John Conyers: “earlier this year, the 9-11 Commission reached across the partisan divide and came up with a unanimous agreement. Ten…”

“earlier this year, the 9-11 Commission reached across the partisan divide and came up with a unanimous agreement. Ten members, five Democrats and five Republicans, held countless hearings and issued a well-written report with well-reasoned recommendations. To the disappointment of partisans, the Commission refused to divert itself with election-year political considerations, declining to cast blame on this Administration or its predecessors. The Senate, almost evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, followed the Commission's example by taking up a bipartisan bill, authored by Senators McCain, Lieberman and Collins. Today, at last, the House has seen fit to follow this fine example. The product we have before us is the product of extensive negotiations, that included all parties Democrats and Republicans. My Democratic colleagues on the conference deserve credit for their determination and hard work. I want to offer praise for the work of Ranking Member Harman and her staff. They have been steadfast. I want to offer particular praise across the aisle to my Republican colleagues who have worked so hard on this bill: my colleague from Michigan, Chairman Hoekstra, Mr. Shays and the Speaker of the House and his Chief of Staff. Like any product of compromise, this bill falls far short of what any of us would consider perfect. Some of my Republican colleagues wanted extraneous immigration provisions that would penalize victims of torture and asylum seekers.”