Anthony Weiner: “First of all, it is clear that no one in this body, no one on the Committee on Science, no one could have anticipated…”

“First of all, it is clear that no one in this body, no one on the Committee on Science, no one could have anticipated that dreadful act, that shameful act of cowardice that led to the collapse of the World Trade Center. In fact, nothing that we do today should negate the fact that the way those buildings were built, with such strength and such great craftsmanship, they stood for over an hour, even after they were hit with the most horrific forces any building has had to withstand. What is the result, today over 25,000 families are together with their surviving member because they were able to get out alive. It was the largest urban rescue in history, and it would not have been possible had it not been for the fortitude of those buildings. But we also would be remiss if we did not recognize that the investigation that ensued after the September 11 building collapse was a disaster. There was miscommunication between different agencies. There was infighting with agencies. To give Members an idea, 80 percent of the steel from those buildings was taken away and recycled before any expert could take a look at them to try to determine if there were flaws that could be avoided in the future.”