FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 11, 2004LARSON URGES CONGRESS TO IMMEDIATELY ACT TO IMPLEMENT 9/11 COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS
Co-Sponsors Legislation to Make Recommendations LawWASHINGTON, D.C. - Following yesterday's special meeting of the Democratic Caucus with the Chairmen of the 9/11 Commission, Congressman Larson today announced that he will co-sponsor legislation that would enact the commission�s recommendations into law. Larson also called for a full and open debate on the comprehensive legislation to improve national security and prevent terrorist attacks, in order that a bill can be sent immediately to the President for his signature without further delay.
�We now know we were not as safe as we should have been on September 11th,� said Larson. �Because of the historic, bipartisan work of the 9/11 Commission, we are ready to take the necessary steps to focus our efforts, improve our security, and ensure that this type of attack never happens again.�
�Many of these recommendations are not new,� continued Larson. �Now that the 9/11 Commission has done its job, we need to do ours. That is why I am proud to co-sponsor legislation that embodies the commission's recommendations in their entirety. This bill will help us get the process started, consider the commission's recommendations in a full and open debate, and allow us to act without delay. Time is too short to act in a piecemeal fashion.�
�As we go forward, we cannot afford to have partisanship in how we discuss the safety of the American people,� said Larson. �We cannot afford to delay the decisions that we make in the Congress to minimize the risks associated with terrorism. That is why I think the Republican Leadership should put partisan politics aside and return from vacation, so we can take the first step towards quickly and carefully implementing the 9/11 Commission's recommendations.�
�The time to act is now! The families of the victims have waited tirelessly for three years. Congress owes them the respect of a swift and decisive response. We do not ask our troops to pause or go slow, and neither should Congress.�
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