[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 103 (Thursday, July 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1502]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KAREN McCARTHY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 2004

  Ms. McCarthy of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2001 America 
watched in horror as terrorists attacked our country. We felt outrage 
and sadness but the worst feeling that day was a sense of helplessness. 
We wanted to know how the terrorists were able to invade our country 
and commit these terrible acts of violence and what we could do to 
prevent this from happening again.
  Today's release of the 9/11 Commission Report will help focus our 
efforts in finding out what went wrong and what steps we must take to 
prevent another attack. The findings by the bipartisan 9/11 
Commissioners give us an opportunity to analyze the steps that we have 
taken in the last two and one half years to make this country safer.
  The Commission found that lack of intelligence information sharing 
between the CIA, FBI and other government agencies was the greatest 
weakness leading to the 9/11 attacks. They found that even when 
information was shared there still was an inability to connect the 
dots.
  As Ranking Member on the Intelligence and Counterterrorism 
Subcommittee of the Select Committee on Homeland Security, I have 
worked with my Subcommittee chairman, Jim Gibbons, to make sure that 
the intelligence agencies are gathering and sharing critical 
information. We have also held hearings concerning information sharing 
with our first responders and state and local officials. These brave 
men and women who serve on the front line must be kept in the loop and 
be provided with the tools they need to communicate with each other as 
they work to protect the citizens of this great country. We still have 
much to accomplish, but I believe that the 9/11 Commission Report will 
significantly assist with our work on these critical issues.
  The Commission recommends that Congress give the executive branch 
more guidance on fighting terrorism and that the Congressional 
Intelligence Committees take a more active oversight role. They also 
recommend the establishment of a National Counterterrorism Center, and 
consolidating budgetary and operational oversight of all fifteen 
intelligence agencies and the naming of a new National Intelligence 
Director to help unify the intelligence community. I support all of 
these recommendations and thank the 9/11 Commissioners and their staff 
for their dedication to winning the war on terrorism.

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