mr. chairman , i want to thank my good friend from california ( mr. rohrabacher ) xz4003430 . 
i will always remember that day , as we all will . 
his point is well taken . 
i understand there is good intent behind the bill before us today and the amendment , but it is not enough . 
it simply is not . 
it leaves our country vulnerable for 45 days and that is too long . 
the distinguished chairman of the committee on the judiciary made some comments recently that suggested that somehow terrorists would oppose this bill and by some implication would favor the bill the gentleman from california ( mr. rohrabacher ) xz4003430 and i have put forward because it seems to support their autocratic views of government . 
nothing could be further from the truth . 
in fact , what our bill would do is tell the terrorists , you could come on a single day and set off a nuclear weapon in this town and kill every single member of us ; and though we would be missed , the very next day the congress would be up and functioning with every single state , every single district having full representation by statesmen and stateswomen at a time of national crisis . 
that is what the gentleman from california ( mr. rohrabacher ) xz4003430 and i are trying to do . 
we are trying to tell the terrorists , you can kill all of us as individuals , but you will not defeat this institution . 
you will not defeat the principle of representation . 
you will not defeat the principles of checks and balances . 
you will not impose martial law . 
here is the irony . 
if terrorists hit us today when we finally vote on this , let us suppose a few democrats do not make it over here . 
you are leaving this country vulnerable to change in power . 
if the terrorists were to strike your conference retreat where the president speaks to the republican house and senate members and kill hundreds of house and senate members on the republican side , the democrats at that point claim the majority . 
the democrats at that point elect a speaker of the house . 
i am a democrat , for goodness sakes ; but that is not the way to leave our country vulnerable . 
you are leaving your own party , you are leaving the will of the people through their elections vulnerable . 
if we have temporary replacements , you immediately reconstitute the house ; you immediately ensure representation ; you assure that you maintain the balance of political power ; and you do it in an orderly , structured way with no chaos , in a way that is constitutionally valid by definition . 
what you have proposed is not necessarily constitutionally valid . 
it leaves the terrorists able to change our system of government . 
it depends on a fantasy immediate or quick election . 
it does not allow really qualified people necessarily to get here and act in time . 
there are so many things you have left undone . 
you are going to try to say that at the start of this year we have solved this problem ; let us go home . 
you have not solved the problem , and it is a doggone disgrace , and it is a danger to this country . 
the other day a gentleman testified before the committee on the budget and said this : `` the lack of preparation for continuity , for true continuity invites attack. '' you are inviting attack . 
not preventing attack . 
