9/11 Commission recommendations: Time for the Senate to act

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9/11 Commission), an independent, bipartisan commission created by Congress in 2002, was chartered to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. As part of its mission, the 9/11 Commission was also directed to provide recommendations designed to guard against future attacks.
    Since the 9/11 Commission released its report, only half of their recommendations have been acted upon by Congresses and the Administration. In fact, during the last two years, the 109th Congress did nothing to address the Commission’s recommendations.
This lack of progress did not go unnoticed. In December of 2005, the 9/11 Commission gave Congress and the Administration grades on what had been done to improve homeland security and address threats from global terrorism: they were mostly Ds and Fs.
Those grades were unacceptable but one can see why they were given — not only was nothing being done by the leadership at that time, but bipartisan efforts to advance the recommendations were shut down.
By ignoring the sound advice of independent experts, the Administration and the old leadership failed in its obligation to keep Americans safe — the greatest responsibility Congress and the Administration are charged with. Not acting on the Commission’s recommendations meant that we were not meeting our responsibility to the American people, and we were not taking the necessary steps to help ensure that our country never experiences another tragedy like 9/11 again.
This abandoning of our responsibility is deplorable. But now at long last, and as the very first piece of legislation considered, the House just did what the last Congress could not — pass the remainder of the 9/11 Commission recommendations.
Passing these recommendations is important for the safety of our country and is long overdue. This bill will help meet our security needs at home, limit the spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), and address the roots of terrorism abroad. The bill also goes beyond the Commission’s recommendations by requiring, within five years, 100 percent scanning of U.S.-bound shipping containers. Finally writing these recommendations into law will make America a stronger and safer place.
In fact, the bill directly addresses the failing grades that were previously given to the government for its inaction. For example, the 9/11 Commissioners gave Ds and Fs to the Administration and Congress because of its inadequate action on addressing communications interoperability for first responders and information sharing with local law enforcement: in other words, making sure different first responders can talk to each other on the radio.
This bill would improve the communications capabilities of first responders by establishing a stand-alone communications interoperability grant program at the Department of Homeland Security to provide first responders with the type of equipment that allows them to communicate with one another during emergencies. It also contains several provisions to strengthen intelligence and information sharing with local law enforcement.
This bill also significantly increases the share of state homeland security grants provided on the basis of risk, and improves port and aviation security.
As important as taking steps at home to be safe, this legislation also recognizes that we must proactively address the roots of extremism overseas. It increases education opportunities for youth in the Muslim world and creates the Middle East Foundation to promote economic opportunities, education reform, human rights, and democratic processes in the countries of the Middle East.
This piece of the bill is important because it addresses something that that Administration has not done enough to fix. Our military is the best in the world, but we can’t send it everywhere, nor can we use it to convince others of the values of tolerance, freedom and human rights. Our strategy for victory in the war on terror must include economic, education and cultural opportunities so that potential extremists never become terrorists. We must stop terrorism before it starts.
This legislation will make America safer by addressing our current needs at home and future threats from abroad. It will put us on course toward improving our homeland security, addressing the threat of WMD, and reducing the appeal of extremist doctrines. Implementing the remainder of the 9/11 Commission recommendations is long overdue.