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Congress Should Keep America Safe

by N.C. Dem. Rep. Bob Etheridge - 01/09/07 10:31 AM ET

In response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Congress formed the bipartisan 9/11 Commission. In August 2004, the Commission released its recommendations to prevent another terrorist attack. In the years after the commission released its recommendations, the Republican-controlled Congress failed to implement many of them, leaving our nation and our communities vulnerable.

As part of our 100-hours agenda, House Democrats will bring legislation to the floor to implement most of the commission’s recommendations. As the only N.C. member of the Homeland Security Committee, I strongly support this legislation.

The recommendations we plan to implement include:

requiring major improvements in aviation security, border security, and infrastructure security;

providing first responders the equipment and training they need;

beefing up efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction;

significantly expanding diplomatic, economic, educational, and other strategies designed to counter Islamic terrorism;

strengthening privacy and civil liberties protections

Keeping all Americans safe should the top priority of Congress. I hope that the rest of my colleagues will join me in supporting these critical reforms.