9/11 Conference Committee Must Act Immediately to Honor Work of the 9/11 Commission

Pelosi: '9/11 Conference Committee Must Act Immediately to Honor Work of the 9/11 Commission'

Washington, D.C.-House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released a statement today after House Speaker Dennis Hastert announced today that the House-Senate Conference Committee on the 9/11 intelligence reform bill will meet next week. The House Democratic conferees are Caucus Chair Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Armed Services Committee Ranking Democrat Ike Skelton of Missouri, and Intelligence Committee Ranking Democrat Jane Harman of California. Below is Pelosi's statement:

"The Speaker's announcement today that the 9/11 conference committee will finally meet does little to address concerns that the House Republican leadership has failed to act upon the urgent recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. When the commission released its report nearly three months ago, the commissioners emphasized that we must move rapidly to make our nation safer, or risk terrible consequences if we did not.

"Our goal should have been to respond to the recommendations in a bipartisan fashion, as quickly as possible. Democrats and Republicans in the Senate joined together to craft a bill that was endorsed by the commission and the families of 9/11, and which passed by a vote of 96 to 2. In marked contrast, Republican leaders in the House stood alone in drafting a partisan bill that is weak where it should be strong on many of the commission's crucial recommendations, and which adds extraneous provisions not recommended by the 9/11 Commission.

"Our country has tremendous unmet needs in the area of homeland security: securing nuclear materials overseas before they fall into the hands of terrorists; improving security on our aircraft, at our ports, and on our rail lines; ensuring that our first responders can communicate effectively in real time; and protecting our critical infrastructure.

"If President Bush truly wants an effective 9/11 bill, he must insist that the 9/11 conference committee act immediately to honor the work of the 9/11 Commission, respect the wishes of the 9/11 families, and make the American people safer. House Democratic conferees look forward to working with other members of the 9/11 conference committee to produce a final bill that will reduce risk for the American people and provide comfort to those who lost so much that day."