Two days now live in infamy for the United States: Dec. 7, 1941 and Sept. 11, 2001.

Hatred fueled by the surprise Japanese attack against the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor pushed the country into World War II and motivated citizens to continue the fight, even during the darkest days of early 1942. The United States was united in its purpose and would not be stopped.

After Sept. 11, a similar unity developed. People of all persuasions were brought together to avenge the death and destruction visited upon the country. The Taliban, the rulers of Afghanistan who were harboring Osama bin Laden, fell quickly.

More than three years after the attacks of Sept. 11, the world is a changed place. But the U.S. intelligence community remains largely the same as it was, only with considerably more money to spend.

It’s hard to imagine that three years after Sept. 11 Congress has not reformed the structure of the intelligence community that failed so terribly.

Reasonable legislation to reform the U.S. intelligence is awaiting a vote in the House of Representatives. But a few members, including House Speaker Dennis Hastert, have blocked a vote because they know the legislation has the support to pass.

Today is the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack that crippled America’s fleet of battleships and claimed more than 2,400 lives. Sixty-three years ago, legislators had the will to do what was necessary – to fight a world war against a dangerous and determined enemy.

So far, Congress hasn’t shown the courage to reform a bureaucracy that has shown itself outdated and inadequate to fight modern threats.

The reform proposal should be brought up for a vote without further delay. It’s too important to wait any longer.