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President Bush Pleased by Passage of FISA Reform Legislation
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary July 9, 2008

President Bush Pleased by Passage of FISA Reform Legislation Rose Garden

˙ /news/releases/2008/07/20080709-7.wm.v.html ˙˙Presidential Remarks
˙˙Audio ˙˙Photos

˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: National Security

4:01 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Today the United States Congress passed a vital piece of
legislation that will make it easier for this administration and future
administrations to protect the American people. This vital intelligence
bill will allow our national security professionals to quickly and
effectively monitor the plans of terrorists outside the United States,
while respecting the liberties of the American people.

This legislation is critical to America's safety; it is long overdue.
Months ago my administration set out key criteria that this intelligence
legislation would have to have before I would sign it into law. The
Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence report that the bill
Congress passed today meets these criteria, and therefore, I will soon sign
the bill into law.

This bill will help our intelligence professionals learn who the terrorists
are talking to, what they're saying, and what they're planning. It will
ensure that those companies whose assistance is necessary to protect the
country will, themselves, be protected from lawsuits for past or future
cooperation with the government. It will uphold our most solemn obligation
as officials of the federal government to protect the American people.

I want to thank the members of my administration who worked hard to get
this legislation passed. I thank the Democratic and Republican leadership
in the Congress for their efforts, particularly House Majority Leader
Hoyer, House Republican Whip Blunt, Senators Bond and Rockefeller,
Congressmen Hoekstra, Reyes and Smith.

This legislation shows that even in an election year we can come together
and get important pieces of legislation passed.

Thank you.

END 4:04 P.M. EDT

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