Former member of 9/11 Commission: Key recommendations not followed

A former member of the 9/11 Commission said Monday morning that Congress has not sufficiently reformed its intelligence oversight structure per his panel's recommendations.

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) said that Congress's failure to adopt the suggestions his panel made following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks contributes to problems at the country's intelligence agencies in the wake of the failed Christmas Day attack.

Asked on MSNBC if Congress has done enough to reform itself, Kerrey replied that when Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) introduced the changes, the proposal received about 13 votes in Congress.

“There are still 88 subcommittees and full committees that have oversight of homeland security," he said. "They run them ragged. And likewise on intelligence.”

Kerrey's comments come after commission chairman and ex-New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean (R) said last week that intelligence lapses surrounding the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 mirrored the breakdowns that occurred leading up to Sept. 11, 2001.

The former senator and governor placed part of the blame on the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee and Appropriations Committee for being "unwilling to cede power" to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“There are specific things that Congress needs to do," Kerrey said. "You can’t have intelligence overseen by congressional committees too weak to get the job done ... They have too little time. They’re spread too thin.”

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