{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=213A6194-1C8B-4D29-92AE-9A612B8CC5D8", "Graham Questions Secretary of Defense, FBI Director about Terrorism, Plans to Destroy ISIL", "2015-12-10", "2015", "2015-12", "Republican", "House", "SC", "Lindsey Graham", "G000359", "www.lgraham.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today questioned Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter in the Senate Armed Services Committee and FBI Director James Comey in the Senate Judiciary Committee about the threat of terrorism facing the United States and the strategy to destroy ISIL.\r\n\r\n\r\nGRAHAM QUESTIONS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CARTER\r\n\r\nGRAHAM:\r\nI am making a simple proposition to this President, that I will give you whatever you need in terms of my authorization to go wherever you need to go, as long as it takes to use whatever available tools you have within legal limits to destroy this threat.\r\n\r\nMr. President, are you all in or not?\r\n\r\nThe Secretary of Defense seems to be indicating this is good military policy.\r\n\r\nTo my colleagues on the other side, if we produce an authorization to use military force restricted by time, means or geography, youre sending a message to the enemy I will not send. Youre restricting our ability to defend this homeland with an imminent attack coming. http://bit.ly/1YZ8sgz\r\n\r\nGRAHAM:\r\nLets have a discussion. Let the enemy know without hesitation, theres no limitations on time, means, or location when it comes to destroying ISIL.\r\n\r\nMr. President, embrace this authorization for you and future presidents, because the country needs it. http://bit.ly/1YZjv9k\r\n\r\nAdditional information on Grahams Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) is available: http://1.usa.gov/1maY4En\r\n\r\n\r\nGRAHAM QUESTIONS FBI DIRECTOR COMEY\r\n\r\nGRAHAM:\r\nDo you agree with the following statement: There are more terrorist organizations with men, equipment and safe havens along with the desire to attack the American homeland any time since 9/11?\r\n\r\nDIRECTOR COMEY:\r\nI agree. http://bit.ly/1REOtle\r\n\r\nGRAHAM:\r\nIs it fair to say the Paris attack was a very sophisticated, well-planned attack that came from Syria?\r\n\r\nDIRECTOR COMEY:\r\nYes.\r\n\r\nGRAHAM:\r\nIs it fair to say that those people who planned the Paris attack would hit us here at home if they could?\r\n\r\nDICECTOR COMEY:\r\nYes. http://bit.ly/1RES4zv\r\n\r\n\r\nGRAHAM:\r\nWhat do you think the likelihood of another 9/11 against the homeland will be if we dont destroy the Caliphate in Syria and Iraq in the next year?\r\n\r\nDIRECTOR COMEY:\r\nCertainly a very hard question for me to answer. Theyre ability to have a safe haven from which to gather resources, people and plan and plot, increases the risk of their ability to mount a sophisticated attack against the homeland.\r\n\r\nGRAHAM:\r\nSo the best strategy would be, at least in the short term, - theyre large, theyre rich, theyre entrenched - is to make them small, poor, and on the run. Would that be a good approach to ISIL?\r\n\r\nDIRECTOR COMEY:\r\nThat makes sense and my understanding is that is the aim. http://bit.ly/1NbJYLC", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=213A6194-1C8B-4D29-92AE-9A612B8CC5D8"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 4.202658077701926, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}