[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 72 (Friday, May 18, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H3109-H3145]



        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013

[...]

           Amendment No. 111 Offered by Mr. Price of Georgia

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 111 
printed in House Report 112 485.
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment made in order 
under the rule.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       At the end of title X, add the following new section:

     SEC. 1084. REQUIREMENT FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE 
                   POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS OF FEDERAL LAW RELATED TO 
                   LEAKS OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION INVOLVING THE 
                   MILITARY, INTELLIGENCE, AND OPERATIONAL 
                   CAPABILITIES OF THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL.

       (a) Investigation Required.--Not later than 30 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General 
     shall initiate an investigation into possible violations of 
     Federal law related to leaks of sensitive information 
     involving the military, intelligence, and operational 
     capabilities of the United States and Israel.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit to 
     Congress a report describing the status and progress of the 
     investigation required under subsection (a).

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 661, the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Price) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.

[[Page H3140]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, for over 60 years, the United 
States and Israel have forged a very unique relationship. A friendship 
built upon trust and shared sacrifice and common values. But our 
relations with Israel, as with a growing number of long-held alliances, 
seem to be negotiable with this administration.
  A stream of highly sensitive information continues to be leaked to 
the press--information that includes U.S. and Israeli military and 
intelligence operational capabilities, as well as classified 
negotiations between Israel and other countries.
  On March 20, The New York Times, citing senior administration 
officials, reported the conclusions of a classified war simulation 
conducted by the United States that analyzed an Israeli attack on 
Iranian nuclear facilities.
  On March 28, Foreign Policy magazine, quoting four senior diplomats 
and military intelligence officers, referred to a report that Israel 
would be granted access to air bases in Azerbaijan as part of an attack 
on Iran's nuclear facilities, a move clearly designed to undercut 
cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel.
  Further degrading Israel's ability to defend itself, The Washington 
Post's David Ignatius on February 3 reported that Secretary of Defense 
Leon Panetta believes there's a strong likelihood that Israel will 
strike Iran in April, May, or June, which reportedly sent Iran's air 
defenses on high alert.
  The release of this classified information not only puts at risk 
fragile negotiations between countries but also the very lives of the 
men and women called upon to carry out this mission.
  I recently traveled to the Middle East, where we met with senior 
Israeli officials. Their number one concern was that for the first time 
in our long relationship, United States was releasing classified 
operational information and capabilities, willfully putting at risk the 
lives of Israeli people.
  Mr. Chairman, our actions are not the actions of a friend or an ally. 
A couple of weeks ago, I joined with 22 other Members of the House of 
Representatives and sent a letter to President Obama calling for an 
investigation into these leaks by senior administration and 
intelligence officials. We have yet to receive a response.
  Now it's no secret that this administration is seeking to dissuade 
Israel from launching an airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities, but 
risking Israeli and American lives and undermining our alliance is 
unacceptable. The Israeli people should not have to question our 
support for their security.
  So I offer this amendment with Representative Pat Meehan and 
Representative Randy Hultgren. Our amendment calls for the Attorney 
General to investigate these leaks and bring those responsible to 
justice. Trust and cooperation are vital to securing a strong alliance 
and a future of peace. The persons responsible for this breach of faith 
should be held accountable, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chairman, though I'm not opposed to the 
amendment, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition.
  The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I too support the amendment, 
and with that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I urge adoption of the amendment, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Georgia will 
be postponed.

                              {time}  1130

[...]


            Amendment No. 111 Offered by Price of Georgia

  The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a 
recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Price) on which further proceedings were postponed and on which 
the ayes prevailed by voice vote.
  The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
  The Clerk redesignated the amendment.


                             Recorded Vote

  The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The Acting CHAIR. This is a 2-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 379, 
noes 38, not voting 14, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 289]

                               AYES--379

     Adams
     Aderholt
     Akin
     Alexander
     Altmire
     Amash
     Austria
     Baca
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Baldwin
     Barletta
     Barrow
     Bartlett
     Barton (TX)
     Bass (NH)
     Benishek
     Berg
     Berkley
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Bishop (UT)
     Black
     Blackburn
     Bonner
     Bono Mack
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boustany
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brooks
     Broun (GA)
     Buchanan
     Bucshon
     Buerkle
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canseco
     Cantor
     Capito
     Capps
     Capuano
     Carnahan
     Carney
     Carter
     Cassidy
     Castor (FL)
     Chabot
     Chaffetz
     Chandler
     Chu
     Cicilline
     Clarke (MI)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Coble
     Coffman (CO)
     Cohen
     Cole
     Conaway
     Connolly (VA)
     Conyers
     Costa
     Courtney
     Cravaack
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Critz
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (KY)
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     Denham
     Dent
     DesJarlais
     Deutch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Dold
     Donnelly (IN)
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Duffy
     Duncan (SC)
     Duncan (TN)
     Ellmers
     Emerson
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Farenthold
     Farr
     Fattah
     Fincher
     Fitzpatrick
     Flake
     Fleischmann
     Fleming
     Flores
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Garamendi
     Gardner
     Garrett
     Gerlach
     Gibbs
     Gibson
     Gingrey (GA)
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez
     Goodlatte
     Gowdy
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Griffin (AR)
     Griffith (VA)
     Grimm
     Guinta
     Guthrie
     Gutierrez
     Hahn
     Hall
     Hanabusa
     Hanna
     Harper
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayworth
     Heck
     Heinrich
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Herrera Beutler
     Higgins
     Himes
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hirono
     Hochul
     Holden
     Hoyer
     Huelskamp
     Huizenga (MI)
     Hultgren
     Hunter
     Hurt
     Israel
     Issa
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson Lee (TX)
     Jenkins
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Jordan
     Kaptur
     Keating
     Kelly
     Kildee
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kinzinger (IL)
     Kissell
     Kline
     Labrador
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Landry
     Langevin
     Lankford
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Latta
     Levin
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Long
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lujan
     Lummis
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Lynch
     Mack
     Maloney
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     Marino
     Markey
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McCotter
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     Meehan
     Meeks
     Mica
     Michaud
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, Gary
     Miller, George
     Moore
     Moran
     Mulvaney
     Murphy (CT)
     Murphy (PA)
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neugebauer
     Noem
     Nugent
     Nunes
     Nunnelee
     Olson
     Owens
     Palazzo
     Pallone
     Pastor (AZ)
     Paulsen
     Pearce
     Pelosi
     Pence
     Perlmutter
     Peters
     Petri
     Pingree (ME)
     Pitts
     Platts
     Poe (TX)
     Polis
     Pompeo
     Posey
     Price (GA)
     Price (NC)
     Quayle
     Quigley
     Reed
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Renacci
     Reyes
     Ribble
     Richardson
     Richmond
     Rigell
     Rivera
     Roby
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Rokita
     Rooney
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross (AR)
     Ross (FL)
     Rothman (NJ)
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Runyan
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Ryan (WI)
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schilling
     Schmidt
     Schock
     Schrader
     Schwartz
     Schweikert
     Scott (SC)
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, Austin
     Scott, David
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sewell
     Shimkus
     Shuler
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sires
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Southerland
     Stearns
     Stivers
     Stutzman
     Sutton
     Terry
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiberi
     Tierney
     Tipton
     Tonko
     Tsongas
     Turner (NY)
     Turner (OH)
     Upton
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walsh (IL)
     Walz (MN)
     Waxman
     Webster
     Welch
     West
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack

[[Page H3143]]


     Woodall
     Woolsey
     Yarmuth
     Yoder
     Young (FL)
     Young (IN)

                                NOES--38

     Ackerman
     Andrews
     Bass (CA)
     Becerra
     Berman
     Blumenauer
     Bonamici
     Brown (FL)
     Butterfield
     Carson (IN)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clyburn
     Cooper
     DeFazio
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Fudge
     Grijalva
     Holt
     Honda
     Johnson (GA)
     Kucinich
     Lee (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     McCollum
     Olver
     Paul
     Peterson
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Sherman
     Stark
     Thompson (MS)
     Towns
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watt
     Young (AK)

                             NOT VOTING--14

     Amodei
     Braley (IA)
     Cardoza
     Costello
     Filner
     Frank (MA)
     Gosar
     Lewis (CA)
     Pascrell
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Slaughter
     Speier
     Sullivan
     Wolf


                    Announcement by the Acting Chair

  The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). There is 1 minute remaining.

                              {time}  1207

  Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, and Mr. HOLT changed their vote 
from ``aye'' to ``no.''
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois changed his vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
  So the amendment was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.