WASHINGTON – Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., and Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., Thursday offered their legislation to create a blue-ribbon commission to investigate the events leading up to September 11 as an amendment to the homeland security bill, now pending on the Senate floor. Lieberman and McCain introduced their legislation in December 2001. Below is a summary of the amendment offered Thursday.
Summary of AMENDMENT TO ESTABLISH THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON TERRORIST ATTACKS UPON THE UNITED STATES
By Senator Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., and Senator John McCain, R-Ariz.
The amendment – based on S.1867, introduced December 20, 2001- would
establish a 10-member, bipartisan National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States which would examine the facts and causes relating to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon. The Commission will report on its findings, conclusions, and
recommendations for corrective measures that can be taken to prevent future acts of terrorism. S.1867 was co-sponsored by Senators Torricelli, Grassley, Dorgan, Cleland, Miller, Bayh, Harkin, Corzine, Boxer, Feingold, Kerry, Clinton, Dodd, Carnahan, Lincoln, Edwards, Durbin, Hollings, Schumer, Nelson of Nebraska, Specter.
The Commission’s Composition
The 10 members of the Commission will be appointed as follows:
3 members will be appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate
3 members will be appointed by the Speaker of the House
2 members will be appointed by the Minority Leader in the Senate
2 members will be appointed by the Minority Leader in the House
The Commission Chair and co-Chair will be appointed by commission members
Additionally, Commission membership will meet the following qualifications:
Members should be prominent U.S. citizens with national recognition and
backgrounds in government service, law enforcement, the armed services, legal practice, public administration, intelligence gathering, commerce, and foreign affairs
No current government employees may be appointed
Timing
No more than six months after the Commission’s initial meeting, it will submit
an initial report to the President and Congress. A second report, containing
findings, conclusions, and recommendations, must be submitted to the President and Congress no later than one year after the submission of the initial report.
Function and Scope
The primary functions of the Commission are:
to conduct an investigation into the facts and circumstances relating to the
attacks of September 11, 2001. The investigation may address the roles of
intelligence agencies, law enforcement agencies, commercial aviation, the flow of assets to terrorist organizations, diplomacy, immigration, non-immigrant visas, border control, and other relevant areas of the public and private sectors.
identify, review and evaluate the lessons learned from the terrorist attacks
regarding the structure, coordination, and management policies and procedures of federal, state, and local governments and the private sector, in detecting, preventing, and responding to terrorist attacks
submit to the President and Congress reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations, including proposing organization, coordination, planning, management arrangements, procedures, rules and regulations
To achieve these functions, the Commission will be able to:
hold hearings
require, by subpoena or otherwise, the attendance and testimony of witnesses and
the production of books, records, correspondence, memoranda, papers, and
documents
secure information, including information needing security clearances, services, as well as funds, facilities, staff, and other support services from Federal agencies.
carry out its functions using $3 million of authorized funds as appropriated by Congress.