Washington, DC – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04), member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement on his vote for the Intelligence Authorization Act, HR 4127:
“Today, I voted along with an overwhelming bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives to pass a bill that funds our intelligence agencies for the next year. As a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I work closely with all of these agencies to ensure the safety of the American people. Passing this bill will help achieve that goal.
“In the wake of recent terror attacks in Beirut, Paris, Mali and against a Russian passenger plane in Egypt, our intelligence gathering capabilities have never been more important. It is in the national security interests of the United States that we stop attacks before they happen by disrupting terrorist networks and plots, and our intelligence agencies provide us the tools and information to do that. I will also continue to work to protect the privacy and civil liberties of Americans, balancing our strong constitutional values with essential security.”