Good afternoon and thank you all for coming. Today, Senator McCain and I are introducing legislation that we hope will answer the lingering question so many Americans have been asking ourselves since the unparalleled death and destruction that occurred on September 11. How could such attacks have happened to us? And what could we have done to prevent them?

Rarely in our history have events left the broad and indelible marks of pain and sorrow that the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have caused. In the last century, two tragedies that seem comparable in their effect on the collective American psyche - the attack on Pearl Harbor and the assassination of President Kennedy - raised similarly difficult questions. For example, why had our Navy been caught unawares at Pearl Harbor? And who was Lee Harvey Oswald and what motives did he have to kill our 35th president? In both cases, special commissions were established to look back to try to answer these critical questions. That's what Senator McCain and I are proposing with regard to the attacks on America of September 11.

The legislation we are introducing today would create a National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States that would, as the bill says, "make a full and complete accounting of the circumstances surrounding the attacks, and the extent of the United States' preparedness for, and response to, the attacks." In other words, how could such a plan - using airplanes as weapons of mass destruction - be so successful in achieving its deadly goals? Were opportunities missed to prevent the destruction? And what additional steps should be taken now to prevent any future attacks?

To be successful, this Commission must have time, a top level staff, ample investigatory powers, and adequate funding - all of which we believe we have provided for. There will be 14 members - four to be appointed by the president, 10 by Congressional committee chairs. No more than seven members may be of the same party.

We want this commission to be non partisan and independent. It must be a hunt for the truth, not a witch hunt. The initial weeks and months after September 11 were - understandably and appropriately -preoccupied with mourning and healing, and then with the war on terrorism. But since the first stage of the war is now drawing to a close with the defeat of the Taliban - and with many perplexing questions left unanswered - this is the right time to begin in earnest the process of finding answers to our questions.

Determining the causes and circumstances of the terrorist attacks will ensure that those who lost their lives on this second American "day of infamy" did not die in vain. The commission we propose will not only pay tribute to the victims but ensure that their survivors, and all Americans can be secure in the knowledge that their government is doing everything within its power to protect their lives and liberties.

The bill would establish a 14-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, and report on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations for corrective measures that can be taken to prevent future acts of terrorism.

The Commission's Composition

The 14 members of the Commission will be appointed as follows:

• 4 members, including the chairperson of the Commission, will be appointed by the President of the United States
  
• 10 members will be appointed by congressional leaders. The chairperson, in consultation with the ranking member, of the following committees will appoint one member
  

  - Senate Committee on Armed Services

  - Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

  - Senate Committee on the Judiciary

  - Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

  - Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

  - House Committee on Armed Services

  - House Committee on Energy and Commerce

  - House Committee on the Judiciary

  - House Committee on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

  - House Committee on International Relations

Additionally, Commission membership will meet the following qualifications:

• No more than 7 members of the Commission may be from the same political party
  
• 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 including any relevant legislation, Executive order, regulation, plan, practice, or procedure
  
• review and evaluate the lessons learned from the terrorist attacks regarding the structure, coordination, and management arrangement of the Federal Government 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 allowed 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.