The 9/11 Commision issued a pretty scathing report today that, if recent history is any indicator, will be a distant memory by this weekend. The most salient recommendation from the prepared remarks was this long overdue attack on the partisan sycophants in the Congress :
Now more than ever Congress needs powerful Intelligence and Homeland Security oversight Committees.
Why? — Because the Congress has provided powerful authorities to the Executive branch in order to protect us. It has created a Director of National Intelligence, a National Counterterrorism Center, and given the Executive branch powers to investigate citizens and inspect their documents.
Congress now needs to be an effective check and balance on the Executive branch in carrying out the counterterrorism policies of the United States.
Because so much information is classified, Congress is the only source of independent oversight on the full breadth of intelligence and homeland security issues before our country.
Last year, the word we heard most often on Capitol Hill describing this oversight was “dysfunctional.”
The oversight Committees need stronger powers over the budget, and exclusive jurisdiction. When too many Committees are responsible, nobody is responsible.
The Congress cannot play its proper role under the Constitution to provide a check and balance on the actions of the Executive if its oversight committees are weak.
Strong oversight by the Congress protects our liberties and makes our policies better. Our freedom and safety depend on robust oversight by the Congress.
And here’s an example of the extent of Congress’ failures :
Many obvious steps that the American people assume have been completed, have not been. Our leadership is distracted.
Some of these failures are shocking.
Four years after 9/11:
– It is scandalous that police and firefighters in large cities still cannot communicate reliably in a major crisis.
– It is scandalous that airline passengers are still not screened against all names on the terrorist watchlist.
– It is scandalous that we still allocate scarce homeland security dollars on the basis of pork barrel spending, not risk.
We are frustrated by the lack of urgency about fixing these problems.
. . .
It should be obvious that our defenses should be strongest where the enemy intends to strike—and where we are most vulnerable.
The first responders to any attack will be local police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians. They are a crucial part of our national defense. Therefore, the Commission recommended that federal grants to first responders be distributed based on an impartial assessment of risk and vulnerability.
However, the current formula for allocating these grants has no risk assessments or benchmarks to guide this spending.
One city used its homeland security money for air conditioned garbage trucks.
One used it to buy Kevlar body armor for dogs.
These are not the priorities of a nation under threat.
What’s most disappointing, though hardly unfair, is that they make sure to put the blame where it ultimately belongs : the American people :
Today is the last time we will appear together as a group.
. . .
People then ask us: Why are you closing your doors when there is so much work to be done?
Our view is a simple one: Congress and the President gave the ten of us a mandate. We carried it out to the best of our ability. We made our recommendations. As private citizens, we have worked on behalf of those recommendations. Each of us as individual citizens will continue to speak out.
Now it is time to take the responsibility we were given and give it back.
To whom?
First, to all of you. What we learned this past year is that change and reform doesn’t happen in this country unless the American people demand it. There is no substitute for an engaged and attentive public watching what its elected leaders do. The 9/11 families are an example for every student of government: Citizen involvement makes a huge and positive difference.
Second, we hope that from the seeds of our work this past year other efforts will grow. Every institution of government benefits from the attention of outside watchdog groups. The Intelligence Community, above all, needs the interest and attention of those outside of government who care deeply about its success.
Finally, we call upon our elected leaders. The first purpose of government, in the preamble of our Constitution, is to “provide for the common defense.” We have made clear, time and again, what we believe needs to be done to make our country safer and more secure: The responsibility for action, and leadership, rests with Congress and the President.
So if we get attacked again, don’t act too shocked, folks. This is the government you chose. If you really cared about keeping the nation safe, you would have paid more attention and voted for representatives that took their constitutional duty seriously. Cronyism, incompetence, graft, abuse of power, etc. didn’t just start with the hurricanes. It just got so bad that it was impossible to ignore.
Thanks for all your hard work, 9/11 Commisioners. We’ll see you again after the terrorist attack the Congress and President are doing nothing to stop.
