-If you were a member of Congress in 2001, how would you have responded to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon?
-What power(s) does the Constitution give Congress regarding national security threats?
-What do you think constitutes a ‘heinous’ or atrocious act?
-What do you think are some of the most heinous acts in world history?
-Do you agree with Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s assessment that the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon are one of the ‘most heinous acts’ in world history? Explain your answer…
-Would you consider these attacks an act of war? Why or why not? If so, who is the war against?
-Why did President George W. Bush refer to the party responsible for the 9/11 attacks as a ‘faceless coward’?
-What constitutional powers did President Bush use to do ‘whatever (was) necessary to protect America and Americans’?
-What role did the President’s cabinet play in executing domestic and foreign policy?
-Define bipartisanship:
-How was this gathering of Congress an example of bipartisanship?
-Although only members of the House and the Senate can introduce legislation, who can propose legislation to Congress?
-Which federal department proposed anti-terrorism legislation to Congress?
-Define civil liberties:
-List examples:
-Are you willing to give up individual liberties in the interest of public safety?
-What is the purpose of a standing committee?
-Why is the Attorney General proposing anti-terrorism legislation to the House Judiciary Committee?
-Why does Representative Sensenbrenner consider the anti-terrorism legislation proposal bipartisan?
-How does Representative Sensenbrenner view the anti-terrorism legislation proposal?
-Why does Representative Sensenbrenner share the plan for hearing testimonies?
-Why do the participants take an oath before providing testimony to the committee?
-Using the video content, describe a power(s) used by the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
-How did Attorney General Ashcroft define the new threat of terrorism?
-Why do you think Attorney General Ashcroft emphasized the importance of preserving civil liberties in his testimony?
-What were the two problems Attorney General Ashcroft saw with the current statutes?
-What were the five objectives Attorney General Ashcroft addressed in the anti-terrorism legislation proposal?
-Why did the Attorney General propose anti-terrorism legislation to the Senate Judiciary Committee?
-What is a ‘sunset’ provision in legislation?
-Why did Senator Feinstein want to put a ‘sunset’ provision on certain sections of the anti-terrorism legislation?
-What was Attorney General Ashcroft’s response to the senator’s suggestion?
-Why did Representative Sensenbrenner think the new bill was stronger than the original?
-Why did Representative Sensenbrenner think a conference committee was not necessary?
-Describe the voting process in the House:
-If the bill passes in the House, what is the next step?
-What were Senator Feingold’s objections to the bill?
-What were Senator Hatch’s rebuttals to Senator Feingold’s objections?
-How is voting in the Senate different than the House?
-What happens after the same bill passes both the House and Senate without any changes?
-What happens after the President signs a bill into a law?
-How does this step in the legislative process show the system of checks and balances?
-How could the third branch of government check this law?