Bush Signs FISA Bill, Warns that Post-9/11 Terror Threats Remains Real

by Walter Alarkon - 07/10/08 2:17 PM ET

President Bush, during the signing ceremony Thursday for the bill overhaulingthe Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), said that the threat of terrorism remains “very real.”

Bush and his administration had strongly pushed for Democrats to pass the FISA update, along with immunity from lawsuits for telecom companies that participated in the White House’s domestic warrantless wiretapping program.

Below is the portion of Bush’s remarks in the Rose Garden during which he stresses the need for the legislation in defending the country:

The fact that the terrorists have failed to strike our shores again, does not mean that our enemies have given up. To the contrary, since 9/11 they’ve plotted a number of attacks on our homeland. Like members standing up here, I receive briefings on the very real and very dangerous threats that America continues to face.

The most important lessons learned after 9/11 was that America’s intelligence professionals lacked some of the tools they needed to monitor the communications of terrorists abroad. It’s essential that our intelligence community know who our enemies are talking to, what they’re saying, and what they’re planning.

Last year, Congress passed temporary legislation that helped our intelligence community monitor these communications. The legislation I’m signing today will ensure that our intelligence community professionals have the tools they need to protect our country in the years to come.

The [Director of National Intelligence] and the attorney general both report that once enacted, this law will provide vital assistance to our intelligence officials in their work to thwart terrorist plots. This law will ensure that those companies whose assistance is necessary to protect the country will themselves be protected from lawsuits from past or future cooperation with the government.

This law will protect the liberties of our citizens, while maintaining the vital flow of intelligence. This law will play a critical role in helping to prevent another attack on our soil.