An Open Letter to Members of the 108th Congress
November 20, 2004
Dear Members of Congress:
The conferees have at last reached consensus on a bill that will implement the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations. The agreement has been endorsed by the Commission and we strongly concur. We believe this legislation will make our country safer by improving communication, collaboration, and sharing of critical information within our intelligence community.
There are many individuals who deserve thanks for moving the process forward. In particular, we want to acknowledge the efforts of Conference Chairman, Pete Hoekstra, as well as the other principal conferees, Senator Susan Collins, Senator Joseph Lieberman and Congresswoman Jane Harman. In addition, we want to recognize the tireless efforts of Congressional staff members who participated in the process.
We also extend our thanks to President Bush for his intervention and to Congressional leaders Hastert and Frist for extending this session of Congress to allow a vote on this important legislation.
We now call upon all the members of Congress to vote in favor of this long-overdue, critical legislation so that on Thanksgiving Day, all Americans can give thanks that our government, at long last, has taken a crucial step toward making our country safer from terrorism.
Respectfully,
The Family Steering Committee for the 9/11 Commission