Case Co-Introduces House Bill to Fully Implement Recommendations of 9/11 Commission

Case co-introduces House bill to fully implement recommendations of 9/11 Commission
He calls it Congress's "top priority" as U.S. House and Senate reconvene for their fall session

September 7, 2004

Washington, D.C. - As Congress returned today from its August district work period, Congressman Ed Case (Hawaii, 2nd District) called for speedy congressional approval of a House bill he is co-introducing with colleagues to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission to improve the nation's homeland security and prevent future terrorist attacks.

"This legislation must be the top priority of Congress as the House and Senate reconvene for the final weeks of the 108th Congress," said Case, who is also a member of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission Caucus in the U.S. House-a group of House members who are pushing for adoption of the commission's recommendations.

"We need this action to strengthen our nation's preparedness and to ensure that no terrorist attack, particularly one with
the precision and destructiveness of the 9/11 tragedy, is repeated. But we must act swiftly, with the unity of true bipartisanship, to enact this legislation. The 108th session of Congress is nearing an end and important elections in a matter of weeks lie ahead for all of us."

"We cannot let the politics of this year's elections overcome us, especially on this issue. There is too much unfinished business, too much at stake and too little time remaining in this session. We must also approve vitally important appropriations bills and reverse the accelerating decline in our federal budget-especially in the wake of the latest Congressional Budget Office report that projects a worsening deficit of $422 billion for 2004, exceeding last year's deficit by $47 billion. But again nothing surpasses the immediate importance of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, which propose fundamental, structural changes to our intelligence community and a global strategy to ensure a higher degree of homeland security."

The commission's recommendations include:
a national intelligence director to oversee our many intelligence agencies and manage a national intelligence program;
a specialized national security workforce at the FBI with institutional and cultural resources to fight terrorism;
a national counterterrorism center for joint planning and intelligence;
a commitment to attack terrorism by identifying and prioritizing actual and potential terrorist sanctuaries and working with other countries to address them;
a commitment to the future of Pakistan including assistance to the Pakistani government in its struggle with extremists;
a commitment to the future of Afghanistan including assistance to the Afghan government in extending governance throughout the country;
a redefinition of our relationship with Saudi Arabia beyond just that of oil supplier, including a shared commitment to political and economic reform, greater tolerance and cultural respect, and opposition to extremists;
real, consistent, expert oversight by Congress over the actions of the executive branch in carrying out the above.

"In my view, the status quo with respect to preventing future terrorist attacks on our country and world and rooting out terrorism is not acceptable. The 9/11 Commission's recommendations are direct and controversial but, if they are not the answer, there needs to be some other answer than just doing nothing," said Case.

"The 9/11 Commission has done its job and congressional hearings last month began an assessment of the commission's recommendations. Now, Congress must do its work to enact a law that will lead to the implementation of the commission's recommendations."