"At a time when Washington, DC, New York City, and Northern New Jersey are under a heightened terror alert, it is crucial that we act as quickly as possible to examine recommendations of the 9-11 Commission to strengthen intelligence gathering and analysis.
"I applaud the President's swift and decisive action to implement a number of the important recommendations made by the 9-11 Commission.
"In particular, his call for Congress to create the position of a National Intelligence Director, his endorsement of a National Counterterrorism Center, and his plan to improve the manner in which intelligence agencies share information will help ensure that our intelligence community operates as effectively as possible.
"The Governmental Affairs Committee will continue to examine these important recommendations during hearings tomorrow and in the coming weeks. Tomorrow, officials from the CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the Terrorist Threat Integration Center will testify about the Commission's recommendations. The Committee will hear from additional government officials and expert witnesses in the weeks ahead."