U.S. Is Given Failing Grades By 9/11 Panel

The panel also sharply criticized Congress for failing to enable first responders to communicate easily by setting aside part of the broadcast spectrum for their use. A pending budget bill would open part of the spectrum for first responders in 2009, but the Sept. 11 panel said that date is "too distant given the urgency of the threat."

These and other criticisms prompted a flurry of news releases and statements from congressional Democrats, who said Republicans had failed to make the country safe. Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said that "an F is too high a grade for the Bush White House and Washington Republicans," while House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the report an "indictment of continued failure by the administration."

But in a document distributed to reporters, the White House outlined a lengthy list of changes already implemented after the commission's findings and highlighted other areas, such as the homeland security funding issue, in which the administration has supported changes.

"We have taken significant steps to better protect the American people at home," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters. "There is more to do. This is the president's highest responsibility."

The FBI received a C grade from the Sept. 11 panel, which said that the bureau was transforming itself too slowly and that "significant deficiencies remain." Although FBI officials "agree that more remains to be done," Assistant Director John Miller said, "the pace of the FBI's change has been sweeping and continuous."

Mary Fetchet, founder and director of Voices of September 11th, one of the victims' groups that has closely monitored the commission's work, tearfully praised the commission during yesterday's news conference. She said she was disappointed that more has not been done since the attacks.

"I really do feel that it's only a matter of time before our country is going to be struck again, and it would just be tragic if there were other families like ours that suffered a tragic loss," said Fetchet, whose son, Brad, was killed at the World Trade Center.

But another prominent relative of a Sept. 11 victim, Kristen Breitweiser, said yesterday that the panel undercut its credibility by failing to publicly identify those within the government responsible for mistakes before the attacks.

"Part of the problem is that the commission didn't hold anyone accountable," said Breitweiser, whose husband, Ronald, was killed at the Trade Center. "When you don't name names, people don't tend to take you seriously."

Staff writer Peter Baker and researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.