[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4287]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      REPUBLICANS REFUSE TO TAKE 
                       9/11 COMMISSION SERIOUSLY

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, more than 4 years have passed since 9/11, 
and Washington Republicans have failed to make the American people as 
safe as they should be.
  House Republicans continue to ignore the real security risks that we 
face. They allow President Bush to disregard the recommendations from 
the independent 9/11 Commission. After all, House Republicans stood by 
the Bush administration in its attempts to keep the 9/11 Commission 
from ever being created.
  A report from the commission in December gave the Bush administration 
failing grades in securing our Nation. From chemical plants to subways, 
ports and the border, the commission report showed how Washington has 
failed to take the proper steps needed to close security gaps.
  House Republicans could make homeland security a priority if they 
joined us this month in rejecting President Bush's 2007 budget that 
dramatically underfunds key homeland security programs. Unfortunately, 
I am concerned Republicans will once again pay lip service to these 
critical security needs and will, instead, once again, rubber-stamp a 
Bush budget that leaves us vulnerable to those who wish us harm.

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