FOS11 "Action Alert" makes full-court press to enact legislation
Several months ago, I became an official member of Families of September 11th (FOS11). People like Kristen Breitweiser (who I have not been able to confirm has ever officially spoken for the organization) have been all over television for the last few years purporting to speak for me and my family, so it seemed only prudent to become a member so I can keep tabs on the organization, their methods and goals. As an actual family member of a 9/11 casualty, I figured I might have more access to information about what's going on inside the organization, information mere "supporters" might not receive.
Today, I received a mailing related to legislation currently being fast-tracked through Congress to enact portions of the 9/11 Commission report. It's somewhat instructive of how the organization works, and what their intentions are. It takes the form of an "Action Alert", complete with "Talking Points" to be used when members call their Representative in Congress. Several curious references seem to insinuate the opinion of the organization that the USA Patriot Act (enacted immediately following the terrorist attacks of 2001) has little connection to the War on Terror, and are not vital to making America safer - one reference even suggests that the Patriot Act "deserves separate debate". Contrary to this stance, the organization is intent on pushing through the legislation based solely on the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
Reform Legislation should be clean and straightforward, based on the 41 core recommendations of the 9/11 Commission with no extraneous, unrelated provisions such as those closely aligned with the Patriot Act.Other references in the "Talking Points" suggest that too much time has passed without Congress taking any action, despite the fact that the Commission itself was created at the insistence of the FOS11, and Congress was forced to wait 18 months for it to finish its work. That the elected legislature - a lumbering bureaucracy in its own right - has only had the report for two months and only has 13 days left in its session, seems not to greatly concern FOS11.
Nearly 3,000 people are dead as a result of systemic failures in our security network. Today, September 26, it has been 1,110 days since 9/11; 634 days since the release of the JICI Report; 65 days since the release of the 9/11 Commission Report. There are 13 days left for the 108th Congress to act in a responsible manner to correct the failures identified by the Commission.Isn't it odd that we're supposed to wait 18 months for an unelected and unaccountable extra-governmental organization to write a huge report, but the elected legislature is supposed to act immediately to produce legislation? Isn't it peculiar that this should be pushed through without any reconsideration of the already-controversial legislation that was written in record time immediately following the attacks, that has been allowed to be used as a political football ever since, and that may be adversely affected by this related legislation?
Last but not least, what are we to think of this:
PLEASE NOTE: The Family Steering Committee will compile and post on its website a "Report Card" on each Member's position on these urgent matters. We will provide you with this valuable link.Am I paranoid to think that perhaps FOS11 might try to use its status as representing the families of the 3,000 casualties of the attacks to blacklist any legislator who even suggests we slow down this runaway train?
Please note that I haven't studied the situation or the legislation in detail yet, so it may be possible that I'm going against my own party on this one. Regardless, it usually smells like a bad deal when you ask Congress to sign the check someone else has written.
The full text of the letter is contained in the extended entry of this article.
September 27, 2004
Dear FOS11 Members and Friends:
Congress has reached a critical point for action on the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations.
In the next few days, committees in the House of Representatives will debate ("mark up") and finalize language of a bill which incorporates the recommended reforms. It would appear that the proposed House bill contains potentially controversial provisions that are not central to the Commission's 41 core recommendations. Unless these highly-charged provisions are stripped from the bill during markup, too many Members of the House will vote against the bill. Even if such a bill were to pass the House, the controversial provisions would likely be unacceptable to the Senate, thereby scuttling the chances of a unified reform bill to present to the President. In either case, all of the 9/11 Commission's efforts will be undone. Without critical reforms, we will be nearly as vulnerable as we were on September 11th.
The goal is to have a House bill that is "clean" of extra provisions and closely matches the proposed Senate bills such as the bipartisan Collins/Lieberman and McCain/Lieberman.
To help keep Congress focused, we are urging you to call your Representative and your Senators. Forward this alert to others who are interested in improving our national security -- especially in other parts of the country -- and urge them to call as well. (Talking points follow.)
To find your Senators and Representative go to http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov.
In addition, please call the Leaders of the House to urge their members to work with bipartisan cooperation and collaboration to produce a clean bill which is true to the 41 core recommendations. The bill should be unencumbered by extraneous or controversial add-ons which merit separate debate.
Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House (202) 225-2976
Tom DeLay, House Republican Leader (202) 225-5951
Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic Leader (202) 225-4965
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House Committee members to call: if you can’t call them all, please pick one or two.
Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman Don Young (202) 225-5765
James L. Oberstar, Ranking Minority Member (202) 225-6211
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Judiciary Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (202) 225-5101
John Conyers, Jr. Ranking Minority Member (202) 225-5126
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Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis (202) 225-1492
Henry A. Waxman, Ranking Minority Member (202) 225-3976
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Intelligence Chairman Peter Hoekstra (202) 225-4401
Jane Harman, Ranking Minority Member (202) 225-8220
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Financial Services Chairman Michael G. Oxley (202) 225-2676
Barney Frank Ranking Minority Member (202) 225-5931
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International Relations Chairman Henry J. Hyde (202) 225-4561
Tom Lantos, Ranking Minority Member (202) 225-3531
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Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (202) 225-5672
Ike Skelton, Ranking Minority Member (202) 225-2876
Talking Points When You Call:
1) Reform Legislation should be clean and straightforward, based on the 41 core recommendations of the 9/11 Commission with no extraneous, unrelated provisions such as those closely aligned with the Patriot Act.
2) In the few days remaining, the priority of Congress should be to work cooperatively in a bipartisan, collegial way to pass legislation to make our nation safer. Political maneuvering has no place in a discussion of our national security.
3) Our Senators and Representatives cannot claim to have fulfilled their obligation to make our country safer unless both Houses, prior to adjournment, jointly agree on legislation which is then sent to the President to sign. Separate House and Senate bills will not make us safer. Only joint legislation that is signed into law can do that.
4) Nearly 3,000 people are dead as a result of systemic failures in our security network. Today, September 26, it has been 1,110 days since 9/11; 634 days since the release of the JICI Report; 65 days since the release of the 9/11 Commission Report. There are 13 days left for the 108th Congress to act in a responsible manner to correct the failures identified by the Commission.
5) The final House bill language should closely mirror the Senate language.
Also note that following is an open letter which the Families Steering Committee will deliver to members of the House.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 27, 2004
Dear Members of the 108th Congress:
The time for this Congress to fulfill its obligation to the Nation will expire in just a few days.
The task facing you to implement the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations is historic. This Congress must rise above politics by enacting legislation that is true to the core reforms recommended by the Commission. This is the only conscionable response to the September 11th tragedy.
Such legislation should be unencumbered by language or amendments containing extraneous provisions or extending/expanding the Patriot Act. The latter, in particular, deserves separate debate.
Congress must work with the 9/11 Commission to make America safer. The 9/11 families, along with millions of Americans, are watching to see what you do.
We therefore ask you to join the Shays/Maloney Bipartisan 9/11 Commission Caucus and to immediately inform your House colleagues on the markup Committees that you oppose the provisions currently encumbering the proposed House bill.
Respectfully,
September 11th Families and Supporters
PLEASE NOTE: The Family Steering Committee will compile and post on its website a "Report Card" on each Member's position on these urgent matters. We will provide you with this valuable link.
