Washington, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) released the following statement expressing support for the bipartisan compromise on H.R. 6304, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments of 2008: 

 “This bipartisan compromise strikes the right balance between providing our intelligence community with the tools they need to find and fight terrorists and protecting our constitutional rights. This compromise greatly improves on the Senate bill by providing for more rigorous review of electronic surveillance activities and by giving the courts a meaningful role in determining if telecommunications firms are entitled to civil liability protection. 

 “From my perspective as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, this bill strongly supports the intelligence needs of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.  Every day, American men and women deployed in harm’s way depend on electronic surveillance capabilities to achieve their missions, and this legislation will ensure that our warfighters will continue to receive this important intelligence. 

 “I am pleased that bipartisan negotiations between the Administration and Congress resulted in an agreement on this critical national security issue, and I want to particularly commend Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for his leadership on this landmark legislation. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this vital national security measure.”

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