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[Pages S2387-S2388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FISA
Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, speaking of keeping our Nation safe,
the Senate has work of our own to do this week to ensure the safety and
security of our Nation. In addition to fighting this historic pandemic,
it is
[[Page S2388]]
also our job to keep sight of the other threats to national security
that are still evolving, independent of COVID-19.
Far from any frontline hospital, the PRC's domineering approach to
contested territories in the South China Sea is keeping the men and
women of the U.S. Seventh Fleet on high alert.
From dark corners of cyber space, Russia busies our national security
and intelligence experts with a steady flow of infectious propaganda
and disinformation.
From the Mediterranean to the Gulf of Aden, Iran continues to expand
its regional influence, sow division, promote terror, and threaten
America and its partners.
And across Afghanistan, the Taliban, al-Qaida, and ISIS continue to
undermine the work of an international coalition and a representative
government.
These are just a few of the global threats that were with us long
before the COVID-19 crisis, and they have only gotten worse during the
pandemic.
History reminds us that when great nations confront profound
challenges at home, their enemies and competitors do not pause their
own efforts until the situation becomes more stable. Rather, from
Beijing to Moscow, to caves in the Middle East, our adversaries would
be tickled pink if the coronavirus caused the United States to lose our
ability to multitask.
Some of our Democratic colleagues have implied recently that it is
beneath the Senate--beneath the Senate--to spend time on any business
that does not exclusively pertain to the pandemic. I could not disagree
more strongly. Common sense tells us that this crisis demands more
vigilance on the other fronts of national security, not less. When we
take our oaths of office as U.S. Senators, we swear to defend the
Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. This
coronavirus may have shoved its way to the top of that list, but the
list is still a long one, indeed.
Unfortunately, for several weeks now, our Nation has been less
prepared than normal to defend ourselves against those who wish us
harm, and it is not because of the coronavirus. It is because House
Democrats have failed to act.
Back in March, the Senate passed a clean short-term extension of key
authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, while a
broader renegotiation was under way. After the shameful abuses of the
FISA process that marred the 2016 Presidential campaign, there was a
clear need for meaningful reforms to bring more daylight and
accountability into the process. But at the same time, many of us on
both sides of the aisle were absolutely intent on preserving these
critical national security tools that have helped keep America safe.
While discussions were under way on how to strike the right balance,
the Senate passed a bipartisan short-term extension so these important
tools could remain in our national security professionals' hands while
Congress got our act together. Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi let that
extension sit on her desk and gather dust. So, for more than 8 weeks--8
weeks--these important tools have gone dark.
Fortunately, the Attorney General and Members of Congress have worked
together to craft a compromise solution that will implement needed
reforms while preserving the core national security tools. These
intense discussions produced a strong bill that balances the need for
accountability with our solemn obligation to protect our citizens and
defend our homeland.
I understand several of our colleagues believe this compromise bill
is not perfect. Sadly, imperfection is a fact of life when it comes to
compromise legislation. While I respect my distinguished colleagues
whose amendments we will be voting on later today, I urge Senators to
vote against them. The current bill in its current form already strikes
the correct and delicate balance, and there is certainly no guarantee
that another, new version of this legislation would necessarily pass
the House or earn the President's support. This version has already
done both. We cannot let the perfect become the enemy of the good when
key authorities are currently sitting expired and unusable.
In sum, while the Senate continues overseeing the national response
to the coronavirus crisis, we are also making sure the pandemic does
not inflict even greater harm by distracting us from other threats and
challenges that preceded it.
Off the floor, our committees are working through a number of
pressing national security nominations, from the Director of National
Intelligence to the Secretary of the Navy, to other high-level openings
at the Pentagon. When the time comes, I hope we will be able to fill
these crucial openings promptly through bipartisan cooperation on the
floor. I hope our Democratic colleagues think carefully before applying
reflexive partisan delays even to vital security positions during a
global emergency.
We cannot put Homeland Security on autopilot because another crisis
has our attention. The Senate can, will, and must continue to pay
attention to both.
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