Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRAHAM. Madam President, I am disappointed that on November 5, 2009, the Senate voted to table my amendment to prohibit the use of funds to prosecute individuals involved in the September 11, 2001, attacks in article III courts. As I stated at the time of the vote, it would be a grave mistake to prosecute these detainees in civilian court instead of the newly revamped military commissions.

Two hundred forty-nine family members of the victims of the September 11 attacks wrote a letter in support of my amendment. They know better than anyone that the attacks that took their loved ones were war crimes and that criminalizing this war would be dangerous and unwise.

I would like to submit their letter in support of my amendment for the record, and I would like to give a special thanks to Debra Burlingame for her leadership on this issue. While I am disappointed in the vote on this amendment, I hope that in the future we will heed the counsel of those who lost the most in the terrible attacks on our country--the family members of 9/11 victims.

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