In the fall of 2002, the Continuity of Government Commission was launched to study and make recommendations for the continuity of our government institutions after a catastrophic attack. September 11th raised the possibility that foreign enemies might seriously disrupt the filling of vacancies in Congress, presidential succession, and achieving a quorum for the Court so much so that our basic institutions might not function in a normal constitutional manner. A report on presidential succession was issued last spring. For more information, please see http://www.continuityofgovernment.org.
John Fortier is the executive director of the Commission, and Norman Ornstein serves as a senior counselor, along with Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution.
- An Update on Congressional Continuity
Almost eight years after the 9/11 attacks, the Continuity of Government Commission's cochairmen, Alan Simpson, former Republican senator from Wyoming, and David Pryor, former Democratic senator from Arkansas, discussed the continuity of Congress, the lack of progress we have made in addressing it, and where we might go from here.
