Madam/Mr. Speaker,  I rise today to commend this body for getting us back on track to fully implement all of the recommendations made by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission. 

The 9/11 Commission provided an objective and eye-opening assessment of how terrorists were able to exploit our security vulnerabilities on September 11th and made 41 key recommendations to address these shortcomings. 

Unfortunately, two and a half years after the Commission’s report, glaring threats remain.  Just over a year ago, the 9/11 Public Discourse Project issued a report card that gave the Administration D’s and F’s in some of the most critical areas.

Today, we finally have an opportunity to ensure that the 9/11 Commission’s tireless efforts were not in vain.  H.R. 1 would shore up remaining vulnerabilities and implement recommendations that have been ignored completely or only partially addressed until now.

As the former Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack, I am pleased that this bill makes it more difficult for terrorists to obtain nuclear materials.  It strengthens our global non-proliferation programs, which have proven successful in securing the most dangerous nuclear material abroad.  To further protect our homeland from nuclear threats, H.R. 1 also requires that 100% of cargo be screened.

Finally, this legislation will help our first responders, who place their lives on the line each day, by funding state and local interoperable communication systems essential for emergency response.  H.R. 1 also significantly improves information sharing, which is our first line of defense.

The best way to honor those who died on September 11th is to learn from the lessons of that tragic day.  This bill brings us much closer toward achieving that goal.