[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 5772]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            9/11 COMMISSION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, yesterday, the Bush White House finally 
succumbed to intense and well-deserved pressure and agreed to allow 
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice to testify under oath before 
the independent commission investigating the 9/11 terror attacks.
  I am glad that Dr. Rice will publicly testify before the commission. 
This is an important step towards learning about the events surrounding 
the terrible attacks that occurred in New York and Washington, D.C. on 
September 11. Now we can prevent such events from ever happening again 
if we get the information that has been withheld.
  But why is it that the Bush administration agreed to do the right 
thing only after receiving intense pressure from the public and from 
Republican appointees on the 9/11 Commission? Why does the White House 
time and again fail to quickly and transparently disclose what 
transpires behind its closed doors? After all, who could possibly 
provide better information in the fight against terrorism than those 
top White House officials, those who served the administration during 
that fateful day on September 11?
  Remember, and we cannot forget, that the Bush administration 
initially tried to prevent Congress from creating the independent 
commission in the first place. Since then it has failed to hand over 
critical documents and fully cooperate with the commission's stated 
goal of providing a full and complete account of the circumstances 
surrounding the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, including 
preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks. Even more 
recently, the White House refused to support the commission's request 
for more time to complete its work.
  To me, it seems like the White House is less than enthusiastic about 
getting to the bottom of these catastrophic events. As part of the deal 
struck for allowing Dr. Rice to testify, the 9/11 Commission had to 
agree in writing not to require additional public testimony from any 
White House officials, including Dr. Rice. The 9/11 Commission agreed 
to these terms, but this deal means that regardless of what the 
commission may learn in future months, no other White House official 
will be allowed to publicly testify under oath.
  That is like an attorney asking a judge if half of the witnesses to a 
crime can skip the trial. It is a ridiculous concept.
  President Bush and Vice President Cheney will meet with the 
commission, although privately, and from what I understand, will read 
their remarks without taking questions. This is very disappointing. I 
think the American people, and especially the families of the victims 
of September 11, deserve to know what their leaders knew and when they 
knew it.
  I remember when the country rallied together in September and October 
of 2001. These episodes of unity begin and end with the President. 
Tough times call for strong leadership. It is once again time for 
President Bush to lead this country forward, towards truth and 
reconciliation. He should help us grow as a people by being the very 
first person to volunteer himself for public testimony. He should avail 
himself and his staff to the 9/11 Commission so that we might learn 
something about our past and protect ourselves for the future.
  The American people, Madam Speaker, deserve no less from their 
Commander in Chief.

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