"If Congress and the Administration fail to reach compromise on terrorism insurance legislation it will represent a complete abdication of responsibility, and a failure of leadership," CIAT points out in the correspondence. "Should political considerations prevail over the public interest, it will be viewed as an inexcusable violation of the public trust."

Despite the fact that no such law has yet made it to the books more than a year after the events of Sept. 11, CIAT is still hopeful that legislators can come to an agreement before the year's end. "Clearly the clock is ticking," CIAT's Jay Hyde tells GlobeSt.com. "But negotiators appear to have made great strides in the last couple of weeks. We are very optimistic."