Issue Position: 9/11 Recovery - 9/11 Security

Issue Position

The terrorist attacks of 9/11 made us examine they way we protect ourselves from terrorist attacks and how we assist communities following a disaster. While there has been progress on a number of fronts, including the passage of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act following the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, we have missed opportunities to make our country safer and more prepared.

One missed opportunity occurred during the Committee on Government Reform markup of H.R. 5005, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, a bill to create the Department of Homeland Security.

During this markup, I offered an amendment that was passed unanimously. The amendment recognized the federal government's need to have the authority and flexibility to respond to large scale terrorist attacks like 9/11 and eliminate delays caused by procedural hurdles and rigid standards. Unfortunately, the amendment was removed by the Republican majority and was not in the bill that passed the House. The amendment was the result of lessons learned following 9/11 and serves as the backbone of the Community Protection & Response Act of 2002, which I have introduced.

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