"It is my understanding that a very few Republican members of the House of Representatives are preventing passage of legislation that would fundamentally reform the structure of America's intelligence services.

The bill, as put forward, is a relatively simple piece of legislation. It provides for basic reform: the creation of a Director of National Intelligence with strong budget authority and a new Counter-terrorism Center. The so-called poison pills on immigration were removed.

I am confident that if this bill were put to a vote tonight, it would be overwhelmingly passed. It is a good law that is desperately needed and would make America safer.

The Intelligence Community's failures prior to 9/11 were so stark that they become a mandate for this reform. Republicans control both houses of Congress. They could do this and they decided not to do it. I find that egregious.

We have spent more than enough time learning why terrorists were able to attack us, and why we went to war based on erroneous information - it was because the structure of the Intelligence Community was, and is, fundamentally flawed. We now know the solution to that problem. It is reckless to allow our nation to remain in unnecessary danger in this way."

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