Senate Proceeding 02-15-11 on Feb 15th, 2011 :: 3:35:10 to 3:40:55
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3:35:10 to 3:35:33( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: the n.s.a. described to members last night how this has been used. they noted -- and i quote from last night -- "we have seen recent successful disruptions of terrorist plots directed against the united states. our intelligence and law enforcement personnel were able

3:35:10 to 3:40:55( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Dianne Feinstein

3:35:38 to 3:35:58( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: to disrupt al qaedaes's nassi be aabullah terrorism plot. these patriot act thowrts along with other critical intelligence tools are essential to our ability to detect and disrupt such plots." the second expiring provision, so-called roving wiretap authority, provides the

3:35:59 to 3:36:20( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: government with needed flexibility in conducting electronic surveillance. we all know that there are now throw-away cell phones. we have found that terrorists have attempted to evade surveillance by using these throw-away cell phones and

3:36:21 to 3:36:42( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: rapidly switching cell phones. this tool alaws for surveillance on a particular target, not the telephone. and, again, you need to have that authority given to you, much as you would in a wiretap by a court -- in this case, the foreign intelligence surveillance court.

3:36:43 to 3:37:04( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: and, again, the surveillance is foreign. according to f.b.i. director bob mueller, this provision has been used more than 190 times since it was authorized in 2001. the third section, the final one, is the lone wolf authority

3:37:05 to 3:37:26( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: that allows for court-ordered collection against non-u.s. persons who engage in international terrorism but for whom an association with a specific international terrorist group has not yet been determined. this provision was enacted in

3:37:27 to 3:37:48( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: light of the zacharias moussaoui case in which the f.b.i. suspected moussaoui of engaging in terrorist activity, believed at the time that it would-to-coo not obtain a -- that it could not obtain a fisa order, a fisa warrant, for lack of a defensive medicinive connection to a known foreign terrorist ompleghts i

3:37:49 to 3:38:09( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: see senator kyl on the floor. he we will knows this issue. so this is a specific addition that was put in because of the moussaoui case to get at someone who is a lone wolf, who has no association with the terrorist operation.

3:38:10 to 3:38:32( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: these tools have been authorized for several and have been subject to strict scrutiny by the foreign intelligence surveillance act court, the department of justice, and the congressional intelligence and judiciary committees. now, members have raised concerns that provisions authorized by the patriot act

3:38:33 to 3:38:53( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: have been misused. the judiciary and the intelligence committee have held numerous hearings on this topic. i believe past problems have been addressed, and we will continue to monitor the use of these provisions carefully. members have also noted past problems with the use of

3:38:54 to 3:39:14( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: national security letters, and that's what all the discussion so far that i have heard on the floor has been. as i said, the national security sections are not at issue at this time. so it is, in a sense, a chivalrous to raise them here.

3:39:15 to 3:39:36( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: it's lone wolf, wiretaps -- the three sections that expire on the 28th of february. so let me be clear. this legislation does not address national security letter authorities, as those provisions are not set to expire at the end of the month. now, by extending these three

3:39:37 to 3:39:58( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: provisions until may 27, the congress can appropriately study them. and i hope enact the long-term reauthorizations that the intelligence community and law enforcement need to continue to keep us safe. and let me just mr. president, i see and cannot

3:39:59 to 3:40:20( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: go into here but day after day uses of these sections and have come to believe that being able to have good intelligence is what prevents a new york subway attack. it's what keeps this homeland safe, and it's what allows us to

3:40:21 to 3:40:42( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: get ahead of a terrorist attack. without them -- without them -- we put our nation in jeopardy. and i, for one, took an oath of office to protect and defend. and i do not intend to be party to that. everything i know indicates that there is jeopardy facing this nation. and these intelligence

3:40:43 to 3:40:57( Edit History Discussion )

Dianne Feinstein: provisions are necessary to protect our homeland. i urge acceptance of the reid-mcconnell legislation, and i thank the president.