Chairman Carper on the 10th Anniversary of the 9/11 Commission Report

WASHINGTON – Today, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission Report:

“In the months after the devastating 9/11 attacks, Congress and the Bush Administration came together to establish the 9/11 Commission, which endeavored to answer the many painful questions we were all asking ourselves in the aftermath of the horrific attacks. On this anniversary of the Commission’s report, we commemorate this incredibly important piece of work and take stock in the spirit of unity that made this bipartisan achievement possible. I thank the 9/11 Commissioners today, not only work their important work, but for the bipartisan example they set for us moving forward.

“Led by former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean, a Republican, and former Congressman Lee Hamilton, a Democrat, the bipartisan Commission was charged with preparing a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the attacks and recommending ways to make our country more secure. Despite the political tensions and partisan climate that had engulfed nation at the time, the Commissioners put aside their own political differences, interviewed thousands of people, and poured over millions of pages of documents. The result, issued 10 years ago today, was a 592 page account of what happened before and after the attacks and 41 recommendations. In the months and years following the report’s release, Democrats and Republicans in Congress worked together to pass two major laws to implement the report’s recommendations.

“After 10 years, I still marvel at the trust developed between the commissioners, and especially the Chairman and Vice Chairman. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Commissioners for their determined and clear-eyed approach to improving the security of our nation. As the Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I know that this report and its recommendations have been and continue to be a guiding force in the work that we do in my Committee and this Congress.

“The tragic events of 9/11 will forever serve as a reminder that we cannot grow complacent. Today, the Boston bombing, cyber attacks, new threats to aviation, and foreign fighters in Syria are all stark examples of the persistent and evolving threats we continue to face. That is why we must maintain our resolve and commitment to the security of this great nation. As we seek to confront and overcome the challenges we face today and tomorrow, we must follow the example set by the Commissioners. We must set aside what separates us, remember what binds us, and come together as a nation for the safety and betterment of all.”