[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 75 (Thursday, May 12, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   DECLASSIFICATION OF THE 28 PAGES OF THE 9/11 JOINT CONGRESSIONAL 
                                INQUIRY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. STEPHEN F. LYNCH

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 12, 2016

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in calling 
on President Obama to finally declassify the 28 pages of the Joint 
Congressional Inquiry into Intelligence Activities Before and After the 
Terrorist Attacks of September 2001.
   This year will mark 15 years since the horrific September 11 attacks 
that struck at the heart of our nation, and shook us to our core. The 
United States suffered an immeasurable tragedy that day, but for the 
victims and their families, their loss is beyond words. They lost sons, 
daughters, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sisters and brothers. 
These families' lives were forever changed, and their road to healing 
is made all the more difficult by the questions that remain unanswered.
   These classified pages in the 9/11 joint congressional inquiry 
contain vital information about the circumstances surrounding the 
attacks, and can provide crucial guidance for our future 
counterterrorism policies. I have personally read these pages and am 
confident that they can be released without compromising intelligence-
gathering sources and methods. The Obama Administration is currently 
undertaking a review and is expected to announce its decision in the 
coming weeks. I strongly urge it to complete its review as soon as 
possible and declassify the 28 pages.
   I am pleased to be part of this bipartisan effort to give the 
families the answers they deserve. Together with my colleagues 
Congressman Walter Jones and Congressman Thomas Massie, we introduced 
H. Res. 14 urging the President to release the pages. I want to thank 
Congresswoman Gwen Graham for organizing these speeches that are 
bringing renewed attention to this matter. I also want to acknowledge 
and thank former Senator Bob Graham for his hard work as Chair of the 
Select Committee on Intelligence when the Joint Congressional Inquiry 
was written, and his steadfast advocacy for making these pages public.
   Mr. Speaker, the victims' families and our nation experienced a 
profound personal loss and after 15 years they deserve to have their 
questions answered. The declassification of the 28 pages will be an 
important step in that direction.

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