| Water Resources Development Act Of 2013—Continued |
May 9, 2013 |
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Michael Bennet, D-CO
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"Our bill would make substantial further investments at the border, including new fencing and technologies—motion sensors, virtual monitoring systems, inexpensive surveillance, and other innovative approaches—that enable us to secure the border more cheaply, more effectively, and with a smaller footprint."
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| Tribute To Brian Joseph David |
May 8, 2013 |
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Harry Reid, D-NV
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"Mr. David played an integral role providing advice and counsel to assist national emergency managers as they worked to mitigate and recover evidence from biological warfare attacks on the Senate. Mr. David’s knowledge and expertise significantly reduced the recovery time and expenses related to the anthrax and ricin attacks on the Senate. He oversaw a major chemical, biological, radiological, and explosives defense effort to protect our country’s national assets. By combining surveillance and identification technologies, defensive measures and mitigation capabilities, Mr. David formed a standard by which other large-scale protective efforts are now measured."
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| Executive Session |
May 7, 2013 |
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Charles Grassley, R-IA
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"At the hearing, I asked a number of questions about the various national security statutes that the Board is tasked with overseeing. This included questions about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the PATRIOT Act."
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| We Need To Know Where We Come From To Know Where We Are Going |
April 26, 2013 |
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Louie Gohmert, R-TX
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"As the initial elation over the swift identification and ending of the brothers Tsarnaev manhunt fades, a steady stream of facts are emerging that strongly suggest the need for a more sober assessment of the FBI’s performance in the 2 years prior to the Boston Marathon bombing. FBI counterterrorism agents interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older of the brothers, in January 2011 after receiving a tip from Russian intelligence. Since the interviewing agents thought they heard nothing to indicate Tsarnaev was a terrorist, little else was done and the case was closed 2 months later. A few months after that, Tsarnaev went to Russia and encountered somebody or experienced something that apparently prompted him to become quite open about his devotion to a radical vision of Islamic jihad. The FBI visited him a second time after he returned to the United States, but again concluded that Tsarnaev was not a threat. It is speculation now, of course, but it’s difficult to believe the Tsarnaevs would have been able to carry out the bombing had they been under active surveillance before the 2013 Boston Marathon."
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