House Republicans full of praise for Obama, CIA, Navy SEALs

Republicans took to the House floor Monday afternoon full of praise for the Obama administration's successful coordinated effort to kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, and encouraged the administration to keep up efforts to fight terrorism.

Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) congratulated Obama and his administration, and said the U.S. should be "tremendously proud" of this accomplishment. He also stressed that intelligence efforts that some Democrats have questioned helped the U.S. track down the al Qaeda leader.

"Let's not forget the intelligence officers that worked so diligently at Guantánamo Bay, at Gitmo — not torturing, but getting intelligence," Gingrey said on the House floor. "Finding out who that courier was … the best friend of Osama bin Laden lived in his neighborhood in Pakistan, and that's how we got him. Intelligence is how we got him."

Earlier Monday, Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) said the event demonstrates the need to extend Patriot Act surveillance authorities, another sign that Republicans have been quick to justify various national security policies by arguing that they contributed to efforts to find and kill bin Laden.

Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) was first to speak on the House floor, and said Americans are rejoicing in the justice that was finally delivered to bin Laden. He also said the U.S. now needs to press its efforts on Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups because the world "remains dangerous."

This was echoed by Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.), who said, "This should serve as a message to our terrorist enemy: if you choose to stand against freedom and liberty, and if you choose to murder the innocent, no matter how long it takes, we will hunt you down and bring you to the same justice that was received by Osama bin Laden."

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) said bin Laden's death doesn't end the war, "but it does serve as evidence that the American forces can penetrate the heart of the most extreme terrorist organizations and bring their leaders to justice worldwide."

Only one Democrat spoke in the short series of one-minute statements shortly after 2 p.m. today, the first day the House has been in session since April 15. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) offered congratulations to Obama and said, "Finally, the mission is accomplished."

After one-minute remarks, the House remained in recess subject to the call of the chairman, and is expected later Monday to vote on two non-controversial bills. One would name a Midland, Texas, courthouse after former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. The latter Bush was receiving congratulations Monday for his role in launching the effort to corral bin Laden.

The second bill would name an Oklahoma post office.