WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Nearly 20 years later, family members of the thousands of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on America still have questions about what happened.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) says it’s time to tell Americans the whole story about the 9/11 attacks.
“The American people deserve the truth,” Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), introduced legislation to help families of 9/11 victims de-classify secret government reports.
“If information is power, then we must give the 9/11 families access to that information,” Menendez said.
The September 11th Transparency Act would force government investigators to make public much of the still-secret findings about the 9/11 attacks.
“Continued concealment of this evidence is inexcusable,” Blumenthal said.
Lawmakers invited 9/11 families here to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. and promised they will expose the truth, even if it embarrasses the Saudi government.
Terry Strada’s husband died in the 9/11 attacks. She says the government has been stonewalling families for 20 years.
“This travesty of justice must come to an end in order for this chapter of our lives to close and keep Americans safe from the endless grief and gruesome carnage terrorist attacks leave behind,” Strada said.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) supports the bill, but isn’t sure what information still remains.
“I think we have a very good leg up on knowing what happened on 9/11, as horrible, a horrible day it was,” Capito said.
Both Blumenthal and Menendez say even the smallest amount of additional information would help the families and the country heal from the tragedy.