the House late Wednesday night. As a result of Democrats procedural roadblocks, Republicans were not allowed to amend the bill to respond to the terrorist attacks at Times Square, Fort Hood, in the skies over Detroit or to reported current threats. As a result, Hoekstra said the intelligence bill is incomplete and leaves the nation dangerously vulnerable.

“The ongoing series of attacks against our homeland have exposed serious gaps in our homeland security and with the president’s counterterrorism policies,” Hoekstra said. “Some may believe our nation can absorb another terrorist attack, but I believe the American people want us doing everything possible to detect, disrupt and prevent the next attack. That’s something we could have done if Democrats had allowed Republicans to strengthen the bill to respond to threats facing our nation.”