Conference Report on H. R. 1, Implementing Recommendation of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007

Floor Speech

CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 1, IMPLEMENTING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 9/11 COMMISSION ACT OF 2007 -- (House of Representatives - July 27, 2007)

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Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for making us so very, very proud of his chairmanship, Mr. Thompson's chairmanship of this very important committee. Homeland security is as local as our neighborhoods and our front porches and as national as our interests wherever they are threatened throughout the world.

I rise today in strong support of this legislation to make the bipartisan independent 9/11 Commission recommendations into law. With this bill, we will be keeping our promises to the families of 9/11. We will be honoring the work of the 9/11 Commission, and we will be making the American people safer.

I salute the steadfast leadership of so many of our colleagues; as I mentioned, Chairman Thompson and the distinguished ranking member, Mr. King. Thank you for your leadership, Mr. King, as well. I also want to acknowledge Chairmen LANTOS, DINGELL, CONYERS, OBERSTAR, SKELTON, MARKEY and NADLER, who played an important role in the conference report, as well as all of your ranking members, Mr. King, on the Republican side.

Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago this week the bipartisan and independent 9/11 Commission released its report outlining urgent and achievable recommendations for securing our Nation. Under the outstanding leadership of Chairman Tom Kean and Vice Chair Lee Hamilton, the 9/11 Commission presented a road map to protect the American people from terrorism.

In assuming power, Democrats promised a new direction for America, and nowhere was that new direction more critical than ensuring the safety of the American people. That is why on the very first day of the new Congress, our very first legislative act was to pass H.R. 1, the 9/11 Commission recommendations. It was our highest priority, to make the American people safer, and we passed it on the first day in our first legislative act.

Today we will pass the final version of this bipartisan bill. We will send it to the President for his signature which we expect he will apply to it. And when we do, we will have done in 6 months what previous Congresses failed to do in nearly 6 years.

We could not have accomplished this without the courage and determination of those whose loved ones were lost on September 11. The families of 9/11 turned their grief into strength and advocacy, and that made America safer.

Implementing the recommendations will fundamentally change the way the President and the Congress deal with matters related to terrorism, making us more unified and more effective. This is because this bill closes loopholes and weaknesses that terrorists seek to exploit and that leave Americans vulnerable.

I know others have addressed these, but in commending the committee in a bipartisan way, I want to highlight some of the important things that make America safer.

Federal funding for homeland security will now be focused on those parts of the country that are at the greatest risk. By securing loose nuclear material abroad, this bill will help prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. That is a very, very important issue.

Our bill requires that 100 percent of shipping containers be scanned and sealed abroad before they ever reach our shores and move through our waterways and across the country. Mr. Nadler, thank you for your exceptional leadership and your persistence on this matter. 9/11 occurred in your district, and you have been a relentless advocate for safety for all Americans.

It also requires the screening of 100 percent of cargo on our passenger aircraft, a provision again relentlessly pursued by Congressman Markey.

We know that lives were lost on 9/11 because our first responders were not able to communicate with each other in real-time. This bill makes a $1.6 billion investment in the equipment for our fire fighters, police and other emergency personnel, the equipment they need to communicate with each other more effectively to protect us and for them to protect each other.

These are just but a few provisions of the bill. Others have referenced a more extensive list; each of them is very important.

Mr. Speaker, as we learned in the National Intelligence Estimate released last week, the threat of terrorist violence against the United States is growing. Al Qaeda is gaining strength, and Osama bin Laden continues to elude capture. There is not a moment to spare to take the steps necessary to keep the American people safe.

With this bill, we are honoring our solemn responsibility to protect and defend the American people. We take that as our oath of office, to protect the Constitution and, in the preamble, to provide for the common defense as a major charge to us. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and the President to sign it.

I thank my colleagues again, Mr. Thompson and Mr. King, for bringing this legislation to the floor.

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