SR20

A Senate Resolution urging Congress to promptly enact legislation that would implement the remainder of the recommendations made in the 9/11 Commission report.

Whereas, On September 11, 2001, our nation was forever changed by the worst terrorist attack to ever to take place on United States land, affecting the lives of all Americans, including the people of the State of New Jersey, who lost almost 700 New Jersey residents in the attack on the World Trade Center; and

Whereas, Following the attacks, former Governor of New Jersey, Thomas H. Kean, was selected as the chairman to National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, commonly referred to as the ‘‘9/11 Commission,’’ which was established on November 27, 2002; and

Whereas, At the request of Congress and the President, the 9/11 Commission conducted a lengthy review of the facts and circumstances relating to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, including those relating to the intelligence community, law enforcement agencies, and the role of congressional oversight and resource allocation; and

Whereas, In July of 2002, the commission issued its official report of the events leading up to the September 11th attacks, and made extensive recommendations for national security improvements to be implemented in order to prevent a similar terrorist attack on United States soil; and

Whereas, The 9/11 Commission report has been widely known and highly regarded as a leading reference guide outlining the timeline of the attacks as well as the responses by the multiple federal and state government agencies involved; and

Whereas, Ten years after the September 11th attacks, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s National Security Preparedness Group (NSPG) has released a study revealing that, although dramatic advancements have been made to our country’s national security, nine of the 41 recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission report still have not been implemented; and

Whereas, One of the notable findings made by the NSPG is that the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation to improve radio interoperability for state and local first responders has not been implemented even though the commission found that first responders were unable to communicate with each other on the same radio band frequency during the September 11th attacks; and

Whereas, The 9/11 Commission recommendation that Congress support legislation which provides for the expedited and increased assignment of radio spectrum that would enable first responders working for every level of government to communicate with each other during a national disaster has been disregarded; and

Whereas, It is fitting and proper that this House strongly urge Congress to enact legislation addressing the increased assignment of radio spectrum in order to benefit New Jersey’s first responders, as well as address the other remaining aspects of the 9//11 Commission recommendations that have not been incorporated into this country’s national security practices; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

1. This House calls upon the United States Congress to promptly enact legislation to implement the remaining nine of 41 recommendations made in the 9/11 Commission report that have not yet been addressed.

2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary thereof, shall be transmitted to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leader of the United States Senate, and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives.

STATEMENT

This Senate resolution strongly urges Congress to enact legislation addressing all remaining aspects of the 9//11 Commission Report recommendations that have not been implemented.

In 2002, the 9/11 Commission issued its official report of the events leading up to the September 11th attacks, and made extensive recommendations for national security improvements to be implemented in order to prevent a similar terrorist attack on the United States. Ten years after the September 11th attacks, it has been revealed that, although dramatic advancements have been made to our country’s national security, nine of the 41 recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission report still have not been incorporated into this country’s national security practices.