Although I'm not a major advocate of the government, something about this troubles me. The 9/11 report is not the word of god. Please, let the lawmakers weight the pros and cons of each recommendation without feeling like a gun is being put to their head.
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Sept. 11 families to create watchdog list
By DEVLIN BARRETT
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Families of Sept. 11 victims vowed today to keep a "watchdog" list of any members of Congress who oppose legislation implementing changes recommended by the 9/11 commission.

The Family Steering Committee, composed of activist families who forced the creation of an independent commission to investigate the attacks, now plans to adopt a new strategy to advance its agenda, including a list of lawmakers' positions on Sept. 11-related legislation.

"We're going to watch events unfold in Congress, and we want America to watch as well," said Lorie Van Auken, who lost her husband at the World Trade Center and is a member of the committee.

"We need to have a list of the lawmakers ... We need to follow who's opposing and disagreeing and why," she said.

Talk of listing contrary members of Congress comes even before legislation has been offered to implement the recommendations — a sign of how intent some Sept. 11 families are to maintain the momentum of public opinion on the issue and see change come quickly.

"This watchdog list, this report card, it's a shame that it's come to this, but we want to work with everyone to ensure that people aren't just feigning cooperation," said Kristen Breitweiser, who has become perhaps the most visible advocate among outspoken Sept. 11 families.

The commission released its final report last week urging major, rapid changes in how the legislative and executive branches of government oversee the nation's intelligence apparatus, consolidating oversight into one group of lawmakers, and one person in the White House who answers directly to the president.

The families' efforts come at an extremely sensitive time for both political parties.

Democrats and Republicans are vying to portray themselves as best-suited to safeguard the nation. But the recommendations, if implemented, would also require some lawmakers and agencies to cede a certain amount of jurisdictional turf, something they are usually loathe to do.

Van Auken said no lawmakers had been singled out for criticism yet, but the families are trying to take an up-front role from the very beginning of the process.

Bill Doyle, whose son Joseph also died in the trade center, said a more informal strategy worked well in getting the commission formed in the first place.

"The idea now is to have a list that works like a watchdog so that people can see what their individual congressman is doing," said Doyle. "If a lawmaker from say, Montana, objects to a particular bill, well I know a couple of Sept. 11 families there who can get on the phone with that person, who can speak out."

Already, pressure from the families has produced results.

When the commission released its 567-page report Jul. 22, Congress had planned to be away for all of August.

Several committees quickly scheduled a return to Washington to hold hearings on the commission's findings.

The Senate Governmental Affairs committee plans to hear testimony Friday from the two leaders of the bipartisan, 10-member commission.