WASHINGTON, DC — The 9/11 Family Steering Committee released the following
statement today, as the House-Senate conference over the 9/11 Commission bill has apparently
stalled, and the White House has been silent on the issue for most of the
week:
9/11 Family Steering Committee Asks,
"Where is the President?
The Country Needs a 9/11 Bill!"
October 22, 2004
Family members of 9/11 victims demand that the President
immediately take time from his campaign to ensure that legislation
critical to this nation's safety is enacted.
The 9/11 reform bill - specifically, the Senate version, which has been
endorsed by the 9/11 Commission - will never become law unless the President
acts. The momentum for reform has been stopped in its tracks by a minority
faction of Republican House members who oppose this bill. These
obstructionists
have engaged in back-room manuevering and have refused to
schedule public hearings, in fear of having the American people witness
their
strong arm tactics. To add to our overall disillusionment, it appears that
Speaker Hastert has no intention of keeping his promise to us that the House
would not impede getting a bill to the President before Election Day.
So it is now up to President Bush. He must demonstrate that he deserves to
be re-elected. We call upon him to get his House in order, and intercede
with this
maverick contingent of members of his own party who are impeding the process
of making America safer. The American people entrusted the President with
the
responsibility to protect us and NOW is the time for him to show that he has
earned
that trust.