The events in London last week touched all of VOICES families. We know some of you may be looking for an opportunity to reach out to our friends across the Atlantic in their time of need. One way to offer support is to join the VOICES members who have posted their messages of good will on our bulletin board to the families touched by the London bombings. We ask all of you to add your own thoughts and feelings on this tragic attack. We will be collecting the postings throughout the coming weeks and are currently working with British officials to find the best way to present them to the families. Also, VOICES has mental health professionals available for family members or friends feeling renewed distress because of the events in London. Please contact our office at 1-866-505-3911 or 203-966-3911 to speak with VOICES mental health staff.

VOICES advocacy work continues. We were in Washington, DC again this week for a 9/11 Public Discourse Project panel addressing the need for important reforms in Congressional oversight of the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies charged with keeping us safe. A summary of this week’s hearing and a preview of next week’s, on Civil Liberties and Security, are available below in our Public Policy Update. We hope you feel our weekly e-Newsletter is a valuable addition to your inbox every Friday. We are very interested in getting feedback from our readers on what you like and don’t like about the e-Newsletter and suggestions on how VOICES can serve you better. Thanks in advance for sending your thoughts or comments to info@voicesofsept11.org.

Warm Regards,

Mary Fetchet

On Monday, July 11th, the 9/11 Public Discourse Project held its fifth public hearing in Washington, DC on the subject of Congressional Reform (transcript). The panel, moderated by former 9/11 Commissioners Tim Roemer and Slade Gorton featured Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), the sitting chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and former Speaker of the House Tom Foley (D-WA). The panel offered a candid assessment on the need for changes in the culture of Congress and the way the two chambers oversee our national security agencies. They stated that Congressional oversight of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other new government entities is, in the words of Speaker Foley, “divided and fractioned.” The panelists agreed that although Congress has made some progress in reorganizing other branches of government by passing the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act last December, they have resisted acting on the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations to reform their own oversight practices. In a Baltimore Sun Op-Ed last month, 9/11 Commission Chairman Tom Kean and Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton said, “ Congress is not organized to be an effective partner and watchdog in the post-9/11 era." For more information on Congessional reform, read an Op-Ed published in December 2004 by former House Speakers Tom Foley and Newt Gingrich.

Although the House of Representatives and the Senate both have permanent Homeland Security Committees, these committees do not exercise full oversight over the department. The DHS was created in 2002 from 22 other government groups that were under the purview of many different Congressional committees. Representative Christopher Cox (R-CA), the first Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, who will leave Congress soon to run the Securities and Exchange Commission, worked hard to make the Committee permanent and vest it with sufficient authority. His successor will have to work even harder to defend the Committee’s oversight authority and effectively supervise the new department on behalf of the American people.

On Monday, July 18th, the Public Discourse Project (PDP) will hold its sixth public panel to discuss the relationship between civil liberties and security in the post-9/11 age. This panel comes at an apt time, with the reauthorization of the Patriot Act looming over Congress, and the recent appointment of several members to a civil liberties oversight board. A July 13th article in the New York Times outlines some of the current debate over the Patriot Act. An amendment to an appropriations bill for independent agencies passed by the House doubled the budget for the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to 1.5 million. Please read a letter quoting Mary Fetchet and VOICES member Carol Ashley in support of the amendment, sponsored by Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Christopher Shays (R-CT) and Tom Udall (D-NM).

Richard Ben-Veniste, a former 9/11 Commissioner and current member of the 9/11 PDP, will co-moderate Monday’s panel. He is currently a partner at the Washington law firm of Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw. Prior to serving on the Commission, Ben-Veniste served as an assistant US attorney and chief of the Watergate Task Force of the Watergate Special Prosecutor's Office, among other positions.

Fred F. Fielding, also a former 9/11 Commissioner and current member of the PDP, will co-moderate Monday’s panel along with Ben-Veniste. Fielding is currently a senior partner and head of Wiley, Rein, & Fielding's Government Affairs, Business & Finance, Litigation and Crisis Management/White Collar Crime Practices. He has previously served as Counsel, Deputy Counsel, and Associate Counsel to the President of the United States. Please visit the PDP website for more information on Monday's panel.

The House of Representatives passed their version of the 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill on May 17. The House version devotes $31.9 billion to the Department of Homeland Security operations, from border control to transportation security and counter terrorism. The London attacks have sparked debate in the Senate on Homeland Security funding levels, with many Senators calling for more money for rail safety and securing chemical plants. On Thursday, the Senate passed their version of the 2006 HS Appropriations Bill with an amendment proposed by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) that will protect funding for small states. The amendment mandates that 40% of funds be distributed to all the states, with each state receiving a minimum of .55% of the total amount. More densely populated states will receive a larger percentage of the total funds. For example, Connecticut is guaranteed .72% of the total appropriation. The remaining 60% will be distributed based on a risk assessment conducted by the Department of Homeland Security. These funds will be devoted to areas considered high risk, such as dense urban centers, ports, and critical infrastructure. Click here for a summary of the Collins-Lieberman Amendment. Senator Lieberman's office prepared a press release discussing how Connecticut will benefit from the amendment.

An alternate amendment proposed by Senators Dianne Fienstein (D-CA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) would have guaranteed only 13 percent of the funding to all the states, with the remaining 87 percent determined by risk analysis. The Fienstein-Cornyn amendment was supported by President Bush and members of the 9/11 Commission but was defeated 65-32 by a coalition of Senators from less populous states. The Senate and House will now meet in conference to decide the final bill to be sent to President Bush for approval, but the Senate has insisted that the joint bill retain the Collins-Lieberman amendment to guarantee 40% of funding for all states.

July 15, 2005
$31.8-Billion Homeland Security Bill Passes
On the way to passing a $31.8-billion Homeland Security spending bill Thursday, Senate Republican leaders beat back a series of attempts pressed by senators from states with large urban centers to increase money for mass transit protection by as much as $1.4 billion... More

July 13, 2005
Homeland Security Chief Announces Overhaul
Saying that "much remains to do," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced Wednesday that he was reorganizing his sprawling department to better prevent - or at least react to - a terrorist attack... More

July 13, 2005

Offering a rare glimpse of the magnitude of security spending on the new World Trade Center, the Federal Transit Administration announced a grant of nearly half a billion dollars yesterday for an underground vehicle screening center at the site... More

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Voices of September 11th (“VOICES”) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization promoting public policy reform for prevention, preparedness and response related to terrorism. VOICES supports and advocates for all those impacted by September 11, 2001 and other terrorist attacks.