Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi: New Bill Will Protect U.S.

On Dec. 6, after months of delay by Republicans in the House of Representatives, Congress finally passed legislation that will help protect America. The intelligence reform bill, based on the unanimous, bipartisan recommendations of the independent 9/11 Commission, overwhelmingly passed in the House and Senate and was signed into law by President George Bush Dec. 17. The legislation was only possible because of the courage and persistence of the 9/11 families, who turned their grief into action. Every American is in their debt.

This legislation will make the American people safer by overhauling our intelligence agencies, improving aviation, border and maritime security and facilitating the work of police, fire fighters and other emergency responders. Perhaps most critically, it will also create a director of national intelligence to oversee the intelligence community.

The 9/11 Commission also recommended the establishment of a strong civil liberties board, because as we protect and defend the American people from terrorism, we must also protect and defend the Constitution and the civil liberties contained therein. The civil liberties board contained in this bill, however, is not as strong as it should have been, and I spoke out on the House floor in favor of a more robust board. If its operation makes clear that the board needs additional authorities, I will not hesitate to fight for them.

Fortunately, the worst of the extraneous provisions on immigration and law enforcement that were in the House version were removed from the final bill. Republicans, however, have already indicated that they plan to tarnish this achievement in the next Congress by voting on ill-advised changes to our immigration laws as part of a "must-pass" bill unrelated to immigration. Immigration changes of this magnitude require an open and honest debate, and they should not be taken up piecemeal. Congress and the president should work together for a comprehensive immigration policy that unites families, that is fair, and that keeps us safe.

In addition to the changes in the executive branch, the 9/11 Commission also recommended changes in the intelligence oversight process in Congress, but those changes were not part of the bill passed by Congress. Without effective congressional oversight, the reforms put in place by this bill will be less successful in protecting the American people. 

This legislation, although not perfect, strengthens the process by which we manage the collection, processing and dissemination of intelligence. In so doing, it reduces risk to the American people. I hope it will bring some comfort to the families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks, including the families of San Franciscans we lost that day - Mark Bingham, Melissa Harrington Hughes, Betty Ong, Alicia Nicole Titus and Christian Hans Rudolf Wemmers. We owe them - and all of the American people - at least this much.