Official Truth Squad
OFFICIAL TRUTH SQUAD -- (House of Representatives - February 16, 2006)
02/16/06
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Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, Congressman Price, I rise today to speak on the importance that we as a Nation do all that we can to prevent another terrorist attack on our homeland.
Like many of my colleagues, I will never forget the attacks of September 11. My daughter lived in New York City at the time. I remember that morning all too well because I did not know where she was. I did not know how close she was to the proximity of the attacks. For hours and hours, literally, almost 2 days, I could not get through to her, worrying about her safety and her well-being, worrying about how she was. My husband and I were so blessed and so grateful that she was just scared, but certainly safe.
But, you know, thousands of other people were not lucky like us. Thousands of others lost their loved ones in that attack. We must do everything in our power to prevent another attack from happening.
I rise today to congratulate the hard-working men and women of our intelligence agencies and the first responders on preventing another attempt like 9/11. I, like most Americans, wake up each morning safe, proceed with my day without even worrying about the threat of an attack because I know, from law enforcement to our national security apparatus, thousands of highly trained professionals are diligently watching and working. Men and women using the latest technologies and a lot of muscle are hard at work around the clock making sure that those that want to hurt us are kept at bay.
I hope everyone understands that the desire of the terrorist organizations to launch a deadly attack has not gone away. It has not subsided. They are out there. They want to attack us.
What has changed is our ability to thwart the attacks. That ability has dramatically increased. The latest in database technology, coupled with surveillance technologies, is proving to be a powerful force in identifying potential attackers. We owe a great deal of gratitude to these men and women on the front lines of our defense here at home as well as abroad.
Just this week the media reported that some 200,000 people across the globe are on our watchlist, persons that we have reason to believe wish us harm, wish us death, wish our Nation destruction.
But most importantly, 200,000 persons we have already identified as potential threats. When we wake up each morning and turn on our television sets and there is no news of an attack, we do not even think that there might have been one. That in itself is a tribute to the hard work of our national security team. We go about our lives without fear of an attack each day because of the job they are doing. We must give them every tool needed to complete their mission. Their mission is not only important; it is a matter of life and death.
Much has been said about the National Security Agency's surveillance program in the media. Much of it is nonsense and distortion. Mr. Speaker, I asked my constituents in a survey what they think of the National Security Agency's surveillance program. Over 2,000 people have responded to date. Almost 80 percent support the program, eighty percent is a huge supermajority of folks representing all kinds of ideologies and political affiliations. Eighty percent. The media just does not always get it, Mr. Speaker, but the American people do.
The American people first and foremost want to be safe in their homes and go about their lives without the fear of another attack. They exhibit far more common sense than the media ever gives them credit for. One of our colleagues from the great State of Texas has a great saying that Texas could use a whole lot less of Washington and Washington could use a whole lot more of Texas. Unfortunately, someday, I believe, and I really hope and pray in the very far distant future, we may well be attacked again. That attack may well be much larger in scope than we ever could believe, much larger than 9/11. On that day I hope and I pray we can say honestly and wholeheartedly we did everything we could to prevent it.
It is our job, Mr. Speaker. It is our job as Members of Congress to make sure that Americans are safe, safe and free, safe and free from the terrorist attack of yesterday and tomorrow. We have to continue to do that. To do nothing less is not just irresponsible; it is un-American.
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