With regard to President Bush’s national address, Congresswoman Corrine Brown made the following statement:

"The President explained tonight to the people of the United States that our nation faces a threat from extremist groups opposed to freedom and democracy; terrorist groups that in my estimation, are in fact bent on destroying our very way of life. The perverse element of the "nationless" or "borderless" terrorist clans we face is their elusive nature, the fact that after committing such atrocities against the citizens of our great nation, they creep into hiding. In the midst of these painful times, I am confident that the United States Congress and the American people stand united, prepared to confront this challenge.

I support the president’s call for our nation’s armed forces to respond to this attack. I stand proud of the thousands upon thousands of brave patriotic soldiers headed overseas to defend this great nation. These troops will be entering unknown and dangerous terrain, and I pledge to do everything within my capacity as an elected official to support them.

In addition to the dire threat to our nation’s security, this attack has adversely affected our economy. The airline industry, one of the main cornerstones of our economy, has been stung by last week’s attack. In response, my colleagues and I of the House Transportation Committee have been holding hearings on airline safety and a comprehensive economic assistance plan to ensure that our nation’s airlines can continue to operate. The assistance package and increased security measures will most likely be voted on and implemented into law in the near future, perhaps as early as tomorrow.

"Last Tuesday's terrorist attack wreaked havoc on our nation, and we need to send a formidable response. Our nation may have been wounded, but we are definitely not paralyzed. We will stand strong and overcome. God bless America."