Letter from 9/11 Family Members to House of Representatives

An Open Letter To The US House of Representatives

From: Family Members of 9-11 Victims

Re: H.R. 10

Dear Representatives,

We are family members of those who died in the tragedy of 9-11. While we have diverse political views on many issues, we write to you today in one voice to express our strong collective position that legislation to implement the 9-11 Commission recommendations not be used in a politically divisive manner. The discussion around these recommendations is extremely serious and important to 9-11 families across the political spectrum. We have heard the House Bill to implement the 9-11 Commission Recommendations (H.R. 10) also includes provisions to expand the USA Patriot Act and reform immigration law in ways not recommended by the commission.

We strongly urge you to take these provisions out of the bill, and not vote for any bill that contains them. These provisions are outside the scope of the Commission's recommendations, and this is neither the time nor place to consider controversial, unrelated issues. Those issues can be discussed at a later date and proposed in different legislation. Last week, members of the 9-11 Commission themselves (3 Republican and 3 Democrats) also called on House leaders to drop these provisions. The Chairman of the 9-11 Commission, Thomas Kean, said on September 30th: "We're very respectfully suggesting that provisions which are controversial and are not part of our recommendations to make the American people safer perhaps ought to be part of another bill at another time."

Please respect the seriousness of the discussions around the Commission Recommendations and immediately remove all unrelated provisions.

Yours Sincerely,

Colleen Kelly
(Sister of William Kelly Jr.)

Adele Welty
(Mother of Timothy Welty, FDNY, killed 9-11 in line of duty)

Laurette Poulos Simmons
(Sister of Stephen Emanuel Poulos who died in the WTC)

Karen Shea
(Niece of Steven Tighe)

Barry Amundson
(Brother of Craig Amundson, killed at the Pentagon)

Kelly Campbell
(Sister-in-law of Craig Amundson)

Wright and Meredith Salisbury
(father- and mother-in-law of Ted Hennessy, Jr., who was killed on 9/11)

John Leinung
(Step-father of Paul Battaglia, WTC Tower 1, 100th floor)

Andrew Rice
(brother of David Rice)

Rita Lasar
(Sister of Ephraim Lasar)

David Reynolds
(Cousin of Scott M. Johnson, Died on 9/11/2001 - South Tower, 89th floor, WTC)

Alissa Rosenberg-Torres
(Widow of Luis Eduardo Torres, North Tower)

David Potorti
(Brother of Jim Potorti)

George Choriatis
(Nephew of Theodoros Pigis, killed in the World Trade Center attacks)

Roberta Shea
(Sister of Stephen Tighe, died in the WTC)

Terry Rockefeller
(Sister of Laura Rockefeller)

Nissa Youngren
(Daughter of Robert G. LeBlanc, United flight 175)

J. William [Bill] Harris
(Brother-in-law, Laura Rockefeller)

Logan Harris
(Niece of Laura Rockefeller)

Maureen Donegan
(Sister of William Kelly Jr.)

Jim and Barb Fyfe
(Father and mother of Alicia Fyfe, flight attendant)

Andrea LeBlanc
(Widow of Bob LeBlanc)

Loretta Filipov
(Widow of Al Filipov)