f.b.i. and the cia n.s.a. were charged with extra threats. when did the when did the n.s.a. start looking inside you know this is what you just you just described this is nine eleven was was the event it was pretty quick pretty quickly within a month month and a half after nine eleven. is what i'm told it began. and you have to understand n.s.a. was already in a bad position with regard to network communications it was in a weak position so it then did not have the capability to monitor all the world's communications and that's going to take a while to get to it's going to take some growth and learning but certainly that facility will be able to store the communications for when that bomb comes in and presumably process them. back to what extent is that facility an in-house project versus external contractors we were talking earlier about how nine eleven became you know an opportunity to make billions and a small number of people who come multi multi millionaires is that facility still traveling down the road or has the n.s.a. pulled back and said we're going to you know i d

f.b.i. or the n.s.a. but would you say it's fair to say that most of them do in fact come from those that are involved in public office. i would say they come either from the hill or they come from the white house or from senior administration officials from your assistant secretaries your secretaries your public affairs people in the government agencies the truth is that the average rank and file cia officer is not likely to be speaking to a new york times reporter i mean how would the reporter even find out who that person is it seems far more likely that this kind of information comes through the channels of officials who are dealing with these kinds of journalists on a day to day basis ok that being the case that what this bill really change anything. i think it could change things because it makes certain things that go on all the time a lot harder for example there are background briefings that intelligence agencies do for porters there have even been instances where agencies like the n.s.a. tried t

n.s.a. and the f.b.i. are working hard to counter these threats. so we all recognize the problem. that's really not the issue here. the issue is the manner in which the democratic leadership has tried to steam roll a bill that would address it. members on both sides of the aisle have recommendations for improving our cyber defenses, and some of them thought this bill would provide an opportunity to propose those ideas through amendments. especially since democrats didn't allow for an opportunity do so in committee. yet despite preventing members from amending the bill in committee, the anticipated open amendment process once this new bill got to the senate floor never happened. it just never happened. despite being on the bill now for the third day, no senator from either party has been allowed a vote on any amendment. look, this is a big, complicated, far-reaching bill that involves several committees of jurisdiction. democratic leaders haven't allowed any of those members t s to approve the bill or even vote on it. an issue of this importance deserves serious consideration and o

security agencies, cybersecurity agencies, department of defense, department of homeland security, f.b.i., n.s.a., national security agency, and they could not have been clearer about the fact that this cyber threat is not just a speculative threat. the fact is we're under attack over cyberspace right now. what's been -- in terms of economic threat, we've already lost a tremendous amount of money. general keith alexander, chief of the u.s. cyber command, described the loss of information and intellectual property and just plain money through cyber theft as -- quote -- "the greatest transfer of wealth in history." that's going on. we're also under cyber attack by enemies that are probing the control systems, cyber control systems that control not the mom and pop businesses at home, not the internet systems over which sko -- so many of us shop these days, but the cyber systems which control the electric supply, that control all of our financial transactions, large and small, that control our transportation system, our telecommunications system, all the things that we depend on to sustain our socie

f.b.i. director mueller speaks the truth. we must make sure that our government has the tools and authority as they have asked us, the n.s.a., the department of defense, the department of homeland security, our business community, privacy advocates, all unite in feeling that this threat must be confronted. we have the opportunity but we also have a historic obligation to make sure that we move this bill and that it moves forward so that we do not squander this opportunity. i thank the president, and i yield the floor mr. cardin: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. mr. cardin: i ask unanimous consent that floor privileges be granted to katherine beamer, department of state detailee in my office during that i had's session. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cardin: mr. president, if i might, willest me first thank katherine beamer for her service to the senate and to the american people. she's been an incredibly valuable part of my staff, detailed by the department of state to my senate office. she's helped me deal with preparations for my responsibility as the presiding officer knows o