Democrats, GOP Leaders Call for Full Independent Investigation Into September 11

Citing the need for "a greater degree of public scrutiny, of public involvement, of public understanding," Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) and House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) called for an independent commission that would fully investigate the causes and events leading to September 11.

An independent commission would be able to analyze the results of hearings from various committees and ensure that the American people get a complete picture of the performance of intelligence agencies, strategies for preventing future attacks, and more. Such an investigation would not seek to place blame, but rather would enhance our security and help prevent future attacks by assessing our intelligence and response capabilities.

With recent revelations that the Bush administration did not reveal the extent of terrorist warnings it received before September 11, leaders in both political parties have called for full Congressional and independent investigations. In January 2002, both President Bush and Vice President Cheney requested that Congress limit their investigations of the actions of the intelligence community leading up to September 11. The White House has continued to resist full investigations, even ridiculously questioning the patriotism of Democrats who are seeking a full account of the tragedy.