Porter J. Goss

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I was called away on official government business, as a result, I was not able to be present for rollcall vote 431. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes''. I request that this statement appear at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, this funding is real money that will bring real relief to the people in Florida who have been devastated by Hurricanes Charley and Frances and who need help. As Governor Bush said to us, we have developed a case, perhaps, of ``hurricane amnesia'' in recent years in Florida. We certainly no longer have that. In my district alone, Charley severely damaged homes, four hospitals, cut a barrier island in two, left thousands without power, left thousands without employment, changing life forever for some people.

Just 3 weeks later, another massive hurricane slammed many of the same areas that had already been wrecked by Charley. Charlotte Harbor was hit twice hard. As I took stock of the devastation one day after Hurricane Charley hit, I found remarkable the terrible damage, the scale of destruction, and how people's lives were affected. But I was more impressed by the response, local, State and Federal, all working together; and it was hot, and it was miserable. It was amazing to see how well they were doing.

And they are still there. This ordeal has consumed the entire State of Florida, and Governor Bush has been steadfast in these times of crisis and we thank him. I commend and thank him especially for his strong leadership not once but twice; and I pray not for a third time, and hope Ivan will go elsewhere. Our Senators Bob Graham and Bill Nelson also have done a fabulous job. They have met the challenges directly on the ground and, working as legislators, they have served our State and our country with great distinction.

Hurricanes are a part of life in Florida. It comes with the territory. But the past 4 weeks have been extraordinary. Not since 1950 have two powerful hurricanes hit Florida in the same year, let alone the same month. FEMA's relief funds need to be replenished now, and this funding will do just that. Appropriations Chairman Bill Young, a great Floridian, has given us the leadership response that has been effective and instantaneous. Delegation Chairman Clay Shaw has organized us to work together. We are grateful. I urge support for the bill.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to this amendment. The PATRIOT Act is not designed to be a Draconian assault on our rights, despite the description some have given it. Rather, it is a necessary fool which allows for effective communication between law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Let me say that again: it is an effective communication tool between law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Those of us who have studied what went wrong on 9/11 came up with a very dramatic conclusion which was published in a joint report put out by the House and Senate which said the problem was communication, there was a wall that needed to be taken down; and in fact the PATRIOT Act helped accomplish this, and it was a useful legislative contribution by the United States Congress as the legislative body to help fight the war on terrorism.

We have agencies that set forth every day in our country with the goal of keeping America safe. That is no small proposition these days. We have all read on the front page of the New York Times, the very New York Times the gentleman is referring to, that city we are all concerned about, the concerns about domestic attack, about right-now worries that there are things that should give us concern about our safety from terrorists, that their attention may very well be focused there. That has been reported on the front page of the New York Times.

The PATRIOT Act makes the task of dealing with these people and these threats a lot easier, and I continue to support the PATRIOT Act, and those who are working behind the scenes with our national security organizations do too.

We all know that no piece of legislation this body or any body produces is going to be perfect. We all know about unintended consequences. And so Congress has done something else. We have provided for oversight capability in case we got something wrong, and we have the capacity to investigate and correct any instances of misuse of the PATRIOT Act, just as we would in other cases where wrongdoing is alleged.

The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which I am the chairman of, regularly conducts oversight, and it has proven to be effective and reliable. To that end I have frequently described the Intelligence Committee when I make public speeches, which I do frequently, as the metaphorical 1-800 number for anybody who has concerns about abuses under the PATRIOT Act or any intelligence-related activities. The number to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has been and continues to be publicly listed and available to anybody who wants to call from around the world. If you have experienced a specific problem with the PATRIOT Act, you can now call us at our toll-free number. It only costs the taxpayers. The number is 1-877-858-9040. We will be happy to receive comments and exercise our congressional right to oversight as appropriate.

If there are problems with the PATRIOT Act, fine. Let us fix them in the kind of way that the chairman has properly suggested. I think the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) has

exactly described the right process that we should have questioning all the time whether we are getting it right, particularly in areas of our own rights; and I think debate is well warranted.

But this amendment and the half-truths which have been perpetuated against the PATRIOT Act are not the answer.

In closing, Members might be interested to know that we have not had any specific abuse complaints brought to our attention. Let me say that again: we have not had any specific abuse complaints brought to our attention. And on the contrary, we have had significant testimony that has shown utility of the PATRIOT Act. It is not unfair to say that the PATRIOT Act has been and is a vital weapon in the war on terrorism. I would say, in my judgment, that lives have been saved, terrorists have been disrupted, and our country is safer. I fully endorse the idea of oversight by Congress, I fully endorse a reporting system for any abuses, and I am happy to report I know of none, and I think I am in a position to report fairly on that. I urge opposition to the amendment.