mr. speaker , i rise to support the rule . 
i will tell my colleagues that over the last 8 months , we have had between 12 and 13 hearings in the committee on the judiciary and some 35 witnesses over an extended period of time ; and 50 members of the committee on the judiciary have had a chance to not just question those witnesses , but to go back in the secure intelligence records , which i have done , and review all the fisa reports and the other information that is very sensitive and an important part of our oversight . 
we have considered some 50 different amendments as part of this extensive hearing process . 
today we will be debating all day on the patriot act and into the evening . 
we will consider some 20 other proposed amendments . 
the fact of the matter is , congress has done a very diligent job balancing civil liberties during this time of great national threat . 
we watch and pray for our friends in britain as we do this , but we do it only after serious and thoughtful consideration . 
