After America was attacked at home, we lived in fear. Fear of being attacked again and fear of doing the unpatriotic. At the time, it was a move to support the president for the sake of healing a battered country. We learned that acting in that fashion is not how this nation was meant to operate.

We wised up to realize that panels like the 9-11 Commission were necessary to expose truth through fear. Having taken the recommendation from the panel to create a director of nonmilitary intelligence was a smart move on the part of Senate. It also would be smart for the House to approve this position and give it the clout it deserves.

For a national intelligence director to be successful, he or she needs to be given the appropriate amount of power. Coordinating the nation's nonmilitary intelligence agencies is a monumental task, knowing now that lines of communication between departments pre-Sept. 11, 2001 were so bungled. Successful defense is reliant upon genuine intelligence and genuine leaders with the ability to assess it correctly and expediently. The office is necessary on the grounds that we do not put unwavering faith in those elected or appointed to defend us. Accordingly, it's a position that does not deserve to be lumped in with our current heads of state. Intelligence gathering is not a partisan issue.

When the creation of this bill was discussed this past summer, we said that an important aspect of this intelligence director's influence - should one eventually exist - would be their ability to allocate funds in the name of intelligence gathering and security. A powerless national intelligence director is tantamount to a figurehead.

This bill is an important shot in the arm to national intelligence. This country is in need of leadership that will keep all of its people safe, at home and overseas. No life, civilian or soldier is insignificant.