Projo Politics Blog

U.S. Rep. James Langevin has been named to the congressional conference committee assigned to hammer out the differences between the House and Senate versions of ``the 9/11 bill."

The measure is intended to adopt as federal policy the recommendations of the blue-ribbon commission that studies the terrorist attacks that struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., previewed the coming compromise talks for reporters. He and his staff said there will be 28 Democratic and 18 Republican House conferees -- mostly from his panel but including some from several other committees that share jurisdiction.

Rhode Island Democrat Langevin said in an interview that he expects to focus on aspects of the measure than fall under the purview of a Homeland Security subcommittee that he chairs, which deal with chemical, biological and nuclear threats.

The Senate, meanwhile, is working out jurisdictional squabbles over how its conferees will handle the complex bill.

"As we reach the final negotiations on this critical bill, we are getting back on track to fully implement all of the recommendations made by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission," Langevin said in a news release.

-- John E. Mulligan, Journal Washington Bureau

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