EXPRESSING SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF TERRORIST ATTACKS LAUNCHED AGAINST THE UNITED STATES ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 -- (House of Representatives - September 13, 2006)
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Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California.
Mr. Speaker, many Members recently voted against the previous question on the rule. We did so because we wanted a substitute, a resolution that mirrored Senate Resolution 565, which was a measure which was bipartisan and which was designed to unite this Congress and the country. That is the way in fact that we wish to remember and honor those 9/11 victims.
Unfortunately, the Speaker and the majority of the House have chosen division and partisanship. The gentleman from Michigan mentioned a moment ago that on Monday, September 11, the Nation took off a day from partisanship. We only wish that the Speaker had joined in that. But by proposing a resolution referring to issues that are partisan and divisive, once again, a chance for unity has been missed not in the Senate but here in the House.
New York Times columnist Frank Rich this past Sunday recalled FDR's use of the phrase ``the warm courage of national unity in a time of challenge.'' That is exactly what we need in these times of challenge.
FDR mentioned his realization of our interdependence on each other, that we cannot merely, take but that we must give as well; and that if we are going to move forward, we must move as a trained and loyal army willing to sacrifice for the good of a common discipline.
Since September 11, this Nation has not been called to that higher unity and shared sacrifice. Instead, we have seen divisive legislation and tax cuts favoring the few. We should instead honor the fallen victims of 9/11 and their families' sacrifices and the responders and our military and our intelligence communities for their bipartisan efforts. We should resolve to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
Now, Chairmen Kean and Hamilton wrote on September 11, 2006, that their commission's December report card on limitation garnered 10 C's, 12 D's, and 4 F's. And they listed there still remain to be done at least 10 things, the acceptance of which and the completion of which would in fact honor the September 11 people.
We should allocate our homeland security dollars wisely, because now they are being spread around like revenue sharing. States have to be held to create and practice emergency response plans. Congress shouldn't wait until 2009, three years from now, to give first responders a slice of the broadest spectrum for emergency communication.
We still need to do a better job with information sharing among government agencies, particularly those at the State and local levels. The FBI reform needs to speed up even as it moves in the right direction. The privacy and civil liberties oversight board must be empowered as a strong voice on behalf of individual and civil liberties, especially as the executive gets stronger authorities. We need to better screen passengers against a comprehensive terrorist watch list before they board craft. We need to do a better job of reaching out to the Muslim world so that America can be seen as a source of hope and opportunity and not despair.
Congress needs to reform itself. The oversight committees need stronger powers over budgets and jurisdictions. And the prevention of terrorists' access to nuclear weapons must be elevated above all other problems of national security. To do all this, we need the warm courage of unity, not partisanship, not divisive resolutions.
Mr. Speaker, this would be an excellent time for the leadership of this House to match rhetoric with unifying actions.
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