Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2004

FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2004

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.

Mr. GRAHAM of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be added as a cosponsor of this amendment.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. GRAHAM of Florida. Mr. President, for a year, a joint committee of members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committee carried out their responsibilities to do a comprehensive review of what happened before September 11 as it related to the role of the intelligence community; what happened after September 11, particularly in utilizing the information that was gathered around that tragic event; and then what recommendations for some fundamental change that would enhance the capacity of the intelligence community to reduce the prospect of another 9/11. That report took over 800 pages. It had some 19 recommendations for action.

After the report was completed, it was submitted to the administration—primarily the CIA, the FBI, and the White House—for review as to whether there were any elements of that report that would be categorized as national security and therefore not for general public distribution.

The section of the report that received the greatest degree of such classification, in fact, virtually 100 percent, was the section that related to the role of foreign governments in the events leading up to 9/11, and then how well our responsible agencies had followed the leads and tracked the developments and events before 9/11; after 9/11 for purposes of potential criminal prosecution, for purposes of understanding why we had these gaps; and what the role of foreign governments would be; for the purpose of diplomatic or other policies that might be instituted vis-a-vis countries that were found to have been cooperative or even complicitous in the actions of the 9/11 terrorists, and then finally to form the recommendations of what fundamental change should be made.

The consequences of denying to the American people access to that section of the report are many. No. 1, the American people have been denied the opportunity to know fully what, in fact, happened. No. 2, they have been denied the opportunity to hold accountable those agencies or individuals who were responsible for that inappropriate action by a foreign government. We have been unable to hold the State Department accountable for its action vis-a-vis the foreign governments. Finally, we have taken a substantial amount of the impetus and sense of urgency out of the recommendations for fundamental reform. In fact, the Senate has yet to hold a first hearing on the 19 recommendations that we made.

I think it is of the highest order of concern for the American people that they have access to this information and then they will do with that information what they believe is appropriate. But ignorance and secrecy serves no national purpose. I urge the adoption of this amendment to urge the President to reevaluate the decision to censure the chapter on the role of foreign governments.