In the Senate of the United States
Monday, September 9, 2002
REMEMBERING ALAN BEAVEN
Hon. Dianne Feinstein
of California
Madam President, I come to the floor today to honor the heroism of
Alan Beaven--a Californian aboard flight 93 who helped prevent the
terrorists from crashing another airplane into its intended target on
September 11, 2001.
As we approach the 1-year anniversary of that horrible day, our
thoughts turn to the heroes like Alan who gave their lives to save
others.
To honor the courageous passengers of flight 93, I joined Senator
Specter to cosponsor the ``Flight 93 National Memorial Act,'' which I
believe the Senate will pass today to establish a memorial at the crash
site in Pennsylvania. This legislation will also establish a Flight 93
Advisory Commission to recommend planning, design, construction, and
long-term management of the memorial.
I believe it is important to pass this legislation before the
anniversary of September 11 to appropriately recognize the heroism of
Alan Beaven and the other flight 93 passengers.
I would like to take a few moments to tell the world about Alan and
his family.
Alan Beaven wasn't supposed to be on flight 93 that tragic day. On
Monday, September 10, Alan and his wife Kimberly were in New York
planning for a year-long sabbatical in India to work for a humanitarian
foundation. Alan was a top environmental lawyer in San Francisco who
planned to volunteer his services in India.
Alan was headed east, not west, but there was one last case involving
pollution in the American River near Sacramento and settlement talks had
broken down that Monday. Alan had to head back.
Tuesday morning Alan drove to Newark, NJ, to catch a flight to the
West Coast. Flight 93 was 40 minutes late that day--giving passengers on
board time to learn about the planes that had crashed into the World
Trade Center and the Pentagon. A few called home on cell phones to
express their love and say that a group of passengers were determined to
fight back against the hijackers--Alan Beaven was one of those brave
men.
No one knows for sure what happened aboard that airplane, but we do
know countless lives were saved when that plane was diverted from its
intended target.
Even though Alan's seat was in the back of the airplane, his remains
were found in the cockpit at the crash site in Pennsylvania. The Beaven
family has also heard Alan on the cockpit voice recorder, so it is clear
that Alan, standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing over 200 pounds,
fought with the hijackers.
I will enter two letters I have received from the Beaven family into
the Record. Alan's wife, Kimberly, and his son, Chris, wrote to me about
what they heard on the cockpit voice recorder in April when the families
of the passengers of flight 93 were allowed to listen to the struggle
aboard the aircraft.
My heart goes out to Alan's wife, Kimberly, and his three children,
John, Chris, and Sonali. John earned a biology degree at UC San Diego
where he was captain of the baseball team and an Olympic torch bearer
when the torch went through Sacramento on its way to Salt Lake City this
past winter. John's brother Chris attends Loyola Marymount University
and sister Sonali is 5 years old.
Alan's great joy was his family. He spent hours reading to Sonali,
scuba diving with Chris, and playing catch with John.
In fact, John's early memories of his father were of the two of them
playing catch for hours on end. When John was 5, the family moved from
London to New York and before they could drop off their luggage, young
John made Alan play catch in Central Park.
In a tribute to Alan, the Beaven family decided not to have a funeral,
but instead a ``Thanksgiving for the life of Alan Anthony Beaven.''
And what a life it was.
Alan was born in New Zealand on October 15, 1952. He worked as an
attorney in New Zealand, England, New York, and California. As a top
environmental lawyer, Alan worked on over 100 clean water cases in just
10 years in California.
Friends and family of Alan say they are not surprised that Alan risked
his own life so selflessly to save others.
The day after the terrorist attacks on our Nation, Alan's secretary
went into his office and found a single piece of paper tacked up at eye
level on the wall in front of his desk. It was a quote he heard that
week which summed up how he lived his life, and how he ended it when he
joined others to fight back against the terrorists. Alan wrote, ``Fear,
who cares?'' And these words adequately describe his actions aboard
flight 93.
I did not know Alan Beaven, but this quote tells me all I need to know
about him--that he was a fearless, loving, and devoted man.
One year later, it is clear that our Nation has lost a superstar
environmental lawyer, a loving father and husband, and a true hero--Alan
Beaven.
I ask unanimous consent to print the two letters to which I referred
in the Record.
There being no objection, the letters were ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
August 9, 2002.
Hon. Dianne Feinstein,
U.S. Senator,
Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Feinstein: My father, Alan Beaven, was among those 33
passengers of United Airlines flight 93. Their hurried steps toward the
cockpit were the first in an international campaign against the threat
of fanatical hostility. For this they should be celebrated.
My dad played a central role in the deposing of his flight's
assailants. Not only did he cooperate in an organized effort but he
commanded it as well. For this effort he should be particularly
acknowledged.
The cockpit recorder (C.V.R.) substantiates my claim of his
exceptional heroism. At a private listening in Princeton, NJ, I twice
heard his accented words. His final phrase, ``Turn up!'' was shouted at
10:02:17.3 on the official C.V.R transcript. Given the range of
sensitivity of the cockpit microphones and my father's seating placement
in the rear of the plane I reasonably believe that these findings
indicate my dad's extraordinary actions.
Secondly, my father's remains were recovered in the front of the
aircraft. Authorities confirmed that D.N.A. testing placed him in the
cockpit at the time of impact. Again, given his seating placement, this
evidence undoubtedly proves his centrality in the effort to regain
custody of United's flight 93.
Though my father did not place a telephone call in his final hour,
other such correspondences indicate his exceptional involvement. Reports
were made of great men well above the height of six feet leading the
passengers toward the captured cockpit. My dad, 63" and 215 lbs., was
one of few men who met this description.
Finally, the assumption of his extraordinary bravery in death is
founded on the thematic valiance of his life. Whether in his
professional or personal activities he met opposition with strength and
spirit. It is understood by all who knew him that he continued this
trend in passing.
In conclusion, I concede that assumptions based on the thematic
valiance of his life do not warrant superlative public recognition.
However, his stature and his physical placement at impact beg it.
Finally, the cockpit voice recording demands it. I ask you to do all in
your power to issue due credit to my father. He led a group that led a
nation that led an international campaign against the threat of
fanatical hostility. My father is a hero.
Sincerely,
Chris Beaven.
August 1, 2002.
Hon. Dianne Feinstein,
U.S. Senate, Hart Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Feinstein: On April 18, 2002, in Princeton, NJ, I heard
the voice of my husband, Alan Beaven, on the cockpit voice recorder of
United Airlines flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, PA, on September
11, 2001.
I know without a doubt that I heard Alan's voice shout ``Turn up!'' at
the time on the tape's clock of 10:02:17.3. My stepson, Chris Beaven,
who was listening to the VCR at the same time, independently made note
of the exact same words and time.
There are at least two other occasions that I am very confident that
Alan's voice was recorded. These additional times were of shouting and
``aargh'' noises, familiar to us as Alan often ``wrestled'' playfully
with his sons. The distinct sounds were very similar. The times I noted
for these sounds were 9:38:36.3 and 9:40:17.7.
As you know, Alan's physical remains were found in the cockpit area of
the plane. Alan was a 6 foot 3 inch, 205 lb powerful man. A brilliant
litigator who made his life's work fighting for justice. I, and all who
knew Alan, know he was an active participant that fateful day.
Please ensure that Alan Beaven and all the passengers of flight 93 are
duly honored for their heroic actions in preventing the terrorists from
destroying their intended target in Washington, DC.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Kimberly Beaven.
HONORING NEW YORK CITY'S COURT OFFICERS
Hon. Hillary Rodham Clinton
of new york
Madam President, as we approached the 1-year anniversary of 9/11, I
rise today to again honor all of the public safety officers whose
courageous and heroic acts saved thousands of lives at the World Trade
Center. In particular, I want to highlight a group of public safety
officers who deserve to be honored for their heroism. The New York City
court officers risked their lives and contributed immensely to the
rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero.
I especially would like to honor three court officers who gave the
ultimate sacrifice--their lives. Their heroic deeds have earned them the
nomination for the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor--a testament to
true American heroes.
I would like to say a little bit on each officer.
Cpt. William ``Harry'' Thompson, of the Bronx, was widely respected
and beloved by all 1,600 court officers in New York City as senior
instructor at the New York State Court Officers Academy. A 27-year
veteran, he was the father of two adult sons and was the sole supporter
for his widowed mother. All who knew Captain Thompson considered him a
``spit and polish'' type of officer. Captain Thompson was proud of his
profession and New York is so very lucky that he devoted his life to
public service.
Senior court officer Thomas Jurgens was part of a family who believed
in giving back to one's city and country. Senior court officer Jurgens
was the son of a firefighter, and was a volunteer fireman from Lawrence,
Long Island. He made all of us proud by serving his country in the
Persian Gulf war as an Army combat paramedic. Senior court officer
Jurgens was a 4-year veteran at the Manhattan Supreme Court, and he was
married in June 2001.
Senior court officer Mitchel Wallace, of Mineloa, Long Island, worked
at the Manhattan Supreme Court for 2 years. Before September 11, the New
York State Court of Appeals Chief Judge Judith Kaye honored him for
resuscitating a man who had collapsed from cardiac arrest aboard a Long
Island railroad train. Senior Court Officer Wallace planned to marry
Noreen McDonough in October, and he called her ``Cinderella.''
In addition to these brave heroes who were lost, 22 other court
officers risked their lives to save others at the World Trade Center.
These men and women have been honored for their bravery on September 11.
They are: Deputy Chief Joseph Baccellieri, Jr., Officer Tyree Bacon,
Sgt. Frances Barry, Cpt. John Civelia, Sgt. Gerard Davis, Officer
William Faulkner, Officer Gerard Grant, Officer Edwin Kennedy, Officer
Elayne Kittel, Officer William Kuhrt, Officer Theodore Leoutsakos,
Officer Craig Lovich, Sgt. Patricia Maiorino, Major Reginald V. Mebane,
Sgt. Al Moscola, Sgt. Kathryn Negron, Officer Joseph Ranauro, Sgt.
Albert Romanelli, Sgt. Richard Rosenfeld, Officer Andrew Scagnelli,
Officer Mahindra Seobarrat, and Sgt. Andrew Wender.
Hundreds of court officers volunteered to work on recovery efforts at
Ground Zero. After working full shifts at the courthouse, these officers
would then work a full shift at Ground Zero. They would return home,
clean the dust and debris from their hands, and return to their jobs at
the courthouse. Through valor, duty, and commitment, they did all that
they could to assist in the rescue and recovery operations.
On behalf of the American people, I express my thanks and appreciation
for these public safety officers whose dedication and patriotism
strengthen the resolve of our Nation. These officers went above and
beyond the call of duty, sacrificing their lives in order to save
others, not because it was their job, but because it was their sense of
duty of pride. These officers represent the very best in America.
Tuesday, September 10, 2002
MENTAL ILLNESS PARITY
Hon. Paul D. Wellstone
of minnesota
As we look back toward September 11, and commemorate this tragic day
in America's history, we can be proud of the way in which the American
people rallied to support those who suffered such unspeakable losses in
their lives. Many of us still feel the shock and the fear of that day,
and while we can take great pride in the ways in which our country has
recovered, we know that for many, the grief and the trauma is still
sharp and constant. We know more about how such events can leave scars
on the psyche of a country, as well as individuals. We know that many
who had suffered from mental illness prior to September 11 may find they
need treatment again. We know that many in New York and other parts of
our country are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. We show
our strength as Americans when we respond not only with our strength and
outrage toward the perpetrators of this horror, but also with compassion
and support toward the victims.
CONGRESSIONAL MEDALS FOR CREW AND PASSENGERS OF FLIGHT 93
Hon. Arlen Specter
of pennsylvania
Mr. President, I have sought recognition to proceed as if in morning
business to discuss legislation I have pending, S. 1434, a bill which
has 69 cosponsors, which would give the Congressional Medal to all of
the crew and passengers on flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, PA, on
September 11, 2001.
As we know from cell phone conversations from passengers on that
plane, the passengers took over the plane from the terrorists, at least
to the extent of depriving the terrorists control where the terrorists,
as was widely suspected, were headed for the Capitol of the United
States. And the plane crashed in Shanksville, PA, killing all of those
on board.
It seems to me this is a unique place for the Congressional Gold
Medal, because those passengers saved the Congress. Had that plane
reached the Capitol, this Chamber would not now be in existence, nor the
Rotunda, nor the House of Representatives. It is hard to say in the
morning, perhaps midmorning, how many Members of the Congress of the
United States and staff would not be here today. In seeking this
recognition, it is a very unique opportunity to acknowledge those
passengers.
This bill has languished because it has gotten tied up, as it is not
uncommon for legislation to be tied up for a variety of other reasons.
There are some who want to give medals to everyone who died on September
11, which I think is a fine idea. There are some who want to give medals
to all of those who were in the rescue squads from the police precincts
or fire stations or the port authority. And there, again, I think that
is a commendable idea. And all the ideas to recognize other people may
be fine, but they can take their turn on legislation.
But this legislation ought to be enacted before sunset tomorrow,
before September 11, 2002, expires. I am now working with some of my
colleagues in the Senate to accomplish that. If we cannot accomplish
that, then I am going to ask unanimous consent to call up S. 1434, which
has 69 cosponsors. It should have been discharged from committee a long
time ago. With 69 cosponsors, that is 18 more votes than necessary to
pass legislation in the Senate.
There is a bill in the House of Representatives which approaches the
issue slightly differently. The proposal in the House is to leave the
decision up to the Attorney General of the United States. Well, that
might be a good idea if there was something for the Attorney General to
determine that we do not now know. But all of the knowable facts as to
what happened on flight 93 are now known.
The Attorney General cannot conduct an investigation and pinpoint any
specific individuals. And it is doubtless true that some individuals
were more responsible for taking control of the plane away from the
terrorists than others. But all were present. And all of those who were
present were accessories to heroism. They lent their support by their
presence. Of course, they could not go anywhere else, but the passengers
brought down the plane. And the passengers saved the Capitol of the
United States.
Interestingly, just yesterday, the New York Times published a release
which contains confirmation from key Al Qaeda operatives that flight 93
was, in fact, headed for the Capitol. That has been a fairly accepted
conclusion, but this is what the New York Times story of yesterday,
September 9, says:
Yosri Fouda, correspondent for the satellite station Al-Jazeera, told
the Associated Press that he was taken, blindfolded, to a secret
location in Pakistan to meet Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Ramzi Binalshibh
in a June interview arranged by Al Qaeda operatives.
The thrust of the story is that the Al Qaeda operatives said that
flight 93 was headed for the Capitol. So, in essence, I think we have
waited long enough. I think this action ought to be completed before
sunset on September 11, 2002. And I hope we can work out an
accommodation from the Members who are now with varying points of view.
But, as I say, I will ask unanimous consent that the bill be acted upon
before sunset tomorrow.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full text of this New
York Times report identifying from Al Qaeda operatives the fact that
this plane, flight 93, was headed for the Capitol, be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
[From the New York Times, Sept. 9, 2002]
Report: Congress Was on 9/11 List
(By the Associated Press)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates--The U.S. Congress was the fourth American
landmark on Al Qaeda's Sept. 11 hit list and the terror group also
considered striking U.S. nuclear facilities, according to a purported
interview with two Al Qaeda fugitives wanted in the terrorist attack.
Yosri Fouda, correspondent for the satellite station Al-Jazeera, told
The Associated Press that he was taken, blindfolded, to a secret
location in Pakistan to meet Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Ramzi Binalshibh
in a June interview arranged by Al Qaeda operatives.
Founda said he has waited until now to air the audiotaped interview--
it is scheduled to be broadcast Thursday on the pan-Arab satellite
station--because he wanted to include it in a documentary marking the
first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
In an article in London's Sunday Times, Fouda wrote that he learned
during the interviews that the U.S. Congress had been Al Qaeda's fourth
Sept. 11 target. Two hijacked planes slammed into the World Trade
Center, another into the Pentagon, and a fourth went down in a
Pennsylvanian field.
U.S. counterterrorism officials, speaking on condition of anonymity,
said many of Mohammed's statements about the origins of the Sept. 11
plot are plausible, but they have no information that would verify those
claims.
The officials could not corroborate Mohammed's statements that the
U.S. Capitol was the intended target of the fourth plane or that nuclear
power plants had also been considered as potential targets for the Sept.
11 attacks.
Abu Zubaydah, a top Al Qaeda leader in U.S. custody since March, told
interrogators that the White House was the fourth plane's target, U.S.
officials have said.
U.S. officials regard Mohammed as one of the highest-ranking Al Qaeda
leaders still at large and believe he is still planning attacks against
U.S. interests. U.S. officials say Binalshibh belonged to a Hamburg-
based cell led by Mohammed Atta, an Egyptian suspected of leading the
Sept. 11 hijackers.
``I am the head of the Al Qaeda military committee and Ramzi
(Binalshibh) is the coordinator of the `Holy Tuesday' operation,'' Fouda
quoted Mohammed as saying. Sept. 11, 2001 fell on a Tuesday.
Mohammed said planning for the attacks began 2\1/2\ years before Sept.
11 and that the first targets considered were nuclear facilities.
We ``decided against it for fear it would go out of control,'' Fouda
quoted Mohammed as saying. ``You do not need to know more than that at
this stage, and anyway it was eventually decided to leave out nuclear
targets--for now.''
Fouda, an Egyptian reporter and host of al-Jazeera's investigative
program ``Top Secret,'' said he flew to Islamabad, the Pakistani
capital, and from there to Karachi on Al Qaeda instructions. In Karachi,
he was taken blindfolded and via a complicated route to an apartment
where he met the two men.
Fouda, speaking by telephone from London, said Al Qaeda operatives
told him not to bring any electronic equipment--including a camera or
recorder--to the interview. The Al Qaeda members videotaped the
interview but instead of sending a copy of the video as promised, sent
him only the audiotape, he said.
At one point while being led to the meeting, Fouda said he thought he
was going to meet bin Laden. Speculation has been rife that the Al Qaeda
leader may be in Pakistan after fleeing U.S. attempts to kill or catch
him in neighboring Afghanistan.
Fouda said during the two days he spent talking to the two, Mohammed
once referred to bin Laden in the past tense, leading him to believe bin
Laden could be dead.
The U.S. officials said they do not consider Mohammed's use of the
past tense to refer to bin Laden as any sort of definitive evidence that
he is dead.
Fouda said he also learned that Atta, the chief hijacker, had been a
sleeper operative in Germany since 1992 and started detailed planning
with a 1999 meeting in Afghanistan with other sleepers.
Once in America, Atta communicated with higher ranking Al Qaeda
officials via e-mail, Fouda wrote. But when he had determined everything
was ready, he telephoned Binalshibh in Germany to tell him the date,
using a riddle that referred to the shapes of the numbers 9 and 11.
Al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based satellite broadcaster, has drawn world
attention with its broadcast of interviews with and statements by bin
Laden and his top lieutenants.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, ANNIVERSARY
Hon. Christopher J. Dodd
of Connecticut
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise this afternoon to share a few thoughts
on the eve of tomorrow's anniversary of the terrorist attack, September
11, 2001. Tomorrow, a lot of our colleagues, both in this Chamber and
the other body, will be expressing themselves, with many Members
attending memorial services at the Pentagon. The Senate, as a body,
plans to come together late tomorrow morning to meet as a body and to
share our thoughts with the country about the events of a year ago. I
take this opportunity to remember and to honor the nearly 3,000 of our
fellow citizens and others who had come to this country to work--not all
were Americans; the majority were--but lost their lives 1 year ago
tomorrow in one of America's darkest of days.
I also join all of America in paying tribute once again to the
countless men and women whose acts of bravery and heroism that so
inspired us on that day and the days that followed the tragedy of
September 11, and continue to serve as a solemn reminder that the
American spirit shines as bright as ever despite the events of that day,
that horrible day 1 year ago.
Thousands of families across this great country of ours, including
families in my home State of Connecticut--families in my State lost some
149 people, most of whom lost their lives in the World Trade Center--
these families and their loved ones have endured a year of unimaginable
grief at the expense of unimaginable bravery. Every American grieves
with them as many of our fellow citizens the world over from around the
globe have shared with us the sense of grief and horror of a year ago
and have continued to relate to us and to share their thoughts and
prayers with all Americans as a result of our commemoration of the
events of 12 months ago.
Over the past 12 months, I have heard countless stories, tragedies
that were once unthinkable. In Connecticut, I know of a man who lost
both his wife and his only child on that day a year ago; of parents who
lost their young children in their twenties, just beginning their lives
as young adults with professional careers; of wives who had received the
last phone calls from their husbands before the Twin Towers fell.
Every American will always remember where they were when the Twin
Towers were attacked and collapsed. Every American will always remember
where they were when they heard a hijacked plane had crashed into the
Pentagon, only a few blocks from where I am sharing these thoughts this
afternoon. Every American will always remember how they felt upon
learning that a group of passengers fought back against the terrorists
who hijacked their plane before it crashed in the field of Pennsylvania.
September 11, 2001, is a day that will be etched in all of our memories
for the rest of our lives and etched in history forever.
Although all Americans went through that day together, we will always
share its memory. Last September 11 was also a deeply personal day for
each and every one of us. We each had our own highly personal
experiences during those horrid hours that began in the early morning--
that wonderful clear, bright, cloudless sky over the eastern part of our
country.
For me, the hours and days and weeks following the terrorist attacks
were filled with immensely mixed emotions, as most of my colleagues
know. I see my friend and colleague from Texas on the floor. We shared
the great joy last year of having children come into our lives. My first
child, my daughter Grace, was born just 48 hours after the attacks, born
on September 13, at a hospital right across the river in Virginia. From
the window of the maternity ward, my wife Jackie and I watched the smoke
rising from the still-burning Pentagon as we held our newborn child in
our hands.
I can still vividly recall trying to balance my feelings of
incredible, intense joy with this new beautiful life, mixed with the
powerful feelings of horror and trepidation over what kind of a world my
daughter Grace would grow up in, in the 21st century.
Something heartened me that day. I have told this story on numerous
occasions. In the hospital as my wife held our newborn daughter, many of
the doctors and nurses, several of them who held her shortly after she
was born, came from places outside of America to become citizens. Three
of them came from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Lebanon. Here we are, 48
hours after the events, those countries had been the places of refuge
for those engaged in the attacks on our country, and here were people
from that very part of the world, U.S. citizens today, nurturing and
caring for my newborn daughter.
That was all the evidence I needed at that particular moment that
America was attacked not for who we are, but for what we stand for:
freedom, liberty, and community. And we shared something very powerful
in common: We were devastated over the attacks, and we were never
prouder to be Americans, almost simultaneously.
Word was already out that the terrorist attacks were the work of Al
Qaeda, a fanatical group which hijacked planes, but also an otherwise
peaceful religion, Islam, to perform their evil deeds.
Word was out that Osama bin Laden and his minions of hate thought that
by attacking us, our buildings, our Pentagon, and our planes, they could
somehow divide our great Nation and somehow weaken our resolve to be a
global power, to be a force for freedom and democracy around the globe.
Word was out that those who hate the United States simply for who we
are, for our freedoms, our prosperity, and our diversity, thought that
by murdering thousands of innocent Americans and shattering the lives of
thousands of families, our Nation would somehow lose its ability to
function as a great democracy.
They were wrong. We are today stronger, I argue, than ever.
September 11 changed America forever. At one level, the attacks made
us aware of our vulnerabilities and forced us to realize there is no
such thing as the unthinkable. Yet at another level, the way in which
the entire Nation came together, in the days and weeks and months after
the attacks, has served as a profound and inspirational reminder to
strengthen the American people and the breadth and depth of the American
spirit.
So as we mark this historic day, a day of sadness, we look back and
remember September 11, not just for the tragedy it evokes but also in
renewing our faith in the greatness of the wonderfulness of our Nation,
in which we are charged temporarily to be custodians, as Members of this
body, to see that that daughter of mine and the children of our
colleague from Texas grow up in a world far safer than what we witnessed
a year ago. That becomes our collective responsibility as public
officials: To put aside differences and, wherever we can, to work
together as one people to make our country stronger and better, to
achieve that sense of perfection that the Founders of our Nation
envisioned more than 200 years ago.
With those thoughts in mind, I extend my deepest sympathies, my
thoughts, and prayers to the families in my State and across our Nation
who still grieve terribly for the loss they suffered a year ago.
IN MEMORY OF THE CALIFORNIA VICTIMS OF 9/11
Hon. Barbara Boxer
of california
Mr. President, I am here in a very somber mood. We are approximately
15 hours away from the very moment 1 year ago that our Nation was hit,
and I want to take just a moment of the Senate's time--maybe 15
minutes--to reflect on that day and, most of all, to remember the
Californians we lost that day, numbering 54.
For me, and perhaps for you and many Americans, September has really
been a month of excitement and anticipation. I have always loved
September. It is the end of the summer, the beginning of a beautiful
fall with the changing of the leaves, back to school, and perhaps a
little quicker pace, a faster step. September, for most of us, never
reminds us of loss, of fear, of shock, of the horrors born of an
extreme, unbridled, blind hatred.
In September, we found out about those things. We also found out as a
Nation what heroism truly is, how strong and united we can be, how we
can set aside differences for the greater good and work together.
The images of September 11 are deep in our minds and deep in our
souls. The pain is there, just under the surface. For some of us in
America, it is on the surface, and it will always be on the surface for
the families who grieve, for the children who will never know a parent--
thousands of them--for communities that were decimated.
Today I want to remember those in my State who died on that day. Each
was unique. Every one of those planes on that fated day was headed to
California. So even though my State was 3,000 miles away from Ground
Zero, from the World Trade Center or the Pentagon, we were linked in our
sorrow, and we were linked in our outrage.
I am going to read the 54 names, and then I am going to talk a little
more about some of the people whose families wanted me to just say a
little more about them and show their picture to you.
David Angell; Lynn Angell; David Aoyama; Melissa Barnes; Alan Beaven;
Berry Berenson; Dr. Yen Betru; Carol Beug, and her mother Mary Alice
Wahlstrom died together on flight 93. Mary Alice is from Utah.
Mark Bingham; Deora Bodley; Touri Bolourchi; Daniel Brandworst, Ronald
Gamboa, and their adopted son, David Brandhorst. He was 3 years old.
Charles ``Chic'' Burlingame, the captain of American Airlines flight
No. 77. Technically, he was from McLean, VA, but his family is from
California, and they considered him a Californian, and they said he
considered himself a Californian.
Thomas Burnett; Suzanne Calley; Jeffrey Collman; Dorothy deAraujo;
Lisa Frost; Andrew Garcia; Edmund Glazer; Lauren Grandcolas; Andrew
Curry Green; Richard Guadagno; Stanley Hall; Gerald Hardacre; John Hart;
John Hofer; Melissa Hughes; Barbara Keating; Chad Keller; Christopher
Larrabee; Daniel Lee; Dong Lee; Joe Lopez; Hilda Marcin; Dean Mattson;
Dora Menchaca; Nicole Miller; Laurie Neira; Ruben Ornedo; Marie
Pappalardo; Jerrold Paskins; Thomas Pecorelli; Robin Penninger; Marie-
Rae Sopper; Xavier Suarez; Alicia Titus; Otis Tolbert; Pendyala
Vamsikrashna; Timothy Ward; Christopher Wemmers; John Wenckus.
Mr. President, I want these names to be memorialized again today.
There is a beautiful song called ``Try to Remember,'' and one of the
lines is: ``Try to remember the kind of September when no one wept
except the willow.''
Sadly, those of us who lived through September 11, 2001, will weep for
our lost brothers and sisters, but we will always remember our country,
our embrace of freedom, and our democracy. And we will always cling
closer to our loved ones. This place, this great democracy, America,
will endure.
Now I am going to tell you a little bit more about a few of the people
we lost in California. Many people noted that the New York Times has run
an ongoing biography of the people who were lost on that day. I was
talking to Bob Kerrey, the former Senator from Nebraska, and he said
this to a group of us: When you read those memorials, what you realize
is how wonderful and important each of these people was and what
wonderful stories were related from their families, their friends, and
their coworkers. What really emerged is why this is such a great
country. These people do not get in the news. They get up and go about
their lives. That is what you are going to find out as I read about
these people and show these pictures in memoriam.
Lauren Grandcolas.--Mrs. Lauren Grandcolas was a 38-year-old
advertising sales consultant when the flight she was on, United flight
93, was hijacked by terrorists. As we all know, that plane crashed in a
Pennsylvania field killing everyone on board. We also know of the
heroism of the passengers on that plane.
Mrs. Grandcolas was born in Bloomington, IN, and attended the
University of Texas at Austin where she met her husband, Jack
Grandcolas. After graduation, she worked as a marketing director for a
law firm and then for Price waterhouse Coopers.
At the time of her tragic death, Mrs. Grandcolas was working as an
advertising sales consultant at Good Housekeeping magazine and was
researching and writing a nonfiction book to help women boost their
self-esteem.
Lauren had enthusiasm and passion for life, loved the outdoors and was
devoted to physical fitness. She hiked, jogged, kayaked, and enjoyed
inline skating around her neighborhood. Her energy was boundless. She
took classes in cooking and gardening, scuba diving, and wine
appreciation. Lauren was active with the United Way, March of Dimes,
Project Open Hand, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Breast Cancer
Awareness, and Glide Memorial.
Her husband Jack recalls she had a heart the size of Texas. Knowing
her flight had been hijacked, Lauren left her husband a message on their
home answering machine and then loaned her cell phone to another
passenger to call loved ones.
The joy Lauren felt pursuing new interests and developing new skills
was being interwoven in the book she was writing for women. Jack
recalls:
She made a point to do things that were good for her, and she thought
she could extend what she had learned to help other adult women gain
confidence. Her sister and I will fulfill her dream by completing the
book.
Lauren Grandcolas is missed deeply by her family.
I wanted to take a moment to tell you a little bit more about her.
Nicole Carol Miller.--This next picture in memoriam is of Nicole Carol
Miller. I want to start out by reading a poem that was dedicated to
Nicole that was written by her father, David James Miller. It was
written last September 11. If I cannot get through this, I will put it
in the Record. My daughter's name is Nicole. This is the poem.
How I love thee My Nicole.
When the thoughts of you come into my mind
It's as if a breeze has passed through our rose
garden and the sweet savory I smell
The taste of roses upon my tongue brings the
sweetness of your memory to my mind
It comes upon me as the morning dew weighs the roses
down
Smooth and pleasant are the thoughts of you, as the
petals of a rose
And once again I am nourished with your love.
Nicole Carol was a lovely 21-year-old college student when the flight
she was on, United flight 93, was hijacked by the terrorists. That was
the plane that was brought down by the passengers in Pennsylvania.
Nicole's memory lives on in the hearts of those she loved. She took
great joy in life and exemplified this with her wonderful outlook and
her tenacious personality. Nicole's radiant smile, which we can see in
this photo, could light up the room as she energized those around her.
She knew how to be an outstanding friend. She was blessed with two
families, her father and stepmother, David and Catherine Miller of
Chico, CA, and her mother and stepfather, Cathy and Wayne Stefani, Sr.,
of San Jose, CA.
In her father's words:
She had that sweet baby quality. She could make you smile and forget
your troubles for a little bit.
Friend Heidi Barnes describes Nicole as very friendly and welcoming.
She had a big heart, and it was open to everyone.
Nicole lived in San Jose, CA, with her mother and stepfather. She
attended local schools and graduated from Pioneer High School in 1998. A
talented softball player during all 4 years of high school, Nicole won a
college softball scholarship during her senior year. Even though she had
never been a competitive swimmer, she tried out for the Pioneer High
swim team as a freshman and made the team. At the time of her tragic
death, she was a dean's list student at West Valley College in Saratoga
working part time and weighing whether to transfer to California State
University at Chico or San Jose State University.
I offer this tribute to Nicole.
Hilda Marcin.--I would like to take this opportunity to share with the
Senate the memory of one of my constituents, Hilda Marcin, who lost her
life on September 11, 2001. Mrs. Marcin was 79 years old when the flight
she was on, United Airlines flight 93, was hijacked by terrorists. As we
all know, that plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field, killing everyone
on board.
Mrs. Marcin was born in Schwedelbach, Germany. When she was 7 years
old, her family emigrated to the United States to escape oppression.
Like many immigrants, her family left all possessions behind and came
only with the clothes on their backs.
Her family settled in Irvington, NJ, where she attended local schools.
She worked 7 days a week in the payroll department of the New Jersey
shipyards during World War II.
A friend arranged a blind date with Edward Marcin and they were
married on February 13, 1943. They had two daughters, Elizabeth and
Carole. The Marcin family enjoyed participating in school functions,
class trips, the PTA, and various church activities. Mr. and Mrs. Marcin
were also socially and politically active in Irvington. Mrs. Marcin
later worked as a special education teacher's aide.
Hilda Marcin embraced life with enthusiasm and made the most of every
minute. She adored her family and her granddaughter, Melissa Kemmerer
Lata. She was an inspiration to those she touched, including the special
needs children in the school where she worked. Her friends admired her
positive attitude and her desire and ability to continue working during
the later years of her life. Mrs. Marcin treasured freedom and
democracy, and her American citizenship.
At the time of her death, Mrs. Marcin was flying to San Francisco to
live with her younger daughter, Carole O'Hare. She is survived by her
daughter, Elizabeth Kemmerer and son-in-law Raymond Kemmerer; daughter
Carole O'Hare and son-in-law Thomas O'Hare; and granddaughter Melissa
Lata and Melissa's husband, Edward Lata. I offer this tribute to her.
Daniel Lee.--Daniel Lee lost his life on September 11, 2001. Mr. Lee
was 34 years old when the plane he was on, American Airlines flight 11,
was hijacked by terrorists. As we all know, that plane crashed into the
World Trade Center, killing everyone on board.
Daniel Lee grew up in Palm Desert, CA. He was a carpenter and a
drummer in a local southern California band. He met his wife, Kellie, in
1991 at a rock concert in which he was playing the drums. They were
married October 7, 1995, and their first child, Amanda Beth, was born
December 11, 1998.
Mr. Lee was a dedicated and successful set carpenter in the music
industry, known to work 20-hour days when necessary. He worked with many
talented musicians including Neil Diamond, Barbara Streisand, N'Sync,
Aerosmith and Yanni. He was touring with the Backstreet Boys when, on
September 11, 2001, he left to fly home to be with his wife as she was
about to give birth to their second child. Allison Danielle Lee was born
September 13, 2001.
Kellie Lee recalls Dan's bright, relaxed and charming smile. ``He was
caring, loving, funny and romantic. He loved being a Dad and was so
excited about having another child on the way,'' she says. ``One of his
special joys was getting friends together for barbeques and pool
parties,'' Kellie remembers.
Dan Lee is survived by his wife, Kellie Lee, his daughters, Amanda and
Allison, mother and stepfather Elaine and John Sussino, brothers Jack
Fleishman and Stuart Lee and sister, Randi Kaye. I offer this tribute to
Daniel Lee.
Mari-Rae Sopper.--Mr. President, I take this opportunity to share with
the Senate the memory of one of my constituents, Mari-Rae Sopper, who
lost her life on September 11, 2001. Ms. Sopper was a 35-year-old lawyer
and gymnastics coach when the flight she was on, American Airlines
flight 77, was hijacked by terrorists. As we all know, that plane
crashed into the Pentagon, killing everyone on board.
Ms. Sopper was a native of Inverness, IL, and attended William Fremd
High School in Palatine, IL. At the age of 15 she set the goal of
becoming a champion gymnast. She succeeded, becoming all-American in
four events, the school's athlete of the year and the State's
outstanding senior gymnast of the year.
Larry Petrillo, her high school gymnastics coach, remembers her as
brash and committed. ``One thing she taught me is, you never settle for
less than you are capable of. We should never accept limits. We should
always fight the good fight. She was a staunch supporter of gymnastics
and what's right,'' he recalls.
Upon graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in exercise
science, Ms. Sopper earned a master's degree in athletics administration
from the University of North Texas and a law degree from the University
of Denver. Ms. Sopper was an accomplished dancer and choreographer and
continued to coach at gymnastics clubs.
Ms. Sopper practiced law as a Lieutenant in the Navy's JAG Corps,
focusing on defense and appellate defense. She had left the Navy JAG
Corps and was an associate with the law firm Schmeltzer, Aptaker &
Sheperd, P.C. when she found her dream job: to coach the women's
gymnastics team at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
It was a 1-year appointment and Ms. Sopper was looking forward to the
challenge. Her mother, Marion Kminek, says Mari-Rae was excited about
the opportunity. ``I said go for it. Life is too short. It was something
she had always wanted to do and she was so happy and excited,'' recalls
Kminek.
At the time of her death, Ms. Sopper was moving to Santa Barbara to
begin her appointment. Her close friend, Mike Jacki, recalls ``This was
to be a new adventure for Mari-Rae, and an opportunity to get back into
the sport she loved. We have lost a very special person. She was
prepared to make her dream come true, and in an instant it was gone.''
Mari-Rae Sopper is remembered for her loyalty, strong values,
excellent work ethic and spirit for life. She is survived by her mother,
Marion Kminek, and stepfather, Frank Kminek, her father Bill Sopper,
sister Tammy and many loving friends.
Deora Bodley.--Mr. President, the last story I share with the Senate
is the memory of one of my young constituents, Deora Bodley, who lost
her life on September 11, 2001. Ms. Bodley was a 20-year-old college
student when the flight she was on, United Airlines flight 93, was
hijacked by terrorists. As we all know, that plane crashed in a
Pennsylvania field, killing everyone on board.
Ms. Bodley grew up in San Diego, CA. As a high school student, she
visited local high schools to discuss HIV/AIDS with her peers. She
volunteered with the Special Olympics and a local animal shelter. Chris
Schuck, her English teacher at La Jolla Country Day School, recalls,
``Deora was always thinking big and going after big game.''
At the time of her death, Ms. Bodley was studying psychology at Santa
Clara University. She coordinated volunteers in a literacy program for
elementary school students. Kathy Almazol, principal at St. Clare
Catholic Elementary, recalls Ms. Bodley had ``a phenomenal ability to
work with people, including the children she read to, her peer
volunteers, the school administrators and teachers. We have 68 kids who
had a personal association with Deora.''
In the words of her mother, Deborah Borza, ``Deora has always been
about peace.'' At the tender age of 11 years, Deora wrote in her
journal, ``People ask who, what, where, when, why, how. I ask peace.'' A
warm and generous person, Deora was a gifted student and a wonderful
friend. Wherever she went, her light shined brightly.
Deora's father, Derrill Bodley, of Stockton, CA, feels her life was
about ``getting along'' and sharing a message of peace. Her 11-year-old
sister, Murial, recalls Deora taught her many things and says, ``Most of
all she taught me to be kind to other people and animals. I cherish the
memories of my sister and plan to work hard in school and in everything
I do so she can be proud of me like I was of her.''
Mr. President, none of us is untouched by the terror of September 11,
and many Californians were part of each tragic moment of that tragic
day. Some were trapped in the World Trade Center towers. Some were at
work in the Pentagon. And the fates of some were sealed as they boarded
planes bound for San Francisco or Los Angeles.
So I am honored and very moved to have had this chance to put into the
Record today the names of these more than 50 Californians, every one now
a bright and shining star in the sky. Their memories will live on and
their legacies will live on, as will the memories and legacies of every
American and every person, every innocent victim, who was cut down in
the most hateful way on that tragic day.
FLIGHT 93 NATIONAL MEMORIAL ACT
Hon. Harry Reid
of nevada
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Energy and Natural
Resources Committee be discharged from consideration of H.R. 3917 and
the Senate now proceed to its consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the bill by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 3917) to authorize a national memorial to commemorate the
passengers and crew of Flight 39, who, on September 11, 2001,
courageously gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on our
Nation's Capital, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read
three times, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and
that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record as if
read, with no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (H.R. 3917) was read the third time and passed.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Energy
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 2136, and the
Senate now proceed to its consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will state the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 2136) to establish a memorial in the State of Pennsylvania
to honor the passengers and crew members of Flight 93, who, on September
11, 2001, gave their lives to prevent a planned attack on the Capital of
the United States.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read
the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the
table, and that any statements thereon be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 2136) was passed, as follows:
S. 2136
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Flight 93 National Memorial Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) on September 11, 2001, passengers and crewmembers of United
Airlines Flight 93 courageously gave their lives to prevent a planned
attack on the Capital of the United States;
(2) thousands of people have visited the crash site since September
11, 2001, drawn by the heroic action and sacrifice of the passengers and
crewmembers aboard Flight 93;
(3) many people in the United States are concerned about the future
disposition of the crash site, including--
(A) grieving families of the passengers and crewmembers;
(B) the people of the region where the crash site is located; and
(C) citizens throughout the United States;
(4) many of those people are involved in the formation of the Flight
93 Task Force, a broad, inclusive organization established to provide a
voice for all parties interested in and concerned about the crash site;
(5) the crash site commemorates Flight 93 and is a profound symbol of
American patriotism and spontaneous leadership by citizens of the United
States;
(6) a memorial of the crash site should--
(A) recognize the victims of the crash in an appropriate manner; and
(B) address the interests and concerns of interested parties; and
(7) it is appropriate that the crash site of Flight 93 be designated
as a unit of the National Park System.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to establish a memorial to honor the passengers and crewmembers
aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001;
(2) to establish the Flight 93 Advisory Commission to assist in the
formulation of plans for the memorial, including the nature, design, and
construction of the memorial; and
(3) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to administer the
memorial, coordinate and facilitate the activities of the Flight 93
Advisory Commission, and provide technical and financial assistance to
the Flight 93 Task Force.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Flight 93 Advisory
Commission established by section (4)(b).
(2) Crash site.--The term ``crash site'' means the site in Stonycreek
Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, where United Airlines Flight 93
crashed on September 11, 2001.
(3) Memorial.--The term ``Memorial'' means the memorial to the
passengers and crewmembers of United Airlines Flight 93 established by
section 4(a).
(4) Passenger or crewmember.--
(a) In general.--The term ``passenger or crewmember'' means a
passenger or crewmember aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on September
11, 2001.
(B) Exclusions.--The term ``passenger or crewmember'' does not include
a terrorist aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the
Interior.
(6) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the Flight 93 Task
Force.
SEC. 4. MEMORIAL TO HONOR THE PASSENGERS AND
CREWMEMBERS OF FLIGHT 93.
(a) Establishment.--There is established as a unit of the National
Park System a memorial at the crash site to honor the passengers and
crewmembers of Flight 93.
(b) Advisory Commission.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known as
the ``Flight 93 Advisory Commission''.
(2) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of--
(A) the Director of the National Park Service; and
(B) 14 members, appointed by the Secretary, from among persons
recommended by the Task Force.
(3) Term; vacancies.--
(A) Term.--A member of the Commission shall be appointed for the life
of the Commission.
(B) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission--
(i) shall not affect the powers of the Commission; and
(ii) shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment
was made.
(4) Meetings.--
(A) In general.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the
Chairperson or a majority of the members.
(B) Frequency.--The Commission shall meet not less than quarterly.
(C) Notice.--Notice of meetings and the agenda for the meetings shall
be published in--
(i) newspapers in and around Somerset County, Pennsylvania; and
(ii) the Federal Register.
(D) Open meetings.--Meetings of the Commission shall be subject to
section 552b of title 5, United States Code.
(5) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum.
(6) Chairperson.--The Commission shall select a Chairperson from among
the members of the Commission.
(7) Duties.--The Commission shall--
(A) not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act,
submit to the Secretary and Congress a report that contains
recommendations for the planning, design, construction, and long-term
management of the memorial;
(B) advise the Secretary on--
(i) the boundaries of the memorial; and
(ii) the development of a management plan for the memorial;
(C) consult with the Task Force, the State of Pennsylvania, and other
interested parties, as appropriate;
(D) support the efforts of the Task Force; and
(E) involve the public in the planning and design of the memorial.
(8) Powers.--The Commission may--
(A) make expenditures for services and materials appropriate to carry
out the purposes of this section;
(B) accept donations for use in carrying out this section and for
other expenses associated with the memorial, including the construction
of the memorial;
(C) hold hearings and enter into contracts, including contracts for
personal services;
(D) by a vote of the majority of the Commission, delegate any duties
that the Commission determines to be appropriate to employees of the
National Park Service; and
(E) conduct any other activities necessary to carry out this Act.
(9) Compensation.--A member of the Commission shall serve without
compensation, but may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in carrying
out the duties of the Commission.
(10) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the dedication of
the memorial.
(c) Duties of the Secretary.--The Secretary shall--
(1) administer the memorial as a unit of the National Park Service in
accordance with--
(A) this Act; and
(B) the laws generally applicable to units of the National Park
System;
(2) provide advice to the Commission on the collection, storage, and
archiving of information and materials relating to the crash or the
crash site;
(3) consult with and assist the Commission in--
(A) providing information to the public;
(B) interpreting any information relating to the crash or the crash
site;
(C) conducting oral history interviews; and
(D) conducting public meetings and forums;
(4) participate in the development of plans for the design and
construction of the memorial;
(5) provide to the Commission--
(A) assistance in designing and managing exhibits, collections, or
activities at the memorial;
(B) project management assistance for design and construction
activities; and
(C) staff and other forms of administrative support;
(6) acquire from willing sellers the land or interests in land for the
memorial by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or
exchange; and
(7) provide the Commission any other assistance that the Commission
may require to carry out this Act.
Wednesday, September 11, 2002
The Senate met at 11 a.m. and was called to order by the Honorable Tim
Johnson, a Senator from the State of South Dakota.
The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, offered the following prayer:
Almighty God, on this day of remembrance and resolve, we praise You
for the way You brought us through those dark hours of September 11 a
year ago. You were our refuge and strength, a very present help in
trouble. We relive the anxious memories of that infamous day of attacks
of terrorism on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the airliner
crashed in Pennsylvania. Today, as a Nation, we mourn for those who lost
their lives as a result of these violent acts of treachery against our
Nation. We deepen our ongoing intercession for their loved ones.
Continue to comfort them, help them to endure the loneliness of grief,
and grant them Your peace. Particularly, we pray for the families of the
firefighters, police officers, and military personnel who died seeking
to save others. We pray for the thousands of children who lost a parent
in these catastrophes.
When we turned over to You our anger, dismay, and grief, you gave us
the courage to press on. Thank You for the strong, unified leadership of
the President and this Senate in the aftermath of 9/11 and for the
decisive engagement of the insidious enemy of terrorism throughout the
world. May this be a day of renewed resolve to press on. Protect us from
further attacks. Quiet our fears as we reaffirm our trust in You. You
are our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
SCHEDULE
Mr. REID. Mr. President, there will be, as the Chair has announced,
morning business basically all day. At noon, there will be a moment of
silence in recognition of the events of September 11. Both leaders have
asked that those Senators who are here and have not gone home to their
States try to be in the Chamber for the moment of silence. I hope all
Senators will be here.
I also announce that the two leaders are going to speak prior to the
noon moment of silence. The minority leader is going to speak at 20 till
the hour, and the majority leader will speak at 10 till the hour.
IN REMEMBRANCE OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
Hon. Harry Reid
of nevada
Mr. President, we all have been touched by the events at the Pentagon
this morning. As I walked in, there was a woman whom I do not know, but
she is symbolic of the sacrifices that people have made. Her face had
been burned very badly, she had no hands, and her arms had been burned.
This is what the terrorist activity is all about.
This innocent woman, who never did anything to anyone, has been
subjected to this physical torture. It goes without saying that she has
gone through and will go through many skin grafts and other such
procedures so that she can learn to use her prosthetic hands, which she
does not have yet.
It used to be when a building was constructed, they had a ceremony on
every major construction, called the laying of the chief cornerstone.
What does that mean? It means that the final stone in the foundation of
that building will be laid.
Why did people celebrate that event? They celebrated because they knew
if that building had a strong foundation, it would be fine.
In our life in America, that foundation, that chief cornerstone is the
Constitution of the United States. That little document that people
speak about in this Chamber--discussion led by, more than anyone else,
Senator Byrd--is the chief cornerstone of this great democracy.
As we are forced to remember these events of September 11--because it
is easy not to put unpleasant thoughts in our minds--as we are forced to
remember these events, and rightfully so, we have to remember that this
country has a firm foundation because the chief cornerstone of the
foundation of this country is our Constitution.
Today, of course, is the first anniversary of the September 11
terrorist attacks on America. On this day we remember, as we will do
every year on September 11, those tragic events that our Nation
experienced on September 11, 2001.
What happened in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania has
left many of us--in fact, all of us--with memories and strong emotions.
I know that Nevadans were deeply affected by the terrorist attacks in
the aftermath, and I feel good about how people in Nevada have reacted.
We were hurt very badly. Our No. 1 business is tourism, and tourism
took a terrible blow. But those business entrepreneurs, people who
worked for those large corporations, and the people who worked for the
small businesses recognized that time would solve the problems, that
time would heal a lot of the tourism problems, and it has. We are not
back to where we were, but we are OK. I am proud of how the people of
the State of Nevada have reacted.
We also have had from the State of Nevada a pouring out of sympathy,
comfort, and consolation for those who were killed and hurt. We lost a
teacher in the terrorism attacks, a teacher at Palo Verde High School.
We lost two soldiers who were killed in action. So we will always
remember what happened.
As individuals and in private, we will often reflect on this national
tragedy. We cannot confine our memories to a single day or be guided by
the calendar, but September 11 will forever be the day that we
collectively, as a Nation, as a people, as America remember. We remember
those whose lives were ended so suddenly and violently, not knowing what
happened.
We remember the firefighters. We remember the police officers--the
firefighters are New York's bravest, the police officers are New York's
finest--and all other emergency and rescue workers who accepted the
risks in rushing into burning buildings giving their lives, suffering
physical and mental injury to help save the lives of people they did not
know.
We remember the sacrifice, the selflessness, the heroism, and the
courage of all of those who offered aid. We must remember those who
survived and the thousands who did not. We must remember the parents,
grandparents, children, sisters, brothers, wives, husbands, partners,
and friends who have been robbed of not a weekend, not a week, not a
month, not a year, but they have been robbed of their loved ones
forever.
From the stories they have shared, we remember not only the deaths but
the lives of their loved ones, remember their loss, and their struggle
to heal. We remember our personal losses, our pain, even our anger, and,
of course, our tears.
We remember the shock of seeing massive metal towers collapse as if
they were erector sets that our grandchildren constructed. We have seen
these massive metal towers reduced to rubble. We all remember the fire
and the smoke.
I will never forget leaving room 219, after Senator Daschle told us we
had to evacuate the building, looking out the window and seeing the
smoke billowing out of the Pentagon where we were this morning. We
remember, though, the effort to rebuild the Pentagon. We remember the
generosity and spirit of Americans coming together to offer kindness,
money, compassion, and consolation. We remember the sympathy expressed
by foreign governments. As the President expressed this morning, some 90
foreign governments--I think it was the President; maybe it was
Secretary Rumsfeld--are helping us in our battle in Afghanistan.
We remember that individuals all over the world opened their arms and
their hearts to America. We remember the gruesome images so vivid that
they are etched in our minds, and we remember how the spirit of our
Nation was awakened, how Americans demonstrated resilience and resolve.
We remember how the country united to support the war on terrorism. We
remember the soldiers who were killed as part of our military efforts in
Afghanistan. We remember, and we must always remember, the firm
foundation of our country. We are a country guided by the Constitution
of the United States, which separates us from the rest of the world.
That is why we have remained a strong, vibrant democracy for more than
200 years.
Hon. George Allen
of Virginia
Mr. President, I rise today to offer my thoughts on this very solemn
day of remembrance as we all return from a magnificent ceremony at the
Pentagon observing all that is strong and good and awesome about our
country.
I thank the Senator from Nevada for his very poignant words of
empathy, as well as his understanding of the foundations of our country.
Nevada, as all States, was hit hard.
We saw the outpouring of compassion all over this country, and I will
share some of those stories. I recall in August driving across a lonely
two-lane road in South Dakota, which would eventually get to the
Badlands. There was a big bale of hay on the side of the road which had
painted on it the American flag. It showed the spirit of that farm. We
did not see any people, but we knew the sentiment of the folks who lived
on that farm and in that region.
September 11, 9/11, just those words evoke sentiments and memories of
where we were and what we did on that day of tragedy. As we remember
those vile terrorist attacks of 1 year ago, for many of us the emotions
and shock, the disbelief and horror that we experienced individually and
as a people and a Nation are still fresh. Those memories, however,
continue to strengthen our resolve in the same way that our Nation was
forged together after those vile attacks a year ago.
Today, we view our Nation in a fundamentally new light. We have a
greater understanding of the freedoms we enjoy and how vital it is that
they be guarded, preserved, and even fought for, if necessary. We have a
greater appreciation for a country that respects people of diverse
backgrounds, cultures, and religious beliefs. We have poured out our
hearts and our assistance to those who were injured and the families of
those who lost a dear one. We view firefighters, police officers, first
responders, with much greater appreciation, whether they are the brave
men and women of the battalions in New York City or northern Virginia or
in communities large and small all across our United States of America.
These men and women were transformed on that day into our heroes. We
will forever remember the thousands of innocent men, women, and children
who were killed at the World Trade Center and in a field in Somerset
County, PA.
This Senator will remember the 184 patriots at the Pentagon and on
American Airlines flight 77 who lost their lives on Virginia soil. It is
indeed the heroes and the innocent patriotic victims we will remember
the most. The images of flags raised, the solemn salute of rescuers to
their fallen comrades, and people who were rushing into burning
buildings on the verge of collapsing hoping to just save one more life.
They and the freedom-loving patriots across our great Nation stand in
stark contrast to those who only know hate, destruction, and oppression.
We also see that in a time of trial, ordinary people of all walks of
life perform with extraordinary courage and dignity. We remember people
such as Ltc. Ted Anderson, who carried two of the injured from the
burning Pentagon and reentered through a broken window to drag out two
more, one whose clothes were on fire; 1SG Rick Keevill and Virginia
State Troopers Mike Middleton and Myrlin Wimbish, who entered the
Pentagon three separate times looking for victims; LCDR David Tarantino,
who moved a pile of rubble enough to pull a man from the Pentagon just
before the roof collapsed; other Pentagon heroes such as SSG Christopher
Braman; Ltc. Victor Correa; Sgt. Roxane Cruz-Cortes; Maj. John Grote;
Ltc. Robert Grunewald; Col. Philip McNair; Cpt. Darrell Oliver; SP
Michael Petrovich; SGM Tony Rose; Ltc. Marilyn Wills; and Cpt. David
Thomas.
The Senator from Nevada, Mr. Reid, mentioned a woman who I think was
Mrs. Kurtz at the Pentagon. Mrs. Louise Kurtz, though severely burned
herself, valiantly tended to the needs of others around her. I am
introducing legislation that will change current law so that
individuals--such as Mrs. Kurtz, and those in her situation--can
contribute to her retirement and so they will be able to afford to
return to work after a very lengthy period of recuperation.
We also remember people such as Barbara Olson, a passenger on flight
77 who had the presence of mind to call loved ones on the ground to
alert them of the hijacking.
We remember Cpt. ``Chic'' Burlingame of flight 77 who died fighting
off hijackers who commandeered his plane and who is now properly buried
at Arlington National Cemetery. These people have all touched our lives.
In talking to Mr. Burlingame's brothers and sister and wife, I find it
noteworthy that at the Arlington National Cemetery his grave is on the
tour and people in the tradition of those of the Jewish faith will put
rocks on his headstone. That is very touching to the family and shows
the unity and appreciation of a grateful Nation.
We also remember the survivors, survivors such as Stephen Push, whose
wife Lisa Raines perished in the Pentagon and who has become a forceful
and articulate spokesman for victims and families.
I will always remember, and thought of it last night while driving
home, a young boy, a neighbor, a friend of my children whose name is
Nick Jacoby. He lost his father on flight 77.
There are stories all over our communities and Nation. We also, of
course, remember the quiet dignity of people such as Lisa Beamer who
helped keep their loved ones very much alive for all of us. Her husband
Todd, who said, ``Let's roll,'' led an uprising with several other
patriots against the hijackers of flight 93 and saved hundreds, if not
thousands, of lives at the Capitol and in the Washington, DC, area.
Recent reports recognize their likely target was this building.
We will remember countless others whose courageous efforts saved lives
and provided comfort. We will remember and we will thank them for their
extraordinary, inspirational dignity and their character. We will also
remember the construction workers, the hard-hat patriots of the phoenix
project who worked around the clock in their inspiring efforts to
rebuild the Pentagon in plenty of time for employees to move in before
the 1-year anniversary.
We will remember folks from a church that made quilts, the Christ
Baptist Church from Prince William in Manassas, a magnificent quilt with
the names of all who died. Also, we will remember the International
House of Pancakes in Bristol, VA, an IHOP owned by an American who came
here from Lebanon. I asked him a few months later how his business was.
He said right after the attacks, for a few weeks, there were hardly any
customers. But then a Methodist Church in Bristol, on the Virginia-
Tennessee line, brought up the situation, and everyone from that church
on that Sunday went in with their families and filled up the IHOP. Since
then, others were coming back. That is a sign of the decency and the
care of communities across the Nation.
Five days ago, in New York City, I had the opportunity to speak to a
group of 70 mothers who were pregnant last September 11, and who were
made widows on that terrible day. It has been said that suffering makes
kinsmen of us all. While those mothers no longer have the physical and
emotional support of their husbands, and the fathers of their children,
they are now a part of our greater American family. In those babies, all
under 1 year, the spirit and blood of their fathers live on. We want the
babies to grow up with the optimism of liberty and opportunity and hope
that is the spirit of America. These young children represent not just a
birth but a rebirth, a rebirth and a rededication of the strength and
unity of our Nation and her great, caring people as we move forward.
Indeed, our Nation will be changed for generations by the tragic events
of a single day and all those that followed September 11. We pray for
the souls of all that we lost that day and their surviving families as
well.
As a Senator from Virginia, for the permanent Record of our Republic,
I ask unanimous consent to have printed the names of all the men, women,
and children who perished in that attack on Virginia soil.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
The 184 Victims Who Perished at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001
Paul W. Ambrose, Specialist Craig S. Amundson, Yeoman 3d Class Melissa
Rose Barnes, Master Sgt. Max J. Beilke, Yeneneh Betru, Information
Systems Technician 2d Class Kris Romeo Bishundat, Carrie R. Blagburn,
Col. Canfield D. Boone, Mary Jane Booth, Donna M. Bowen
Allen P. Boyle, Bernard C. Brown II, Electronics Technician 3d Class
Christopher L. Burford, Capt. Charles F. Burlingame III, Electronic
Technician 3d Class Daniel M. Caballero, Sgt. 1st Class Jose O.
Calderon-Olmedo, Suzanne M. Calley
Angelene C. Carter, Sharon A. Carver, William E. Caswell, Sgt. 1st
Class John J. Chada, Rosa Maria Chapa, David M. Charlebois, Sara M.
Clark, Julian T. Cooper, Asia S. Cotton, Lt. Commander Eric A. Cranford,
Ada M. Davis, James D. Debeuneure, Capt. Gerald F. Deconto
Rodney Dickens, Lt. Commander Jerry D. Dickerson, Eddie A. Dillard,
Information Systems Technician 1st Class Johnnie Doctor, Jr., Capt.
Robert E. Dolan, Jr., Commander William H. Donovan, Lt. Commander
Charles A. Droz III, Commander Patrick Dunn, Aerographer's Mate 1st
Class Edward T. Earhart, Barbara G. Edwards, Lt. Commander Robert R.
Elseth
Charles S. Falkenberg, Leslie A. Whittington, Dana Falkenberg, Zoe
Falkenberg, Store Keeper 3d Class Jamie L. Fallon, J. Joseph Ferguson,
Amelia V. Fields, Gerald P. Fisher, Darlene E. Flagg, Rear Adm. Wilson
F. Flagg, Aerographer's Mate 2d Class Matthew M. Flocco, Sandra N.
Foster, 1st Lt. Richard P. Gabriel, Capt. Lawrence D. Getzfred
Cortez Ghee, Brenda C. Gibson, Col. Ronald F. Golinski, Ian J. Gray,
Diane Hale-McKinzy, Stanley R. Hall, Carolyn B. Halmon, Michele M.
Heidenberger, Sheila M.S. Hein, Electronics Technician 1st Class Ronald
J. Hemenway, Maj. Wallace Cole Hogan, Jr., Staff Sgt. Jimmie I. Holley
Angela M. Houtz, Brady Kay Howell, Peggie M. Hurt, Lt. Col. Stephen N.
Hyland, Jr., Lt. Col. Robert J. Hymel, Sgt. Maj. Lacey B. Ivory, Bryan
C. Jack, Steven D. Jacoby, Lt. Col. Dennis M. Johnson, Judith L. Jones,
Ann C. Judge, Brenda Kegler, Chandler R. Keller, Yvonne E. Kennedy,
Norma Cruz Khan, Karen Ann Kincaid, Lt. Michael S. Lamana, David W.
Laychak
Dong Chul Lee, Jennifer Lewis, Kenneth E. Lewis, Sammantha L.
Lightbourn-Allen, Maj. Stephen V. Long, James T. Lynch, Jr., Terrace M.
Lynch, Operations Specialist 2d Class Nehamon Lyons IV, Shelley A.
Marshall, Teresa M. Martin, Ada L. Mason-Acker, Lt. Col. Dean E.
Mattson, Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude
Robert J. Maxwell, Renee A. May, Molly L. McKenzie, Dora Marie
Menchaca, Patricia E. Mickley, Maj. Ronald D. Milam, Gerald P. Moran,
Jr., Odessa V. Morris, Electronics Technician 1st Class Brian A. Moss,
Teddington H. Moy, Lt. Commander Patrick J. Murphy, Christopher C.
Newton, Khang Ngoc Nguyen, Illustrator-Draftsman 2d Class Michael A.
Noeth
Barbara K. Olson, Ruben S. Ornedo, Diana B. Padro, Lt. Jonas M. Panik,
Maj. Clifford L. Patterson, Jr., Robert Penninger, Robert R. Ploger III,
Zandra F. Ploger, Capt. Jack D. Punches, Aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare
Operator 1st Class Joseph J. Pycior, Jr., Lisa J. Raines, Deborah A.
Ramsaur
Rhonda Sue Rasmussen, Information Systems Technician 1st Class Marsha
D. Ratchford, Martha M. Reszke, Todd H. Reuben, Cecelia E. (Lawson)
Richard, Edward V. Rowenhorst, Judy Rowlett, Sgt. Maj. Robert E.
Russell, Chief Warrant Officer 4th Class William R. Ruth, Charles E.
Sabin, Sr., Majorie C. Salamone, John P. Sammartino, Col. David M.
Scales, Commander Robert A. Schlegel
Janice M. Scott, Lt. Col. Michael L. Selves, Marian H. Serva,
Commander Dan F. Shanower, Antionette M. Sherman, Diane M. Simmons,
George W. Simmons, Donald D. Simmons, Cheryle D. Sincock, Information
Systems Technician Chief Gregg H. Smallwood, Lt. Col. Gary F. Smith,
Mari-Rae Sopper, Robert Speisman, Lt. Darin H. Pontell, Scott Powell,
Patricia J. Statz
Edna L. Stephens, Norma Lang Steuerle, Sgt. Maj. Larry L. Strickland,
Hilda E. Taylor, Lt. Col. Kip P. Taylor, Leonard E. Taylor, Sandra C.
Taylor, Sandra D. Teague, Lt. Col. Karl W. Teepe, Sgt. Tamara C.
Thurman, Lt. Commander Otis V. Tolbert, Staff Sgt. Willie Q. Troy, Lt.
Commander Ronald J. Vauk, Lt. Commander Karen J. Wagner, Meta L.
(Fuller) Waller, Specialist Chin Sun Pak Wells, Staff Sgt. Maudlyn A.
White
Sandra L. White, Ernest M. Willcher, Lt. Commander David L. Williams,
Maj. Dwayne Williams, Radioman Chief Marvin Roger Woods, Capt. John D.
Yamnicky, Sr., Vicki Yancey, Information Systems Technician 2d Class
Kevin W. Yokum, Information Systems Technician Chief Donald M. Young,
Edmond G. Young, Jr., Lisa L. Young, Shuyin Yang, Yuguang Zheng
Mr. ALLEN. I add in closing, the Burlingame family, wife and surviving
brother and sister, gave me a replica of one of the few things found
from Captain Burlingame, other than his wedding ring. He had a picture
of his mother and a prayer. They gave this to me a couple hours ago at
the ceremony at the Pentagon.
I share it with my colleagues and Americans.
I Did Not Die
(By Mary Frye)
Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I'm the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.
Never forget. We will never forget. We will always remember this day
that forged America together. These horrific events have strengthened
our unity of purpose and resolve as Americans, that we stand strong
together for liberty. I hope and pray that as long as God continues to
bless our United States and indeed blesses the entire world with people
of such courage, integrity, and character, that liberty and justice will
endure and prevail.
Hon. Russell D. Feingold
of Wisconsin
Mr. President, today I come to the floor to remember, to reflect, to
try to somehow do justice to the memory of those lost to us on September
11. The tremendous grief we felt then, and still feel so sharply today,
makes this anniversary a painful one for all of us as a Nation, and as a
people.
The anguish of that day will always be with us, but those of us who
witnessed those acts of terror on our television screens know that we
cannot imagine the suffering of those who perished in the attacks, or
those who survived them.
The families and friends of those who died must live with terrible
loss, and those who survived must live with searing memories.
No passage of time can ever erase the emotions of that day. But 1 year
later, we also know that no passage of time can diminish the legacy left
behind by those who perished. They will always be with us, living on in
the family and friends who loved them.
No passage of time will allow us to regain what was so tragically lost
on that morning. But 1 year later, with the passage of time, we see so
clearly what was briefly obscured by smoke and fear and disbelief. We
see the strength of the people around us--their everyday heroism, their
generosity, and their humanity.
No passage of time can change what happened on September 11. But the
last year has shown us that when our Nation was tested by terror, we did
not falter, and most of all we did not fail each other. We rose together
to meet the challenges before us, and we found that together we were
capable of more than we ever imagined.
So today we find strength in each other. We find strength in the acts
of heroism, and the acts of simple humanity, that took place on
September 11 and in the aftermath of the attacks: the bravery of the
first responders at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the
acts of kindness of Americans all over the country who donated blood,
observed moments of silence, or flew the flag in a show of patriotism
and support.
Each of these acts, however large or small, contributed to our growing
faith in the Nation's recovery, and in each other.
I was deeply proud of the many Wisconsinites who reached out to the
victims of September 11 and their families. Volunteers from around the
State flocked to disaster relief organizations to donate money and
donate their time to support the victims of the attacks.
A number of Wisconsin volunteers also traveled to the World Trade
Center to support the rescue workers. That desire prompted all of us to
do something, anything we could to help the victims of the attacks ran
deep in my State, as it did everywhere across the country.
Just as the firefighters and police on 9/11 redefined bravery and
heroism, in the uncertain days that followed, the Americans who reached
out to help the victims and their families redefined generosity and
patriotism.
A number of companies in Wisconsin, as so many businesses nationwide,
also donated to the rescue efforts. Fire truck manufacturers such as
Pierce Manufacturing of Appleton, WI, and Marion Body Works of Marion,
WI, donated critical replacement equipment to the New York City Fire
Department. Seagrave Fire Apparatus of Clintonville, WI, rallied to
complete previously ordered equipment for the New York City Fire
Department in the wake of the attacks, and sent staff to New York to
help the Department repair damaged equipment.
These efforts reaffirmed our faith that Americans would rise to this
challenge, as we have so many times throughout our Nation's history. And
we are rising to that challenge.
It has not been easy, and I frankly don't believe that all the choices
we have made have been the right ones. But that has never affected the
pride I feel to be an American during this extraordinary time in our
history. I couldn't be more proud of the way Americans have come
together in the wake of this tragedy, and I have been privileged to
serve in the Senate during this last year.
What we as a Nation have accomplished over the last year, and what we
will accomplish in the years to come to meet the challenge of terrorism,
will be our mark on history, not just as a Congress but as a generation.
It is of course impossible to summarize what happened on 9/11 and what
it means. There were so many moments--public and private, captured on
film and also lost to history--that make up our collective memory of
that day.
The New York Times section ``Portraits of Grief,'' however, is one
laudable effort to pay tribute to the victims as individuals by
remembering and celebrating each of their lives. These brief stories of
the victims' lives remind us that the people who died that day were from
every walk of life, from all over the country, and from all over the
world. They remind us of what America truly is--a sea of nationalities
and ethnicities never before seen in human history. The bitter irony of
Al Qaeda's desire to kill Americans is that people from every corner of
the world have become citizens of this Nation. Like places all across
America, the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the hijacked planes
were filled with people with roots in Africa, Europe, the Middle East,
Asia, and Central and South America.
These people and their families came here for different reasons, and
they likely lived vastly different lives. But all of them had the chance
to be a part of this great and free Nation. And all of them were
senselessly struck down on September 11.
One such man was Ramzi Doany. I would like to read the story published
in the ``Portraits of Grief'' section of the New York Times about this
man, who lived for many years in my home State of Wisconsin.
Ramzi Doany amassed friends. He amassed them with acts of kindness,
like tutoring a woman with lupus, two children and no husband, to get
her through college, or letting his college roommate and the roommate's
wife live in his condo for 2 years so they could save money for a
downpayment on a house.
He amassed friends with his sense of humor, which filled a room and
flourished at an early age. As a boy of 9 or 10, young Ramzi dug a hole
in the backyard for a terrible report card and put a stone on top. ``He
said it was dead and buried,'' said his sister, Dina Doany Azzam.
Mr. Doany was born to Palestinian parents in Amman, Jordan, and lived
for many years in Milwaukee. At 35, he devoured the novels of Dickens,
cooked Thanksgiving turkeys with great pride (even if they were just a
bit dry) and had just bought a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He chose to
work as a forensic accountant last March for Marsh & McLennan, the
insurance brokerage company, because it would bring him to New York, a
city he loved. The job also brought him to the World Trade Center.
It was a funny sort of journey, his sister said.
This man's journey, like so many others, was tragically cut short on
September 11.
On this day, the passage of time is bittersweet. Whatever the healing
powers of time, no passage of years can change what happened on
September 11. But the passage of time brings other gifts.
This last year has brought us resolve--the firm resolve to stop
terror, to preserve our liberty, and to do justice to the memory of
those who died.
It has also shown us our own resilience--how Americans, even in the
initial moments of shock and horror of the attacks, showed so much
bravery, so much compassion, and so much generosity.
Finally, time has brought renewal. It has renewed our strength, our
hope, and our faith in each other.
So it is with this resolve, this resilience, and this sense of renewal
that we move forward, in the name of those who perished, dedicated to
fighting terror, and united by our faith in this great and free Nation.
Hon. Ted Stevens
of alaska
Mr. President, in the morning hours of September 11 our Nation endured
a terrible tragedy. Though thousands of miles from the crash sites, the
response from our ``Last Frontier'' was overwhelming. Alaskans rushed to
aid the victims of the terrorist attacks. They volunteered rescue dogs
and handlers. They waited in line for 3 hours to donate blood. Some
boarded planes and traveled to Ground Zero to aid in the search and
rescue efforts. In December, those Alaskans were still there clearing
debris.
Alaskans who could not travel to the crash sites offered support in
other ways. Over 10,000 Alaskans signed two 50-foot banners bearing the
phrase ``Love and Prayers, from the People of Alaska.'' One banner was
presented in New York City by Alaskan firefighters. The other now hangs
in the Pentagon. Countless Alaskans donated funds to help victims
through the economic hardships brought on by the attacks. In Kenai, the
Firefighters Association petitioned our State to name a mountain after
St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters, as a tribute to
firefighters killed in the World Trade Center.
This year, Alaskans once again join the Nation in mourning and
remembrance. Today, I attended the Pentagon's memorial service, but in
my home State. Alaskans will pay tribute to our heroes in their own
unique way. Anchorage residents will observe a moment of silence at 8:46
a.m. Emergency responders from across Alaska will gather on Barrow
Street in Anchorage and join firefighters and police in a procession. A
memorial wall will be erected at Town Square. In Homer, Mozart's
``Requiem'' will be performed as part of a worldwide sequence of
performances beginning at the hour of the attack and moving from one
time zone to the next. I hope all Alaskans who cannot participate in
these events will attend a memorial and prominently display American
flags.
I am proud of Alaska's efforts to honor and remember the victims of
this tragedy. On that fateful morning they gave what Lincoln called the
``last full measure of devotion.'' We honor their memory and their
sacrifice.
Hon. Craig Thomas
of Wyoming
Mr. President, I appreciate the opportunity to share some thoughts
about this day.
We all have memories, of course, of a year ago. They are so clear
after a year. Nothing like that has ever happened in this country. We
remember it as we see it again on television today.
We have had a year to react, to recognize and accept the fact that it
did happen. The unbelievable thing, shocking as it was, did happen. But
we have also had the time to change from the immediate anger that we
had, and the disbelief, to a commitment and resolution to do all that is
necessary to make certain that it does not happen again.
We have had this year to increase our loyalty to our country and to
our flag, to increase our understanding of the values of freedom and
democracy, to commit our resolve to help and support those who have lost
loved ones, family members, and friends, to accept the reality that here
in the Congress we can disagree and have different views on normal,
daily issues, but when it comes to protecting our country and to
preserving freedom, we all come together.
The events of September 11 have clearly changed the way Americans view
the world. We watched the events unfold. No one will ever forget.
Everyone around the world has been touched, and we see some of that now.
We are embroiled in a struggle against people who do not care about
their lives and have set out to ruin ours. Sadly, we lost lives, but we
regained a strong commitment to preserving our freedom and our
integrity.
So it has been a year of shock, disbelief, anger, followed by
commitment, caring, sharing, patriotism, and determination. I think we
should be very proud of our fellow Americans for their commitment, their
willingness to sacrifice and to give--whether it be on the battlegrounds
overseas, whether it be in rescue missions or law enforcement, in
charity to the needy, leadership in our country both at the community
and national level, or just caring for our friends and neighbors and
loving our families. This year has put an emphasis in all these values.
The United States will survive and will strengthen. Freedom will
endure, and we thank God for the opportunity to be able to ensure that
for our future.
Hon. Trent Lott
of Mississippi
I acknowledge the fine statement that was made by Senator Thomas and
thank him for his efforts today to make sure that Senators are aware of
the opportunity to come to the floor of the Senate and pay appropriate
tribute and recognition, and express the condolences that are so
appropriate for that occasion. I want to make sure he was aware of our
appreciation.
Mr. THOMAS. I thank the Republican leader.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, this day, September 11, is its own memorial.
A year ago I got a call from my daughter, expressing her horror and her
sorrow on this, her birthday--and only 2 weeks after her new daughter
was born. She talked about how ``I will just change my birth date. I
will celebrate it a day earlier.'' She asked me, ``What exactly is this
situation in this world I have brought my daughter into?''
It struck me that she would have those questions and those concerns
considering what she had seen that day. She worried about what it means
for the future.
I talked to her this morning on her birthday. She celebrates her
birthday today, as she should--not just because it was the day she was
born but because she now realizes that in some ways, in spite of her
horror, this is an even more special day--this is Patriot Day.
So my special pen from the Pentagon service will go to my daughter on
this day because I think in a way how she felt a year ago and how she
feels today reflects what we have all gone through and what we have
experienced.
The truth is that this day doesn't really require any speeches or
ceremonies, though we certainly will have them all day long. We really
need no monument to remind us of the suffering and sorrow that befell
our country 1 year ago today.
As we sat there next to the wall of the Pentagon, I kept thinking
about the innocent men, women, and children who lost their lives so
inexplicably and so mercilessly on that day. But I also think about
those who tried so hard that day to save people's lives with danger to
themselves. Some of them probably were injured, and some of them maybe
were killed--and all that has gone into the work at that building to
symbolize the importance of us showing that we are mending our wounds
and we are going to be stronger from what we have experienced.
The wound that we had last year hasn't healed, nor should we expect it
to be healed so quickly, nor many of the scars. The scars will be there.
As a Nation, we lost a great deal--not only these innocent lives in
Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York, but also that sense of security
and perhaps even naivete that we have experienced thinking that this is
America, we are free and we are accessible, and we go and do what we
want without being better in any way.
Well that has changed. I believe we have been hurt deeply--not just
those who were directly involved, but all of us who watched it--all
Americans and all freedom-loving people all over the world.
I continue to be so pleased and, frankly, thrilled with the reaction I
get when I meet with leaders from countries all over the world--and just
average people on the streets of other countries. They come up and
express their condolences and their support.
Yesterday I met with the President of Bulgaria and the Prime Minister
of Portugal. Their comments were so reassuring and satisfying. They have
done their part. Bulgaria--yes. Bulgaria has had troops in Afghanistan
and, fortunately, has stood with us and will stay with us in the future.
We have been hurt deeply. But our observance of this day is about more
than grief, it is about more than anger, and it is about more than
appreciation. It is about valor and courage beyond words adequate to
describe what has happened and how we feel. It is about compassion and
it is about a unity of spirit.
I have felt that I have seen it as I have gone across this country. I
do not know how many States I have been in over the past year--but a lot
of them, and there is a different feeling. When people sing ``God Bless
America'' and start taking the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, they
sing and speak differently--with a little more gusto. But it is not
about a flag, although that is what becomes so much a symbol of what we
are experiencing internally. And it is not solely even about
individuals. It is about ideas and principles--the values that have made
this country what it is.
In this body, we don't take an oath to people or an oath to a person.
We take an oath to the Constitution. So that unity of spirit has really
been so obvious since I have gone into States in New England and the
South and the West and the Far West. It is about faith that looks
through death and a consolation beyond all human assurance.
This morning, when we joined President Bush at the Pentagon to
formally reopen that section of the building destroyed in the terrorist
attack, we all again felt those emotions of a year ago. I was sitting
next to Senator Daschle, and we couldn't help but remember a year ago
when we flew in a helicopter, along with Senator Reid and Senator
Nickles, right over that area. We looked down and saw what was going
on--the smoke, the confusion, and the activities in trying to save
people's lives, put out the fire, and deal with all that was going on.
It is a site that has been burned into my memory forever.
Needless to say, there couldn't be a better symbol than the
restoration of the Pentagon for the way America's Armed Forces have
responded to the assault on our country. God bless them for what they
have done and for what they are doing today.
But those who were responsible for that horror--and all those who
shelter them, finance them, abet them, encourage them, or reward them--
should understand this: America's most important rebuilding is not the
shattered wall of the Pentagon, nor the scar in the Earth in New York
City. For what we have restored in the past year cannot be measured in
granite and steel, nor even grassy knolls, as in the case of
Pennsylvania. We have rebuilt a wall of resolve, of determination, and
of steady purpose.
We have renewed trust in our leadership, and in one another, yes. We
will disagree on this floor and we will argue about the best way to do
the homeland security part and what should be the limitations on terror
insurance. That is what democracy is all about. But in the end we have
been able to find a way over the past year to come together and get a
result. That is through determination and a steady purpose.
We have renewed trust in ways that I hope will stay with us for a long
time. We have rediscovered in our shared sorrow the power of a truly
free society to overcome the enemies of freedom.
These are our battlements and these are our armaments, and their might
is going to be felt both here at home and in lands far away--until the
hand of terror is crushed and the work of justice is done.
Again, we extend our heartfelt condolences to those family members who
lost loved ones last year. We remind ourselves of how heroes were born
on that date out of that horror, and we rededicate ourselves to the
purpose of preserving this great young Republic and all the freedoms for
which it stands.
Hon. Thomas A. Daschle
of South Dakota
Mr. President, I begin by complimenting the distinguished Republican
leader on his eloquence and his message this morning.
It was 1 year ago today that many of us turned on our television and
saw what we could only imagine at the time was a horrible, horrible
accident. Soon we realized that it was no accident. Instead, it was the
worst terrorist attack on American soil.
Later this morning the wing of the Pentagon that was destroyed is
being rededicated. That field in Shanksville is once again green. The
debris from the site of the World Trade Center has been removed. The
heavy equipment and the workers are now engaged in the act of building--
not removing.
Through the physical scars of that day, we see a Nation beginning to
be healed. The emotional ones are still raw with our memory. Thousands
of families are approaching their second Thanksgiving without a loved
one. Children are approaching their second holiday season without a
mother--or a father. Empty lockers in firehouses still bear witness to
the brave men who are no longer there.
And so, the Pentagon can be restored. New grass can cover the churned
earth of a rural field. New towers can begin to rise where others fell.
Seasons and years can pass. Through it all, we will never forget.
This day will forever be a part of our national memory. Nine-eleven
will forever be our national shorthand for all that we witnessed, all
that we have experienced--on that day and the days following.
That is what we remember all across America today.
In my home State of South Dakota, there will be a number of small
services, including a memorial ceremony at Mount Rushmore.
In Seattle, WA, citizens will march to a downtown fountain that became
the city's unofficial memorial after September 11. Thousands of flowers
had been left there. Those flowers were gathered by the city and
composted. Each marcher will receive a bulb, in mulch generated by the
original memorial flowers, to plant.
Birmingham, AL, is dedicating a new memorial walk. San Francisco is
unfurling a 5-mile-long banner along the city's coastline.
From Portland, ME, to Portland, OR, people are pausing, and paying
tribute. All told, more than 200 communities are holding events of some
kind. In one way or another, all Americans have the opportunity to
commemorate our Nation's loss.
And, of course, some people will simply go about their business--and
that in itself is a powerful testimonial to our ability to go on.
Today is also a day to remember that our national tragedy is the
combination of thousands of individual tragedies.
I think that sentiment was best stated by Janny Scott, a reporter on
the Metro desk of the New York Times, who was responsible for assembling
a number of the ``Portraits of Grief'' that sought to capture the
essence of each of the victims.
She wrote about ``the individual humanity swallowed up by the
dehumanizing vastness of the toll,'' and what she called ``the
preciousness of each life's path.''
This morning, in New York, former Mayor Giuliani began the process of
reading the names of everyone who perished on that day. If one name is
read every 5 seconds, it will take over 4 hours to list every loss.
We also remember the individual acts of heroism: firefighters who
rushed up to help others get down; the passengers and flight attendants
on flight 93 who showed us that we don't ever have to surrender to evil.
Seeing their selflessness inspired something similar in all of us. In
South Dakota, one ranch couple--themselves struggling--sold 40,000
dollars' worth of cattle and donated the proceeds to the victims.
Similar acts of selflessness took place all over the country. Millions
of hands reached out to those who had lost so much, until, by the act of
reaching out and grieving, and remembering, we all came shoulder to
shoulder as we understood the extraordinary nature of the loss.
The terrorists who brought down the World Trade Center thought they
could shake the foundation of this country. They didn't understand that
the foundation isn't concrete and steel; it is our people, it is our
commitment--our commitment--to freedom and democracy, and to each other.
So today, we remember those we lost, and we rededicate ourselves to
preserving the memory of their lives, and to defeating the terror that
took them.
Our military men and women in Afghanistan and those fighting terror
around the globe carry with them our pride, and our hopes.
In the most fateful struggles in human history, freedom has triumphed
over the worst forms of tyranny, and we will defeat the tyranny of
terror as well.
On March 11, 6 months after the attack, Valerie Webb, a 12 year old
who had lost her only living parent in the World Trade Center, flipped a
switch, sending two towers of light rising into the darkness over lower
Manhattan.
Someone compared that memorial to a national votive candle. Others
compared it to the lives that were lost: beautiful, powerful, and
fleeting. On April 14, as planned, that temporary memorial was
extinguished.
At sunset tonight, in Battery Park, New York's mayor will light a
flame to commemorate the victims of that day. Unlike the towers of
light, that flame will not be extinguished--it will be eternal.
That flame will burn within sight of another eternal flame--the
symbolic flame from the torch held by the Statue of Liberty.
Those two eternal flames carry with them two eternal promises.
The torch held by the Statue of Liberty is our Nation's promise that
we will never yield in our determination to be a light to all those who
seek freedom.
And the flame that will be lit tonight is our promise that though we
may be slowly, steadily walking the path from remembrance to recovery--
we will never forget.
MOMENT OF SILENCE IN RECOGNITION OF THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the hour
of 12 noon having arrived, the Senate will now observe a moment of
silence in recognition of the events of September 11, 2001.
(Thereupon, the Senate observed a moment of silence.)
IN REMEMBRANCE OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
Hon. Ted Stevens
of alaska
Madam President, I was very proud of the efforts of Alaskans in
response to the disaster on September 11 of last year. Although we are
thousands of miles from New York, they immediately reacted.
Hon. Patrick J. Leahy
of Vermont
Madam President, later this afternoon in my home State of Vermont, the
chief judge of the Federal district court, Judge William Sessions, will
have an immigration ceremony, and I might say that I can't think of
anything more fitting. We will have memorials and other events
throughout the State of Vermont today, just as we will in other States.
Many of us had been at the Pentagon earlier this morning, heard the
moving statements, and saw the resolve of the men and women who protect
this Nation. We heard our President and Secretary of Defense and others.
It is right that throughout the country we have different events to
mark this occasion.
I want to especially compliment Judge Sessions for what he is doing in
Vermont. If there is anything that speaks to the resiliency of this
Nation, the greatness of this Nation, it is welcoming immigrants, saying
our borders are not sealed, our borders are open.
We want to welcome people who will continue to make this country
great, just as did my paternal great-grandparents and my maternal great-
grandparents who came to this country not speaking any English but who
sought employment and a new life. My grandfathers were stonecutters in
Vermont, immigrant stock. My wife was the first generation of her family
to be born here in the United States. It is immigrants who have made
this Nation strong.
What Judge Sessions is doing is telling us that our borders and our
country and our arms are still open to the mix of people from throughout
the world who will continue to give us the diversity we need, just as
our Constitution gives us diversity and guarantees that diversity in the
First Amendment. We now have new Americans who will be here with the
same rights and privileges the rest of us have, and the Nation will be a
better place for it.
Hon. John W. Warner
of Virginia
Madam President, we have just returned from a most historic and moving
ceremony at the Department of Defense. That building will always occupy
in my heart a very special place for I was privileged to serve there
during 5 years and 4 months of the period of the war in Vietnam in the
Navy Secretariat, including my service as Secretary of the Navy.
On 9/11 I joined colleagues briefly here in the Chamber and then we
exited and with other colleagues who were gathered in the park, we
chatted a little bit about what we should do. I returned to my office
and conducted a brief prayer meeting and recommended to my staff that
they proceed to their homes and their loved ones.
In about an hour or two, however, I decided I would like to go to the
Department of Defense again because of my very special high regard for
the men and women of the Armed Forces and that dastardly act committed
by terrorists. I called the Secretary of Defense, whom I had known for
many years. We both served in the administration of President Nixon and
President Ford. He said: Come right over.
I called my good friend and colleague, Carl Levin, at his home, and
Carl immediately said, yes, he would join us, and the two of us then
proceeded to the Department of Defense where we joined Secretary
Rumsfeld and then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Shelton. It was
a memorable afternoon there at the command post watching the
magnificence of our command structure dealing with the many unknowns,
and yet taking the proper actions.
The President called in. Both Senator Levin and I spoke with him
briefly. Then we went back with the Secretary to where the plane had
struck the building and visited with all those who were performing
heroic acts right before our eyes in hopes of saving other lives and
doing what they could to comfort those wounded.
We then returned with the Secretary. And Secretary Rumsfeld asked
Senator Levin and I to accompany him to a press conference. We stood
behind the Secretary and the Chairman while they spoke. And then
unexpectedly, Secretary Rumsfeld turned to both of us and asked us to
make a few remarks.
I have here this morning the remarks I made, with no preparation, just
speaking from the heart. And they are as true today, 1 year later, as
they were at about 6:30 on the afternoon or the evening of 9/11 when
Senator Levin and I joined the Secretary. I will just repeat these
remarks.
I stated that I was joined by my distinguished chairman, Carl Levin,
and I said, speaking to the Nation:
I can assure you that the Congress stands behind our President and the
President speaks with one voice for this entire Nation. This is, indeed,
the most tragic hour in America's history, and yet I think it can be its
finest hour, as our President and those with him, most notably our
Secretary of Defense, our Chairman [of the Joint Chiefs] and the men and
women of the Armed Forces all over this world stand ready not only to
defend this Nation and our allies against further attack, but to take
such actions as are directed in the future in retaliation for this
terrorist act--one of the most unprecedented in the history of the
world.
We call upon the entire world to step up and help, because terrorism
is a common enemy to all, and we're in this together. The United States
has borne the brunt, but [which nation] can be next? Step forward and
let us hold accountable and punish those that have perpetrated this
attack.
Under the leadership of our President and the courage of the men and
women of the Armed Forces and the strength of the citizens of this
Nation, that has been done, is being done, and will be done.
Hon. Dianne Feinstein
of California
Madam President, I rise today to share some of my thoughts on this
very special day, a day that commemorates one of the darkest days in our
Nation's history.
Those of us who listened this morning to the recitation of the names
of those killed in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon found in
those names both a message of grief and one deep in sorrow. Also in
those names was a profound message of how deeply the world is
interwoven. The reading of these names was, for me, an unforgettable
message of our diversity.
My sorrow, my sympathy, my condolences go to those who have lost so
much. For many, they have lost everything; yet they still have their
spirit, their hope, and their determination, and they still have the
love of a very sympathetic Nation.
On September 11, we all felt as if the loss was too much to bear, as
if it would be impossible to go on. But out of the ashes of the World
Trade Center and the Pentagon, we in Congress returned to work. We tried
in our legislative ways to address the terrorist threat. Within a week
of the attack, we approved a resolution authorizing the President to use
force against those who would perpetuate or harbor the terrorists.
Within a month, we approved the USA Patriot Act, which authorized our
law enforcement and intelligence agencies to take the necessary steps to
root out the terrorist threat and to protect the Nation.
In May of this year, we approved the border security and visa reform
legislation, which overhauled the way this Nation allows immigrants and
visitors into the country.
In June, we approved a bioterrorism bill that included strict
certification requirements for laboratories that handle anthrax,
smallpox, and more than 30 other deadly pathogens.
At the same time, the United States launched a war against terror. In
Afghanistan, the U.S. forces, working with the Northern Alliance, ousted
the Taliban, fought Al Qaeda troops, and made it possible for Hamid
Karzai to be elected President--Afghanistan's first democratic election.
U.S. Special Forces were also sent to the Philippines, to Yemen, and
Georgia to train local troops on how to fight the war against terror. We
have broken up Al Qaeda cells in Spain, France, Morocco, and Singapore,
thereby preventing planned attacks.
In the financial world, the Treasury Department began examining the
financing of terrorist organizations, freezing more than $34 million in
terrorist assets.
Now the Senate is considering two additional steps to defend our
Nation: a bill to create a new Department of Homeland Defense and a
comprehensive review of the intelligence failures that led to 9/11.
I would expect the Senate to approve the homeland defense bill in the
coming weeks, and, hopefully, it will be signed into law by the end of
the year.
On September 17, the Intelligence Committees of both the House and the
Senate will open their first hearings on our intelligence review, which
has been going on now for 6 months.
One year has now passed. The Nation has shown its resolve and
resiliency. Now we must show our staying power.
For me, what emerged from 9/11 were four specific points:
First, we must stay the course on the war on terror. We must ferret
out, bring to justice, one by one, group by group, those Al Qaeda, or
others, who would simply kill because they hate.
Second, we must make this country as safe as possible: eliminate
loopholes in laws, prevent fraudulent entry into our country, ensure
that deadly chemicals and biological agents are properly handled, and
see that the national security is protected, wherever possible.
Third, we have to reinforce the hallmarks of America: liberty,
justice, freedom. Despite this crisis, the Constitution and the Bill of
Rights remain strong and central to our way of life.
Finally, we need to celebrate our democracy, and the way we do that is
simple: We make it work. We produce for our people. We pass good
legislation. We administer the programs. We show that democracy offers
solutions to the real problems of our society.
Let me say one thing about remaining vigilant in the war against
terror. Much of the Al Qaeda organization remains intact, including two-
thirds of the leadership, and possibly Osama bin Laden himself.
Afghanistan is our beachhead in the war on terror. We cannot lose it or
we lose the war on terror. Yet Afghanistan's leadership is fragile. Just
last week there was an attack on President Karzai's life.
We have an obligation to provide for the security of Afghanistan and
its leaders and ensure that the nation does not fall under the control
of regional warlords. We must ensure that the Afghan economy becomes
upwardly mobile.
We have work to do to find those in hiding, whether in Pakistan,
Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Southeast Asia, and, yes, in our own
country. Al Qaeda remains poised to do their dirty deeds.
America learned on September 11 a very simple and sobering lesson--
that there are people in the world who would destroy us if they could.
We must remember this fact and do all we can to stop them. This means
staying the course and winning the war against terror. This means
keeping focused on the immediate threat from Al Qaeda, and this means
looking for new ways to strengthen our Nation's homeland defense.
As we all consider the past year, let us remember all of those who
perished in the attacks and in their memory rededicate ourselves to
doing all we can to making our Nation strong and preventing a similar
attack in the future.
Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison
of Texas
Madam President, 1 year ago today, 3,000 people woke up, kissed their
loved ones goodbye, went to work, and never returned. In the blink of an
eye, their lives were brutally taken by the violent acts of terrorists.
Together, we grieved and mourned for those who lost their lives. We
marveled at the heroism and bravery of the first responders--the
firefighters, emergency personnel, and police officers--who rushed into
the devastation to help others, many sacrificing their own lives in the
process.
But the American spirit of resilience rose from the ashes of Ground
Zero, the Pentagon, and that quiet field in Pennsylvania. Our collective
anguish became our national resolve. We focused our energies on
destroying the cowardly instigators of this tragedy so they could not do
it again to us or any other nation on Earth.
We will forever recall this day, but we are not a vengeful people. As
Americans, we value peace, freedom, and liberty. We know our diversity
and tolerance of other views, religions, and ways of life are what make
our Nation great. We do not perpetuate hatred or violence. We teach our
children to love one another and treat others with respect.
America was born out of a great struggle. The words of our Founding
Fathers ring as true today as they did more than 200 years ago. In 1771,
Samuel Adams said:
The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution,
are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them
against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from
our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger
and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted to us with care and
diligence.
It is our duty to carry on the crusade for freedom that generations of
Americans have fought and died to keep. The heroes of September 11 did
not lose their lives in vain. The protection of our liberty and freedom
remains resolute.
It is the words of a civilian hero that remain with us, a young man
with a pregnant wife at home. He saw the horrors on his airplane that
morning on September 11 as they were flying over Pennsylvania. He
realized from telephone reports that this airplane, too, was part of a
terrible plan headed for one of our treasured symbols of freedom in
Washington, DC. Though he had little time to prepare, he and other brave
passengers decided to fight. And Todd Beamer's last words in his valiant
effort are our battle cry in this war on terrorism: ``Let's roll.''
America is ready to roll, Madam President, and we will never forget
those who gave their lives for our freedom on September 11, 2001.
Hon. Phil Gramm
of Texas
Madam President, I thank my dear colleague and tell her I am very
happy to have my remarks appear next to hers.
A year ago today, terrorism struck at the very symbols of American
democracy and capitalism, as if by destroying those symbols, as if by
destroying the buildings, as if by killing innocent people, they could
destroy those institutions.
They failed.
Like millions of Americans, a year ago today I watched the horror of
the terrorist attacks. But then I watched the triumph of the human
spirit. I watched ordinary Americans, people pretty much like us, who on
that day did extraordinary things.
A year ago today, our Nation's leaders watched, and we were helpless,
like everybody else, to do anything about the problem. I am proud to say
today that we are not helpless, that we have started to fight back.
Our homeland is more secure today than it was a year ago, but it is
not as secure as it has to be. We are fighting a war, but the Congress
has to give to our military and to our law enforcement officials the
tools they need to finish the job.
When in doubt, I believe we must act. What is at issue is the safety
of the American people, and I am not willing to turn that safety over to
our allies, to the United Nations, or to anybody else. Where terror
hides, it must be rooted out and it must be destroyed, and if we have to
do that alone, then America is willing and capable of doing that alone.
In my 24 years of public service in Congress, I have always been proud
of my country and my countrymen, but I have never been prouder than I
have been in the last 12 months. It has always been a privilege to
serve, but in the last 12 months it has been my great privilege to serve
the greatest country in the history of the world.
Hon. Carl Levin
of Michigan
Madam President, 1 year ago today, the openness and freedom of
American society were used against us when terrorists hijacked civilian
passenger jets and used them as missiles to demolish the Twin Towers of
the World Trade Center and destroy a large section of the Pentagon. The
fourth jet hijacked that infamous morning, United flight 93, may well
have been headed for this Capitol Building before brave crew members and
passengers fought back against their captors.
One year ago today, over 3,000 people had their lives snatched away
from them. The emotional trauma of those losses has affected each and
every American. No State, no town, no community, no person has been left
untouched.
The despicable actions of the terrorists last September 11 have
changed the world, not only because of what they have destroyed, but
also because of what they have kindled in the American people.
In New York City, at the Pentagon, in the skies over Pennsylvania and
across America, 1 year ago today and in the days since then, we have
seen the bravery, compassion, determination, and shared sense of purpose
of Americans from all walks of life. As one writer put it, ``September
11 did not alter the American character, it merely revealed it.''
I would add that it did not weaken our spirit, it strengthened it
immeasurably.
We have, astoundingly, already rebuilt the mangled section of the
Pentagon, and we have cleared Ground Zero in New York City. We have
consecrated time and place and commemorated the heroic individuals who
faced 9/11 head on.
We are now engaged in a war on terrorism. It is unlike any war we have
ever fought. It has no boundaries. It has no clear end. Our enemies
target civilians. They are not soldiers. They are not warriors. They are
murderers.
We have taken the battle to our enemy. We have destroyed the Taliban
and disrupted the Al Qaeda network. Those who have not been killed or
captured we have driven into hiding. We have liberated Afghanistan from
the clutches of terrorists, and we have put the rest of the world on
notice that to harbor terrorists is to invite disaster.
In these sterner times, we have rediscovered that we are made of
sterner stuff.
Yesterday, I had the honor of helping to plant a memorial red ash tree
at the Pentagon. That tree, and eight others like it planted at the site
over the weekend, were propagated from parts of a champion red ash tree
in Dowagiac, MI, named as such because it is the largest example known
of its species. That champion is 450 years old and 21 feet around at its
trunk. It spans the history of America. And, like the American spirit,
it is indomitable.
At yesterday's ceremony, I remarked that we Americans are as well-
rooted as that champion red ash in Dowagiac, and like its crown, our
Nation's aspirations reach high into the skies above. The tendrils of
democracy root us; our aspiration is an unquenchable desire for
freedom--for ourselves and for all people everywhere.
Archibald MacLeish wrote,
There are those who will say that the liberation of humanity, the
freedom of man and mind, is nothing but a dream. They are right. It is
the American dream.
We have shared that dream with the rest of the world.
For the better part of the last century, the United States and our
allies fought a successful battle against the genocidal forces of
fascism and totalitarianism. We defeated the Nazis. We won the cold war.
In the bloody struggle between ideologies, democratic governments
triumphed over repressive regimes.
This democracy of ours and our allies will prevail against the likes
of Al Qaeda because the overwhelming majority of people in the world
want freedom and justice and dignity and opportunity. America remains a
beacon of hope to the oppressed everywhere. Our current generation of
servicemen and women, and the American people generally, will meet the
new challenges and threats that we face as a Nation as successfully as
we met the challenges and threats of the last century.
The people who perished 1 year ago did not do so in vain. We will
always remember them and, most important, we will honor them by carrying
on that noble struggle for what has been called the American dream but
what is actually humankind's dream.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that an article from the
Detroit Free Press titled ``Michigan's 16 Legacies'' be printed in the
Record.
[From the Detroit Free Press, Sept. 5, 2002]
Michigan's 16 Legacies
(By Sheryl James)
They were among America's best, brightest and happiest.
Many had attended some of the finest schools--Cranbrook, Detroit
Country Day, the University of Michigan, Harvard, Yale, Princeton and
Vanderbilt.
As teens, they walked the halls of schools from Cass Tech in Detroit
to Traverse City High, all of them contributing, achieving, giving back.
They were young scholars and financial wizards, technology gurus,
National Honor Society members, athletes, musicians, champions of
theater, contributors to their communities.
Most of them were well traveled--and well on their way to the kind of
success that defines the American Dream. A few already had achieved that
dream, with homes in Manhattan, book credits, TV appearances.
One of them survived the 1993 terrorist bombing of the World Trade
Center.
They are gone now, these 16 terrorism victims who had significant
Michigan ties. But their legacies live on--in their accomplishments and
through their loved ones left behind.
financial whiz kid on fast track to success
Terence Adderley Jr., 22, had a head and a heart for finance by the
time he was a teenager. Before even graduating from Detroit Country Day
in 1997, he had started an investment club. His grandfather, William
Russell Kelly, founded Kelly Services of Troy in 1946, and his father,
Terence E. Adderley, is its president and chief executive officer.
Adderley, who grew up in Bloomfield Hills, took his love of finance to
Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., where he earned a bachelor's
degree in economics in May 2001. Soon after, he landed a job with Fred
Alger Management Inc., which had offices on the 93rd floor of the trade
center's north tower.
Joseph White, a University of Michigan business professor and former
interim president, said Adderley had tremendous potential.
White knew Adderley through U-M alumnus David Alger, president of Fred
Alger Management. As a young analyst for the company, ``Ted was
thriving,'' White said. ``He loved what he was doing.''
Besides his father, survivors include his mother, Mary Elizabeth; five
sisters, and a grandmother.
executive had eye for best, brightest
David Alger, 57, president of Fred Alger Management Inc., was a
familiar fixture on CNN, MSNBC and CNBC--and at many U-M events. He was
a prominent alumnus and supporter of the U-M business school, where,
White said, he was the spring commencement speaker in 1997 and served on
the school's senior advisory board.
Alger loved grooming young people for business and often returned to
his alma mater.
``David was a terrifically talented man,'' White said. ``A colleague
of mine said, `I loved David's rational exuberance,' and she got it just
right. That was David: very analytical and very optimistic . . .
``David encouraged people to participate in what he thought would be
the biggest bull market in American history--in 1991. It was an
incredible prediction.''
Alger was born Dec. 15, 1943, in California but grew up in Grosse
Pointe. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and
a master's in business administration from U-M in 1968. He joined his
brother Fred's company, Fred Alger Management, in 1972 as an analyst. He
eventually owned 20 percent of the business.
In 1995, Alger's brother moved to Geneva, Switzerland, and left him in
control of the company's daily operations. At the time of Alger's death,
the firm's assets had grown from $3 billion to $15 billion and its
workforce from 82 to 220.
Alger, who owned homes in Manhattan and Tuxedo Park, N.Y., loved
technology stocks and managed mutual funds that ranked near the top of
the 1990s bull market. He often appeared on financial TV programs and
wrote ``Raging Bull: How to Invest in the Growth Stocks of the '90s.''
On Sept. 11, Alger was working in company offices on the 93rd floor of
the trade center's north tower. ``There were 1,300 people at his
funeral,'' said White, who attended. Alger is survived by his wife,
Josephine; two daughters; his brother, and a sister.
unfettered spirit loved the city life
Eric Bennett, 29, a Flint native, caught the travel bug early when he
took a trip overseas with a high school foreign language club. He
traveled often afterward, said his mother, Kathy Bennett of Flint.
He visited Brazil, Puerto Rico, Rome, London and Paris. but Bennett
also loved the Brooklyn, N.Y., brownstone where he lived, the big-city
life in New York and his job as area vice president for Alliance
Consulting Group. His office was on the 102nd floor of the trade
center's north tower.
``From his home, he could see the towers, and from his desk at work,
he could see Brooklyn,'' his mother said. ``He just loved life.''
In 1989, Bennett graduated from Flint's Kearsley High School, where he
had been co-captain of the football team the year before. In 1993, he
received a bachelor of science degree in computer information systems
from Ferris State University. He also played football at Ferris State
and earned an All-Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference honorable
mention in 1992.
In addition to his mother, he is survived by his father, Terry
Bennett, and a sister.
wings fan held family close to his heart
Frank Doyle, 39, formerly of New Boston and Bloomfield Hills, was a
loyal Detroit Red Wings fan. He grew up playing hockey and was the
varsity goalie from his first year on at Bowdoin College in Brunswick,
ME. Later, he played on three mens hockey teams near his Englewood,
N.J., home.
Doyle attended Huron High School in New Boston and graduated from the
Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills in 1980. He earned a bachelor of
arts degree from Bowdoin with majors in economics and government in
1985. He also earned a master's in business administration from New York
University's Stern School of Business in 1993.
Doyle was senior vice president of the Keefe Bryuette & Woods
brokerage in the trade center's south tower. He directed its equity and
trading department and was on the company's board of directors.
Just before his death, Doyle was training for triathlons.
``He was probably in the best shape of his life'' and planned to run a
triathlon the weekend after the terrorist attacks, said his wife, Kim
Chedel. But, she said, Doyle mostly ``loved being a dad'' to their
children, Zoe and Garrett, who were 3 and 16 months when their father
died.
Doyle and Chedel had both escaped harm when the trade center was
bombed by terrorists in 1993. Chedel, who then worked at a brokerage in
a different part of the complex than her husband, escaped within 2
hours. She said she cried for hours while waiting for Doyle to emerge.
On Sept. 11, Doyle called Chedel after the first plane hit. He was on
the 87th floor of the south tower--the second hit but the first to fall.
``He said, `If you think we got rocked in '93, this was 10 times
worse,' '' Chedel said.
``I said, `Frank, get out of there.' He said to me, `The PA system
said it was . . . more secure to stay in the building.' ''
Doyle called his wife again at 9:22 a.m. ``He said, `Sweetie, we've
gone up to the roof. The doors are locked, and we can't go down. I know
you know this, but I love you . . . and you need to tell Zoe and Garrett
every day for the rest of their lives how much Daddy loves them.' ''
His survivors also include his mother, Maureen Doyle of New Boston,
and three siblings.
teacher kept her friends for a lifetime
Barbara Edwards, 58, who grew up in Wyoming, near Grand Rapids, was a
woman of character and warmth. She kept friends for a lifetime and, as a
high school teacher, showed up at her students' soccer games on her own
time.
``Barb was a people person,'' said her sister Jane Gollan of Seattle.
``If you met her 30 years ago, she would still be friends with you. She
had a knack for keeping in touch.''
Edwards also was a fan of Bette Midler and of personal mementos like
the 40-year-old accordion she had as a child. She never threw anything
out, and her garage never had room for a car, family members said.
Edwards, who lived in Las Vegas, graduated from Kelloggsville High
School in Grand Rapids in 1961 and from Western Michigan University in
1965. She worked for a time at Catholic Central High School in Grand
Rapids. She also married, had three children and lived in various states
before divorcing in the early 1990s.
She was a high school French and German teacher in Las Vegas when she
went to a friend's wedding in Connecticut the weekend before the Sept.
11 attacks. She was supposed to return home, but friends convinced her
to stay for a couple of days. She wound up on American Airlines Flight
77, which left Dulles International Airport in suburban Washington, and
crashed into the Pentagon.
Just before the attacks, one of Edwards' sons had left a job as a
broker in the World Trade Center. In addition to her children, Edwards'
survivors include her parents, Jack and Liss Vander Baan who live south
of Grand Rapids in Allegan County; a sister, and two grandchildren.
avid reader relished his michigan roots
Brad Hoorn, 22, originally from Richland, near Kalamazoo, never lost
his affection for his favorite childhood book, ``Charlotte's Web.'' He
learned to read using that book and he reread it periodically, said his
mother, Kathy Hoorn of Richland. A voracious reader, Hoorn often read an
entire book to relax before an important college exam, she said.
Bright, energetic and outgoing, Hoorn played several musical
instruments; had been president of the National Honor Society at Gull
Lake High School in Richland, from which he graduated in 1997, and
cocaptain of the tennis team.
He was a computer whiz, his mother said, and loved coming back to
Michigan from his New York City apartment to golf with his father,
Dennis; play with the family's two Labrador retrievers; visit friends
and enjoy boating on lakes near the family home.
In May 2001, Hoorn received a bachelor's degree in economics from Yale
University. On Sept. 11, he was working at Fred Alger Management Inc. on
the 93rd floor of the north tower.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by a sister.
consultant made her own way in the world
Suzanne Kondratenko, 27, formerly of Romeo, had such zeal and spark,
her sister called her a spitfire. Patricia Kondratenko said Suzanne was
creative, independent and had a daring sense of humor.
``Things she would say, other people wouldn't get away with,''
Patricia Kondratenko of Rochester said. She especially remembers
Suzanne's beautiful skin and how she always smelled like flowers.
Kondratenko and her sisters--all seven of them--attended the Academy
of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills. Suzanne graduated in 1992. In
1996, she earned a bachelor's degree in English literature and
humanistic studies from St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Ind.
An employee of Keane Consulting in Chicago, Kondratenko was in New
York on Sept. 11 to do consulting work for Aon Corp. on the 92nd floor
of the trade center's south tower.
``Suzanne committed herself, entirely, to her every endeavor,'' said
her sister Aimee Kondratenko of Chicago. ``She was capable of so much.''
She is survived by her sisters and her parents, Eric and Patricia
Kondratenko, of Romeo.
actress captivated by the allure of theater
Margaret Mattic, 51, knew by her senior year at Cass Tech High in
Detroit that she wanted to be an actress and live in New York. She
accomplished that goal, and more. Before she died, she was writing plays
and planning to produce them, her sister, Jean Neal of Detroit, said.
``My earliest memories of Margaret are of her performing in school
plays,'' said Peggy Robinson, who grew up with Mattic on Detroit's east
side. ``She was always the lead. I was a narrator. When we did `Snow
White,' she was Snow White. And she was Gretel when we did `Hansel and
Gretel.' ''
Mattic also was adventurous, Neal said. ``She did more traveling and
living away from home. The rest of us remained in Detroit. Margaret
lived in New Orleans and New York.''
While Mattic was a student at Wayne State University, where she
received a bachelor's degree in liberal arts in 1973, ``she traveled to
Europe for 8 weeks, all by herself,'' Neal said. ``She had more nerve
than all of us.''
Mattic, the youngest of five children, always loved to read and write,
said her mother, Katie Mattic of Detroit. As an adult, she bought dozens
of books for herself and for her mother.
After graduating from Cass Tech in the late 1960s, she appeared in
several plays in Detroit and New York, particularly ones with African-
American themes. Mattic worked as a customer service representative for
General Telecom in the trade center's north tower.
She was single and had no children.
he was on way to a hawaii honeymoon
Robert R. Ploger III, 59, of Annandale, Va., approached his life's
work with a sense of adventure, said his father, Maj. Gen. Robert Ploger
of Ann Arbor.
He studied philosophy in college but wound up working with computers.
He worked for major corporations, established his own successful company
and finally became a computer architect for Lockheed-Martin in
Washington.
Ploger's parents--his father is retired and his mother, Marguerite, is
deceased--were originally from Owosso. Their son graduated in 1959 from
Paris American High School in France and attended Michigan State
University in 1959-60. He served in the U.S. Army from 1960-62. Ploger
then earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of
Denver in 1965, married and raised two children. He and his first wife,
Sheila, later divorced.
Ploger had lived in California, Virginia and Maryland, working as a
computer specialist.
He married his second wife, Zandra, in May 2001. On Sept. 11, they
were on their way to Hawaii for a honeymoon. Both were aboard American
Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon. A memorial service was held
at the same hotel in Annandale where the couple celebrated their
wedding.
gentle giant won people over easily
David Pruim, 52, was ``the kindest, nicest, most gentle, 6-foot-4
person there ever was,'' his wife of 28 years, Kate, told the New York
Times shortly after his death. ``He made everyone he came into contact
with feel good about himself, from children to adults.''
Pruim was senior vice president of risk services for Aon Corp., on the
103rd floor of the trade center's south tower.
The Pruims, both originally from Michigan, lived in Upper Montclair,
N.J., with their 10-year-old daughter, Carrington. David was a 1966
graduate of Western Michigan Christian High School in Muskegon. He
received a bachelor's degree in political science from Hope College in
Holland in 1970.
Last October, the college dedicated its homecoming football game to
Pruim.
He is survived by three brothers and his stepmother, Louise Pruim, who
lives in Norton Shores. His late father, James Pruim, was mayor of
Muskegon from 1994 to 1996.
brilliant man had an empathetic ear
Josh Rosenthal, 44, was a brilliant guy with a big heart. He doted on
his nieces and, despite a terrible allergy to cats, kept his Manhattan
apartment window open to provide a scratching post for his neighbor's
cats, his sister Helen Rosenthal recalled.
``He had this ability to reach in and really touch people and make
them feel like he was truly listening and understanding what they were
saying,'' she said.
Rosenthal was raised in Livonia and graduated from Stevenson High
School in 1975. His mother, Marilynn Rosenthal of Ann Arbor, is a
professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Michigan-Dearbon.
His father, Avram (Skip) Rosenthal of Southfield, owns Books Abound in
Farmington and is a former director of the Henry Ford Community College
Library in Dearborn.
In 1979, Rosenthal earned a bachelor of arts degree in political
science from the U-M in Ann Arbor. In 1977, he was named a Truman
Scholar, a merit-based scholarship award given to outstanding college
juniors.
In 1981, Rosenthal received a master's degree in public affairs from
the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at
Princeton University. He moved to New York afterward, and on Sept. 11,
was at work as senior vice president of Fiduciary Trust Co. on the 90th
floor of the trade center's south tower.
Rosenthal lived in Manhattan, but stayed involved with family and
friends in Michigan. He was godfather to several children of friends his
sister said.
``Josh had a large and wonderful family that he was very close to,''
his mother said.
onetime star pitcher had new life with wife
Brock Safronoff, 26, originally from Traverse City, worked as a
computer systems analyst for Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. on the 96th
floor of the trade center's north tower. He was a 1993 graduate of
Traverse City Central High School, where he had been a star pitcher for
the baseball team.
In 1997, he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Amherst
College in Massachusetts, where he also was a starting pitcher on the
baseball team. Later, he finished course work toward a master's degree
from Columbia University in New York.
Safronoff and his wife, Tara, were married in August 2001 on Staten
Island. They had just moved to a Manhattan apartment before the Sept. 11
attacks. In addition to his wife, his survivors include his parents Joel
and Debra Safronoff of Traverse City; a brother, and a sister.
military man had 2d child on the way
Lt. Col. Kip Taylor, 38, originally from Marquette, came from a
military family. He loved his job as an assistant to three-star Gen. Tim
Maude at the Pentagon.
But at home, Taylor loved the gentler art of cooking. He especially
loved trying out new recipes on unsuspecting visiting friends, his wife,
Nancy, said.
Taylor also loved working with wood. He build a deck and worked on
other projects at his McLean, VA., home. He had a 22-month-old son Dean.
On Oct. 25, his wife gave birth to his second son, John Luke who will be
called Luke.
``He considered his most important role as that of father,'' his wife
said. ``We were both so excited about the baby.''
In 1985, Taylor graduated from Northern Michigan University with a
bachelor's degree in management. He had two scholarships, one for
basketball and one for the ROTC program.
He died when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. He
was promoted to lieutenant colonel from major posthumously, his wife
said.
His survivors also include his mother, Kay Taylor, who is executive
director of a child care referral agency in Marquette; a brother, also
in the Army, and a sister. Taylor's late father, Don, was a retired Army
lieutenant colonel who gave his son his commission in 1985 and later
taught military science at Northern Michigan University.
horse enthusiast coordinated show
Lisa Marie Terry, 42, of Oakland Township found time every summer, no
matter how busy she was, to hold her Summer Sizzler Horse Show in Mt.
Pleasant.
It was not an easy task for Terry to put on a quarter horse event
while working full time with Marsh Inc., a national construction company
with offices in Detroit and in the trade center's north tower. But
horses were her passion.
``She did it all by herself,'' said Sarah Tupper of Metamora, Terry's
best friend and fellow horse enthusiast. ``She worked on it all year,
getting sponsorships, making it nice for exhibitors. She made a huge
effort to put stuff in the show people wanted.''
Terry especially encouraged young exhibitors, Tupper said.
On Sept. 11, Terry, a vice president in charge of construction for the
New York-based Marsh, was going to Hawaii for a project. She stopped at
the World Trade Center for a business meeting and was among some 300
Marsh employees lost in the attacks, company officials said.
A couple of years before her death. Terry, who was single, celebrated
her rise to vice president--a rare position for women in her field--by
buying a red BMW convertible, said her aunt, Olga Stevens of Troy. Soon
after, she bought her Oakland Township home.
Terry had one brother and grew up in Troy, graduating from Troy High
School in 1977. She studied a social services program at Ferris State
University from 1977 to 1980 and was a member of the Theta Tau Alpha
sorority. She studied insurance at Michigan State University in the mid-
1980s.
She loved skiing, flowers and her two cats. An accomplished
horsewoman, she showed for the American and Michigan Quarter Horse
associations. The latter named her Sportswoman of the Year in 1993.
Terry also was a member of the American Business Women's Association
and the National Association of Women in Construction.
flight attendant had the heart of a child
Alicia Nicole Titus, 28, whose parents live in Dexter, was a positive,
peace-loving, let's-make-the-world-a-better-place kind of person.
``She was very much into acceptance of world cultures and . . . very
embracing of people with different belief systems,'' said her father,
John Titus. ``So it is ironic, sadly so,'' he said, that she was a
flight attendant on United Airlines Flight 175, which crashed into the
trade center's south tower Sept. 11.
Titus had just become a flight attendant. Disillusioned with corporate
life as a marketing director for a firm in San Francisco, where she
lived, she switched careers, said her father, who is director of student
advisement services at Schoolcraft College in Livonia. Alicia's mother,
Beverly, teaches part-time at the college's Women's Resource Center and
Continuing Education Department.
Titus grew up in St. Paris, Ohio. She graduated from Graham High
School there in 1991 and earned a bachelor's degree in international
business from Miami University in Oxford, OH, in 1995.
``She had lead roles in musicals in high school and was into track,
cheerleading and National Honor Society,'' her father said.
She also loved outdoor sports such as snowboarding, mountain climbing
and sky diving. She had traveled to Spain, Morocco, England and France.
Titus' roommate in San Francisco told her parents that the Sunday
before the attacks, the two went to a local park, where they twirled
hula hoops and played on the swings and slides--typical of Titus'
childlike zest for life, her father said.
Titus, who was single, also is survived by two brothers; a sister, and
a nephew.
recent graduate had energy, potential
Meredith Lynn Whalen, 23, who was originally from Canton Township,
loved animals, particularly horses. She always wanted to own a horse,
said her mother, Pat Whalen of Canton.
But Whalen valued friends most of all. Her mother was comforted by her
daughter's friends after the Sept. 11 attacks.
``Her friends have all described her as a very energetic, caring
person with a lot of compassion for others,'' Pat Whalen said.
Whalen was just as energetic in high school. She was a varsity swimmer
and in the National Honor Society at Plymouth Salem High School, from
which she graduated in 1996. She earned a bachelor's degree in business
administration with honors from the U-M in Ann Arbor in 2000.
``Meredith was an outstanding graduate of our 2000 BBA program,'' said
White, the U-M business professor and former interim president.
White said David Alger, another U-M graduate and World Trade Center
victim, spotted Whalen as a young person with great potential and
convinced her to work for his company.
She became a research assistant for Fred Alger Management on the 93rd
floor of the trade center's north tower and lived in Hoboken, N.J.
She is survived by her mother; three sisters, and a brother. Her late
father, Henry (Hank) Whalen, had been a Canton Township trustee.
Hon. Olympia J. Snowe
of Maine
A few short hours ago, at the Pentagon, we bore witness to the essence
of this solemn anniversary. It was a message of restoration and renewal
from a grateful Nation.
Today is the commemoration of both incalculable loss and limitless
courage, of enduring sorrow and indomitable spirit.
We seek to honor the bravery and heroism displayed by so many for so
long on this day and the days following. We are moved to grieve for what
and whom we lost--such as Maine victims Anna Allison, Carol Flyzik,
Robert Jalbert, James Roux, Stephen Ward, Robert Norton, Jacqueline
Norton, and Robert Schlegel.
Today, we embrace all that we have retained as a Nation--our strength,
our sense of purpose, our unity, and our veneration of the principles of
freedom and justice--for today, the hearts of Americans and freedom-
loving people across the globe are beckoned at once by sorrow and
resolve, and we should heed the call of both.
The snapshots of insanity etched in our minds, the indelible stain of
unfathomable inhumanity, these must remain if we are to triumph over the
tyranny of terror, and triumph we must.
In a horrific irony, the forces of darkness had their way on an
especially bright and beautiful morning, much like today, and the evil
that fueled their horrible deeds lives on in the shadows of the world.
The struggle before us will be constant, and therefore our vigilance
must be unflagging.
So on this first anniversary of a new era, let us continue to brace
ourselves to perpetuating what is good and just, as we and our allies
did in the 20th century's great struggles against evil. And let us
remember how that one day in September not only changed America and the
world but also reminded us of what really matters, of the principles and
the people we value and certainly should appreciate--our firefighters,
police officers, rescue workers, our troops, and seemingly ordinary
Americans who, when faced with the horrible certainty of their
circumstances, knowingly bring down a plane to save the lives of others,
not to mention the very symbols of our democracy, the Capitol and the
White House.
On this solemn occasion, we celebrate those heroes who walk among us
today, while the legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice
reverberates throughout New York, Washington, Virginia, Pennsylvania,
and every town and city in this land. Indeed, if it is true that a
nation is defined by its response to adversity, then America redefined
its own greatness.
Men and women searching and clearing the World Trade Center site
worked day and night, while volunteers brought them food and water.
Their labor will stand as a memorial beside the hallowed site's eternal
flame near the hole in the Earth that mirrors the hole in our heart that
will never fully mend. And just across the Potomac, engineers and
construction workers poured forth every last ounce to rebuild the
Pentagon within 1 year in a gesture comprised of equal parts defiance
and pride. At the building's D-ring, a father literally helped repair
the broken stone and mortar near the very spot where his son perished
that fateful morning.
What is lost can never be recovered, but with this first anniversary
of September 11, it is as though life has reclaimed its rightful place
where destruction dared intrude. At the Pentagon there is a single
blackened stone set within the new wall to symbolize what cannot and
must not ever be forgotten. We have witnessed an almost incomprehensible
transformation from the blackened devastation we saw a year ago, just as
America itself has been transformed.
An unparalleled sense of unity and compassion swept across America,
proving once again that the true strength of our Nation has always
flowed from the fortitude of our people.
As we lifted up the hearts of those grieving for loved ones, we moved
toward a swift and just defense of our freedom, and the President worked
vigorously and mightily to build an international coalition. And while
the war on terror will unquestionably be long and dangerous, our heroic
men and women in uniform struck quickly and decisively at the heart of
the Taliban.
In February, I had the privilege of visiting our troops and meeting
with President Karzai as part of a congressional trip to Afghanistan.
What left the most profound impression on me, one I will never forget,
was the unflinching commitment, the indefatigable resolve, and highest
level of professionalism, not to mention bravery, of our troops.
Indeed, much was revealed to us on the morning of September 11, 2001:
The extent of the threat against us, the image of the devil incarnate,
but also the face of a resilient and passionate and a united Nation that
would not allow this travesty to stand.
We have learned that we can continue the process of healing, even
knowing we will never fully be healed. We have learned we can move
forward, without moving away from the anger we justifiably feel. Indeed,
if we are to properly memorialize those whom we lost on that day and the
days since, then we must maintain a boundless resolve in perpetuity that
is so essential to keeping America secure and eradicate the roots of
terrorism and the bloody instruments of fear.
At Gettysburg, President Lincoln said:
It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the
unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is
rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before
us--
That is our call yet again today. That is the destiny to which we must
rise. Now, like then, we are equal to the challenge. God bless America.
Hon. Byron L. Dorgan
of North Dakota
Madam President, I was not sure if I was going to come and say a few
words today. I am almost fatigued by the coverage of 9/11, and yet there
is something so important about this moment that silence somehow is not
an appropriate response.
The horror of the moment of September 11 last year remains with us
even as we ache in our heart for those who lost their lives on that day.
I think all of us understand the target was not buildings. It was not
buildings in New York or Washington, DC. The target was the spirit of
our country. The target was democracy. The target was Americans and what
Americans represent.
With the 1-year anniversary of that event, it is important for our
country again to take stock of where we are, who we are, and what our
citizenship responsibilities are as Americans.
One year ago, I left the Capitol Building late at night to drive home
and drove past the Pentagon. It was still burning, with smoke billowing
out of the Pentagon that was then bathed in floodlights. It was an eerie
sight to see the fire at the Pentagon even late at night and to hear and
see the F-15 and F-16 fighter planes flying combat missions over our
city and the Capitol that day and that evening.
We went back to the Pentagon a few days later, and we were, as Members
of Congress, meeting with Pentagon officials and viewing the damage. As
we were there, one young Marine was hanging by a crane in a bucket up
near what had been the fourth floor of the Pentagon in what now was an
open wound and gash in that concrete building. He had been hoisted up in
the bucket by a crane that was moving toward this open gash. As we
watched him, he reached around into this open area where this airplane
hit and he pulled out a flag he had spotted up in an open area that had
miraculously burned, and he brought this red and gold flag, which was
the Marine flag, a brilliant red and gold color. He had the crane lower
him to the ground. He marched over to where we were, walked past us and
said: I am going to give this flag to the Marine commandant. He said:
Terrorists could not destroy this flag, and they cannot destroy this
country.
I think the spirit of that young Marine and the spirit of people at
Ground Zero, where we visited a week following the attacks, is something
I will always remember.
The visit to Ground Zero that many in Congress conducted was a very
sad visit, showing the carnage and destruction of the World Trade Center
where so many thousands died. The event I recall from that day, among
many, was a firefighter who came to me with a several-day growth of
beard and bloodshot eyes. He had worked around the clock for many days.
He told me of the friends he had lost, those who were his fellow
firefighters who had died in the tragedy. Here was a man who obviously
had very little rest, had worked day and night. Through his bloodshot
eyes and with a uniform that was quite dirty, having worked around the
clock, he looked at me and said: Senator, you must promise me to do one
thing.
I asked: What is that?
He said: Get them. Get them. If you do not get them, they will do this
to this country again.
He represented the feeling of all Americans. We must make certain that
terrorists are not able to do this again in our country. Our country is,
in my judgment, as united as ever, united to battle terrorism wherever
it exists in the world. We have come to understand as a country that a
battle against terrorism is not quick. It is not easy. But it is
something to which all America is committed. Every fanatic anywhere in
the world who thinks terrorism is an acceptable means to an end needs to
hear and know that America is united.
My State is half a continent away from Washington, DC., and New York
City where the attacks took place. Let me speak for a moment about my
rural State, so distant from the urban areas where the attacks took
place.
First, tragically, we too experienced the loss of life. A young North
Dakotan, Ann Nelson of Stanley, ND, died when the World Trade Center
collapsed. I knew Ann and her family. She was a very special young
woman. Her father has been a good friend of mine for many years. She had
a bright future ahead of her, and she was a joy to all who knew her. Ann
Nelson was a young North Dakota woman seeking a career, pursuing a job
in the World Trade Center in New York City. She died because she was an
American. She was one of thousands of innocent Americans who lost their
lives because of these heinous, unspeakable acts of horror committed by
terrorists.
The day of the attack in Washington, DC, I looked up in the sky to see
fighter jets flying overhead. I found out later that day they were
pilots from Fargo, ND, members of the Air National Guard called the
Happy Hooligans, some of the best fighter pilots in the world. Over the
years, they have won three William Tell Awards which is the award for
the best fighter pilots. They are stationed on a rotating basis at
Langley Air Force Base.
Part of their mission is to protect the Nation's Capital. They were
the first scrambled and the first in the air and the first over the
Nation's Capital on that very day, 9/11. We are so proud of them. They
are the ones we saw in the air almost immediately after these attacks.
Their mission, I told them, reminds me of something I read some long
while ago. I don't know where it comes from, a verse that said: When the
night is full of knives, and the lightning is seen, and the drums are
heard, the patriots are always there, ready to fight and ready to die,
if necessary, for freedom.
A lot of patriots last September 11 said: I'm here and I'm ready to
fight for freedom.
In the weeks and months that followed the attacks of September 11, our
country has come together like never before. We understand that we face
a very special and unusual challenge. We are a big, wide open, free
democracy. It is very hard to provide absolute security in every way,
every day all around our country. We do not want any of us to diminish
the basic freedoms that represent America, the basic freedoms in our
Constitution. We do not want to diminish those freedoms in order to
fight terrorism. We want to fight terrorism and eradicate terrorism
wherever it exists. We want to preserve that which makes America unique,
the most wonderful country on the face of the Earth.
A year ago when I spoke in this Chamber about the events of September
11, I recalled the words that Shakespeare wrote: ``Grief hath changed me
since you saw me last.''
It continues to change us as we go forward carrying the heavy burden
that grief imposes. But part of that change is much more than grief.
Part of it is a steely resolve to respond forcefully and strongly and
with precision to those who carried out the attacks 1 year ago. Our
resolve in this year, in my judgment, has grown even stronger.
This will be a day that Americans will think about for many decades to
come, the September 11 anniversary of 2001. My hope is we rededicate
ourselves today to the mission ahead and the challenge ahead to preserve
our democracy. My hope is that today we also pay honor to the memory of
those innocent Americans who lost their lives, and then say thank you to
all of the heroes who, on September 11, extended forward and said: Let
it be me to reach out and help. And especially we say thank you to the
men and women of the Armed Forces who serve in harm's way all across the
world.
Finally, months after September 11, I was in Afghanistan, Baghram,
Kabul, and that region of the world. As you fly into Afghanistan and
look down through an airplane window to the hills and the mountains and
understand that somewhere in caves deep in the mountains there were
people plotting the murder of innocent Americans, you understand we
cannot ever be oblivious to what is happening in the rest of the world.
It can have a profound impact on the lives of those who cherish freedom.
I say to the young men and women I met in Kabul and Baghram and
elsewhere, thanks for your service to America. Thanks for helping us
wage the fight against terrorism, a fight this country is determined and
destined to win.
Hon. Richard C. Shelby
of Alabama
Madam President, 1 year ago, America awoke to a tragic and devastating
incarnation of hatred and evil. Incomprehensible to most citizens only a
day before, the terrorist attacks of September 11 dramatically changed
our people, our country, and the entire world.
Insulated for over 50 years from foreign attacks on our soil,
Americans in an instant grasped the magnitude of the threat we face from
terrorism. In the days after the attacks, the dangerous world in which
we live never seemed more precarious.
The immediate aftermath brought a tremendous outpouring of grief and
sorrow.
Our Nation mourned as the realities of the events of September 11
penetrated our collective psyche. Candles were lit in remembrance and
flags were flown in patriotic displays of unity. Stories of bravery and
courage emerged in the wake of the attacks which helped to inspire and
remind us of all that is great about the American spirit.
This foundation of strength which was built in the days after the
attacks prepared us for the challenges ahead, and helped harden our
national resolve to deliver our enemies to justice.
We live in a far different world than the one we occupied just 12
months ago.
With a clear sense of purpose our country has engaged the war on
terrorism on every conceivable front. The vision outlined by President
Bush in his September 20 address to the Nation has been undertaken with
extraordinary success. We have been vigilant in our fight to hunt down
those responsible for the attacks, as well as those who might do us harm
in the future. We have fortified our defenses and reorganized our
government. Americans everywhere are more aware of their surroundings
and remain defiant of those wishing to do us harm. We as a Nation have
grown stronger and more united than ever.
We have been blessed with enormous freedoms and prosperity in this
country. Over the course of our history, many Americans have made the
ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives to protect our freedoms.
Although we have enjoyed many years of peace, the events of September 11
showed us that this fight is far from over.
We must continue to build on the successes of the past year, and never
become complacent with our victories. The burden cast upon our great
Nation was one we neither asked for nor deserved, but we carry it on our
shoulders consoled by the memories of those who went before us who
sacrificed in the name of freedom.
Hon. Arlen Specter
of Pennsylvania
Madam President, Senator Santorum, Senator Ensign, and I have just
returned from memorial services in Shanksville, PA, commemorating the
downing of flight 93. It was truly an inspirational and emotional
occurrence. The families of the victims of flight 93, the crew and
passengers, were seated front and center, and then a large crowd was
assembled, estimated in advance to be in the range of 20,000 to 30,000
people.
Gov. Mark Schweiker, Governor of Pennsylvania, spoke, as did former
Gov. Tom Ridge, now the Homeland Security Director. There was not a dry
eye in the entire assemblage. The message delivered by Governor
Schweiker and Governor Ridge was a moment of remembrance, a moment of
commemoration, and a moment of hope for the future, with a determination
that a united America will repel terrorists wherever terrorists exist
and that the struggle for freedom will be maintained and will be won.
Governor Schweiker went to the Shanksville Elementary School in
advance of the ceremony and brought to the assemblage, especially the
families of victims of flight 93, this message from the Shanksville
Elementary School: If God brought you to it, God will bring you through
it.
That brought quite a response.
Churchill was quoted, I think, so appropriately: ``Never was so much
owed by so many to so few.''
I think that is especially applicable to the Members of the Senate and
the Members of the House of Representatives because flight 93 was headed
to the U.S. Capitol. That had long been the speculation, and it was
confirmed 2 days ago in an article in the New York Times, quoting
members of Al Qaeda.
Ms. Sandy Dahl, wife of pilot Jason Dahl, made an emotional speech and
later came down and sat right next to where I was sitting and was
holding her infant daughter, Michaela, who will be 2 at the end of
September. It was quite a poignant picture of the widow, grieving for
what happened a year ago today, but holding her child and looking
forward to the future. The child was smiling, and so was Mrs. Dahl,
looking at her infant daughter.
It is my hope that the Congress will yet act on legislation which has
been introduced to grant Congressional Gold Medals to the 40 who were
crew and passengers of flight 93. As I moved through the assembled
ladies and gentlemen who were families of the victims and spoke to them
and heard of their grief, the common thread was: Please move ahead.
Thank you for the legislation--thanking the Congress for the legislation
authorizing the creation of a memorial at Shanksville, a national
memorial site, but also asking that our legislation for the
Congressional Gold Medals be completed.
The family of Georgine Rose Corrigan presented me with this photo and
the ribbons, red, white, and blue. These photos were worn by so many--
virtually all of the families of the victims who were in attendance.
Yesterday, I spoke on the floor of the Senate and said that sometime
before dusk today I would ask unanimous consent for the consideration of
the bill S. 1434, which has 69 co sponsors, which would grant the
Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to the victims of flight 93. This
bill should have been moved a long time ago. I have taken it up with the
appropriate Senators to get it moved, and it has not moved because of
the interest of some in expanding it to cover other victims--the
firefighters, the police, and others.
I certainly think it would be appropriate to grant recognition to all
of those people. However, I think the victims of flight 93 are in a
special category because they saved the Capitol.
In order to avoid the complications of having a bill discharged from
committee, I have consulted with the Parliamentarian as to the
procedures for having a bill held at the desk.
MEASURE READ THE FIRST TIME--S. 1434
Mr. SPECTER. At this time, I submit on behalf of myself and 69
cosponsors, a bill to authorize the President to award posthumously the
Congressional Gold Medal to the passengers and crew of United Airlines
flight 93 in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the United States
on September 11, 2001.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill will be read for the first time.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1434) to authorize the President to award the Congressional
Gold Medal to the passengers and crew of United Airlines flight 93 in
the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the United States on September
11, 2001.
Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, for purposes of completing the
procedure, I intend to object after asking the bill be read the second
time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection has been heard.
Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at the
conclusion of my remarks the program for the commemorative ceremony in
Shanksville be printed in the Congressional Record, and I yield the
floor.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
``A Time For Honor and Hope''--One Year Anniversary Memorial Service,
Wednesday, September 11, 2002
The County of Somerset wishes to express heartfelt thanks to all who
have come forward to assist, contribute and participate in the One Year
Anniversary Memorial Service. We would also like to extend a special
thank you to these sponsors:
DIAMOND LEVEL
United Airlines Corporation
Deitrick & Associates Interiors, Inc.
UNDERWRITER LEVEL
Davis Bus Lines/STA
Fedex Ground
Meyer Sound Labs
Northern Sound & Light, Inc.
GOLD LEVEL
BMW of North America
Under the Sun Productions, Inc.
SILVER LEVEL
Benack Sound Productions, Inc.
Hershey Foods
Thoratec
Daily American Newspaper
Merrill Lynch-Southwestern Pennsylvania Offices
BRONZE LEVEL
Aurora Casket Company
Community Foundation for the Alleghenies
Don & Becky Kelley
Ohio Gratings
Seven Springs Mountain Resort
Staley Communications
PEWTER LEVEL
Mississippi Association of Supervisors
Somerset Trust Company
Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association
Kendall, Inc.
Roth Brothers
Color ID
Baw Plastics, Inc.
HEARTFELT SUPPORT LEVEL
Ironworkers Local Union 46
Radio Shack Corporation
Rockwood Area School
H
One Year Anniversary Memorial Service--9:30 AM
musical selections
Johnstown Symphony Orchestra and the 2d Marine
Aircraft Wings Band, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing,
Cherry Point, NC
``old glory'' flag presentation
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort
Campbell, KY
Remarks by Mr. Dave Pawlewicz, Century Link America
presentation of the colors
U.S. Marine Corp Honor Guard, 2d Marine Aircraft
Wing, Cherry Point, NC
pledge of allegiance
Miss Priscilla Gordeuk and Mr. Elwood Brant, Top
Honor Senior Students, Shanksville-Stonycreek
School District
national anthem
Ms. Jeanne Wentworth
flyover
C-130s--911th Airlift Wing, Pittsburgh International
Airport Air Reserve Station
remarks
Sandy Dahl, Wife of Flight 93 Pilot, Jason Dahl
``one minute of silence for worldwide peace''
Murial Borza, Sister of Flight 93 Passenger, Deora
Bodley
10:06 am--``toll the bells''
Br. David W. Schlatter, O.F.M., Bells of Remembrance
toll forty times as names of passengers and crew
are read.
Presentation of Names: Mr. Tony Mowod
introduction of governor mark schweiker
remarks
Governor Mark Schweiker
introduction of keynote speaker
Governor Tom Ridge, Homeland Security Advisor
remarks
Governor Tom Ridge, Homeland Security Advisor
twenty-one gun salute
Marines of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Site
Support Element, Johnstown, PA
echo taps
2d Marine Aircraft Wing Band, 2d Marine Aircraft
Wing, Cherry Point, NC
musical selection
``God Bless America''--2d Marine Aircraft Wing Band,
2d Marine Aircraft Wing, Cherry Point, NC and
public
air force flyover with missing man formation
AT-38's, 80th Flying Training Wing (80FTGW), 88th
Flying Training Squadron (88FTS) Sheppard AFB, TX
heroes memorial release
Release of forty white birds representing the fallen
heroes of flight 93
``god bless america''
Ms. Jeanne Wentworth, leading assembled public and
Johnstown Symphony Orchestra
formal retirement of the colors
Honor Guard 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, Cherry Point,
NC
departure of flight 93 families
departure of dignitaries
public departure
Hon. Tim Johnson
of South Dakota
Madam President, I rise today to commemorate the vicious terrorist
attacks that occurred on our Nation a year ago today, September 11,
2001.
Over the past few days, in large cities and small towns, in New York
and the Pentagon today, in my home State of South Dakota, people have
gathered to remember and to reflect upon what happened this last year.
In many ways it still does not seem possible that a year has passed
since the attacks of September 11, 2001. It seems too soon to look back
and reflect on the meaning of September 11 because the events of that
day still echo in our daily lives. The wound is still too fresh, the
loss too great. Every American will remember exactly where they were
when they realized that our Nation was under attack. The images of that
day will be with us forever: The burning buildings, the endless
television footage of airplanes crashing into the Twin Towers, the
images of New York covered in rubble.
I will always remember the smoke of the Pentagon as it appeared
through a too-perfect blue sky here in Washington, DC. But other
thoughts--candlelight vigils, American flags adorning buildings, fences,
and barns, the heroism of the passengers of American flight 93, and the
lasting bravery of firefighters and other first responders--will also
remain in our hearts as constant reminders of that day in September.
Across the Nation and around the world, people came together to do
what they could for the victims and their families. I was proud, but not
at all surprised, when South Dakotans overwhelmingly responded with
offers of blood and other assistance. Millions of dollars were donated
by South Dakotans to relief organizations, and thousands of hours of
time were volunteered in efforts to aid survivors and the family members
of victims. Employees at Luverne Fire Apparatus in Brandon put in 2,000
hours of their own time to build a fire truck that was donated to New
York City. Red Cross volunteers from Rapid City assisted in recovery
efforts at the Pentagon. Farmers and ranchers throughout the State sold
cattle and grain at auctions and livestock drives and donated that money
to relief efforts. In one extraordinary example, Don and Adeline Hight
of Murdo sold 100 calves and donated the proceeds, about $40,000, to
help victims of the terrorist attacks. In Brown County, the Rural
American Patriot Fund used the money they collected from fellow farmers
and ranchers to buy thousands of dollars in patriot bonds. The idea of
patriot bonds began with a call from a South Dakotan to my office, and
were approved by the Treasury Department last December. Patriot bonds,
similar to World War II war bonds, allow Americans to support the relief
and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and to
help fund the war on terrorism.
South Dakotans also helped to ease the emotional strain that the
attack had on survivors and the victims' families. Police officers
specializing in stress management from Mitchell and Yankton went to New
York to help the police officers there deal with the emotional aftermath
of the terrorist attacks. Lance Fillspipe, Junior Rodriguez, and eight
other police officers from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation traveled to New
York to help the police there handle security. Bonnie Riggenbach and Bob
Holmes of Rapid City, both therapists, traveled to New York to do what
they could to help people mend their lives. The Disaster Mental Health
Institute at the University of South Dakota went to New York City in the
wake of the September 11 attacks and played a key role in helping the
recovery process. Students at Mount Marty College put together a banner
signed by members of the community with words of sympathy and support
for the City of New York. That banner is being considered by the
Guinness Book of World Records as being the largest handmade banner ever
made. Through gestures large and small, South Dakotans united with their
neighbors and worked to bring something positive from all of the
terrible destruction.
A lot has changed in our country, and in our world, since September
11. Our Nation has learned, to our vast sorrow, that we were not as
untouchable as we had believed ourselves to be. Our country is involved
in a war against terror that has taken our courageous military men and
women, including my son Brooks, to Afghanistan as well as other far-off
corners of the world. Our military effort in Afghanistan has helped to
free people who were oppressed by a dictatorial regime that, in addition
to the atrocities that the government inflicted upon its own people,
harbored a terrorist group representing the worst humanity can become.
Here on the home front, things have changed as well. Barricades have
been erected around national monuments, the Capitol, and the White
House. Lines are longer and security more thorough at airports. Despite
the longer lines and tighter security, our Nation still moves and
functions much as it has for the last 225 years. We remain a beacon of
democracy and justice for much of the world, and I work very hard as a
Senator to make certain that new regulations, however necessary they may
be in our post-September 11 world, do not infringe upon the basic rights
of our citizens that we seek to secure.
So as we take this day to reflect upon the many lives lost last year,
we are to reflect on the courage and heroism of those who did so much to
save lives and defend our liberty today. We take comfort that the
terrorists' goals were not realized--that there were attacks on
buildings, but there were also attacks on everything America stands
for--on individual liberty, on religious tolerance, on democracy, on
free speech, and all the rights of our Constitution. These forces of
hate, these forces of intolerance tried to destroy the very things that
make this Nation strong. Buildings are being repaired but, more
important, the light of democracy that holds this Nation and our
fundamental values together burns just as brightly as it ever has.
The United States took a hit, but we have responded aggressively, and
America will remain a beacon of liberty and freedom for the world
forever after.
Hon. Robert F. Bennett
of Utah
Madam President, as I contemplated what I might say here today, I went
back to my computer and pulled up a letter I wrote on September 22,
2001, in response to a friend who corresponded with me at that difficult
time. He is a history professor. I have known him since high school. I
have now decided to share that letter with the Senate and with the
country as I look back on it after a year's time. I think it reflects
better than anything I could create now not only my feelings at the time
but my concern for where we should be and what we should be doing.
I read the letter dated September 22, 2001:
I have your letter, dear friend, and am moved to reply in depth using
you as my audience as I make an attempt to speak to all the issues I
see.
I start with the President's address to the Congress last Thursday. It
has been called historic, one of the greatest Presidential addresses
ever given. It certainly had that character and, listening to it in a
packed chamber more hushed than I can ever remember, I was struck by the
power, eloquence and directness of his words. From a distance of a day
or two, however, as I analyze it and discuss it with my colleagues, I
realize that the speech was more than moving rhetoric. For the first
time since the end of the cold war, a U.S. President has laid out a
clear statement of what the world is now like and what the U.S. role
must be in that world.
The fact that this has not been done before is less a knock on
previous Presidents than a realization that, until September 11,
Americans in general were probably not yet free of all our cold war
illusions. We are the world's only remaining superpower, we told
ourselves. We are a just compassionate nation, we said. Ergo, we
reasoned, it follows that, under our vigorous stewardship, the world
itself will become a just and compassionate place, albeit little by
little.
With Hitler and Stalin and Mao all dead, we thought, with the Soviet
Union gone, evil--true malevolence--has gone from the world stage. It
only pops up here and there in the form of an isolated Serb or Somali
warlord.
No more.
Now we know that evil is alive and thriving, still threatening the
peace everywhere in the world. Irrational hatred has not disappeared.
The same mindset of fanaticism that built gas chambers 60 years ago is
now hijacking airplanes and flying them into buildings, overseeing the
preparation of chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction. As
the President made so starkly clear, the world's new enemies hate
freedom as much as Hitler did, and are prepared to kill millions as much
as Stalin did. Evil has not gone away; it has simply changed its
political language and its physical address.
Our cold war mentality told us that the trouble in the Middle East was
about Israel, about power politics between established nation states,
about borders and economics and markets. I readily agree that Israel has
real problems with her neighbors, and they with her, but this is not
about those problems. It is not about Israel. It is about defending the
helpless against evil.
President Bush told us that America is feeding the poor in
Afghanistan. I didn't know that before. Since his speech I have been in
briefings from those familiar with the region who tell us that the
Taliban uses food as a weapon, denying it to those that oppose them.
They say they hate us for our support of Israel, but they also hate us
because we are trying to feed the starving in their own country, and
thus undermine their effort to starve everyone into submission.
They hate us because we profane their world with our notions of
freedom--we ``pollute the holy places'' with business people and
diplomats who let women drive and appear in public with bare faces. They
hate us because we take the youth of all countries, including theirs,
into our universities and teach them about science and economics and
democracy, as well as about blue jeans and movies and freedom to travel
and open debate. President Bush said it better than I can, and it was
necessary for him to lay all that out if the Country is to ``get'' what
we are facing.
The President spoke of the diplomatic front in this war, of our need
for partners . . . . He reported good progress there, citing Pakistan as
an example. In the same briefings that told us about food shipments to
Afghanistan I learned that the current leaders of Pakistan really don't
have much of a choice in this fight because they are a target
themselves. They hardly qualify as democrats by our definition, but the
radicals still hate them for even their tenuous ties to us. By some
estimates, the radicals are close to bringing the government down and
turning Pakistan into another Afghanistan. The same is true, in terms of
the radical's end goal, in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.
The leaders of those countries know they are at risk, and have been
for some time. Sadat was murdered because he was willing to go to
Jerusalem and say, ``No more war.'' Those leaders need our help and are
willing to help us in return because, long term, they know that the only
nation with the capacity to lead a worldwide campaign to eliminate this
evil is ours. The success we are having in building a coalition of
partners in the first days of this conflict is one of the most
encouraging signs that things are, for the moment, going somewhat well.
You are a historian; you know that the Second World War didn't begin
on December 7. Neither did this one begin on September 11. As was the
case with Europeans in the 30s, Americans have been in foreign policy
denial in the 90s. Thrilled with the demise of our four-decade Soviet
enemy, we read articles about the ``end of history'' and ignored the
signs that were there to be seen. Now we have to go back and examine
those signs . . .
We must realize that we are truly at war, and, as was the case in
1941, really have been for some time. The Embassy bombings, the attack
on the USS Cole, the intelligence warnings--all these should have told
us that this is a war and not, as some of the commentators have
described it, a law enforcement problem. What's the difference? . . . In
a war you focus on prevention of attack, not punishment. You . . . go
after the enemy's assets to destroy them before they can be used to
destroy you, gather the best intelligence you can and then play hunches
and probabilities. You don't give out Miranda warnings.
Please accept my assurance that our leaders know how different and
difficult this war will be. They know that we have to have partners, and
that many of these partners have internal problems that will prevent
them from being the kind of ``allies'' on which we could traditionally
count . . . The team that President Bush has assembled is experienced,
intellectually nuanced in its understanding, and deep. Down below the
level of Cheney, Powell, Rumsfeld and Rice is a significant bench of
very solid players who understand what we are up against . . .
So there we are. It has fallen our lot . . . to be the leader of the
free world in a struggle that is global and against an enemy that is
fanatic, decentralized, persistent, completely fearless and very, very
patient . . . bin Laden and his fellow fanatics have decided that they
can defeat [us] . . . by keeping intact their capacity to visit horror
on us at unexpected times. We will not have won until that capacity is
destroyed. This will be a very long, tricky and difficult fight.
But, as the President said, we will win it. And it will be worth it.
The stakes are nothing less than they were in 1941 and through the cold
war years, for us and for all the rest of those who want to live in
freedom.
Madam President, reading that a year later, I still feel the same way.
Hon. Joseph I. Lieberman
of Connecticut
Madam President, it is truly an honor to have the opportunity to come
and speak on the floor of the Senate today. This is one of those days
when the Senate Chamber is really the people's forum, when the partisan
or ideological or regional or whatever differences that sometimes
separate us in votes fall aside and we stand here before the Chair,
under the slogan that describes us--``E pluribus unum,'' ``Out of many,
one''--and truly represent the common and shared values, hopes, and
aspirations of our people.
I am proud of what my colleagues have said thus far in this discussion
and very grateful to be a part of it.
In New York City today, they are reading the names of the victims, the
names of 3,000 of God's children, magnificent in their characteristic
American diversity, whose lives were savagely taken on September 11 of
last year simply because they were American. None of us here can say
anything as powerful or profound as the recitation of those names today.
The Pentagon, the World Trade Center, and that field outside
Shanksville, PA, will forever be hallowed battlegrounds, places where we
will take our children to stand silently and contemplate their meaning,
places of worship, really, where we will revere the lives lost and honor
their place in our history.
This morning, as I left the very moving and unifying commemorative
rededication service at the Pentagon, I came across a family, and I said
hello and shook their hands, and I realized these were survivors of a
man killed in the Pentagon on September 11 of last year: A young boy
about 10 or 12 years old, full of innocence and youth, a great looking
kid, carrying an American flag in a case--I presume the flag that was
either placed over his father's coffin or given to him in memory of his
father--a woman, who was the wife of the deceased and his parents--
strong American stock--a man wearing the cap of a veteran, tears under
his eyes. And there it was: A son without a father, a woman without her
husband, parents without their child. I was speechless. There was
nothing I could say except to shake their hands and put my hands over my
heart.
In some ways, silence is a more appropriate response to the dreadful
losses that were suffered on September 11. Silence, somehow, speaks more
loudly to the horror and the complicated feelings that we all had on
that day. Nevertheless, we must speak, to reflect on what happened that
day, in the year that has passed, and to try to learn from that day and
chart our way forward.
Madam President, our enemies hoped that September 11, 2001, would be
the first page of a new chapter in world history: The end of the
American century; the end of America as we know it; the beginning of a
civilizational conflict, based on theological differences, taken to an
inhumane extreme, which would end in the victory of radical extreme
Islam.
As a distinguished Muslim citizen of Connecticut said yesterday at a
public ceremony, Al Qaeda hijacked his religion.
In this the terrorists betrayed their ignorance, not just about Islam
but about America; not just about the American people but American
democracy and its values.
I wish to speak for a moment about this conflict that September 11 has
put us into and the differences between us and our enemies, which is
what this is all about. This is not a simple struggle for power. This is
a global conflict for values, for ideals. We are idealists. We and our
many allies around the world, including so many millions in the Muslim
world, believe in the inalienable and inviolable rights of every
individual. Our enemies are craven cynics who desire raw power for
themselves and seek to crush those who look or act or think differently.
They claim to be religious, but how can they be religious and faithful
in any way in which any of the world's religions understand it, if they
are prepared to kill thousands of God's children allegedly in the name
of God?
We are different. We are optimists. We grant people liberty, not as
the gift of politicians but as our Declaration of Independence says: As
the endowment of our Creator. We have confidence that a society governed
by its people will progress, and that is why we seek to open the world
and broaden the community of nations living under democracy, as we have
so magnificently since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Our enemies are not just pessimists; they are fatalists. They fear the
voices of the people. They want to bring down a theological Iron Curtain
to divide the world into acceptable and unacceptable people and nations
and faiths, to those worthy of living and those targeted for death and
domination.
Third, we are skeptics in a very healthy way. We question one another
and ourselves. We are proud of who we are but not so proud that we
pretend to be without fault. Our enemies proceed with a chilling sense
of certainty and an unwillingness to look at themselves in the mirror.
It is those values that have guided us through our history and
distinguish us now from our enemies. The men and women of our military
performed brilliantly in unfamiliar territory against an unprecedented
foe. Our police officers, firefighters, and other first responders have
had reason to despair, but they have risen to the immense challenge and
reminded us of what heroism they display every day. Every day Americans
in our communities have had reason to lose faith and to turn from hope
to fear, but they have not faltered. They have come together, finding
our strength, not losing our optimism and our courage.
Here in Congress, though we still have work to do, we have faced the
new reality of the post-September 11 world. We have asked tough
questions of ourselves. We have supported our President as Commander in
Chief. We have realized that we have not been as prepared as we should
have been on September 11 last year, and we are taking steps to close
our vulnerabilities.
As we do, we must remember that September 11 was not just a tragedy
that happened. It was not just a natural disaster. It was an unnatural
disaster, carried out as an intentional act by people who were evil.
That is why, as Charles Krauthammer wrote in the Washington Post a
while ago, we must understand this anniversary as more than a day of
mourning and solemn remembrance. It must be not just a day of
commemoration but a day of rededication. Charles Krauthammer wrote:
We would pay such homage had the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
collapsed in an earthquake. They did not. And because they did not, more
is required than mere homage and respect. Not just sorrow, but renewed
anger. Not just consolation, but renewed determination . . . .
We will build beautiful memorials to those killed on September 11, but
there are other memorials that we here in Congress can and must build: a
Department of Homeland Security that does everything humanly possible to
prevent anything such as September 11 from recurring, and it need not
recur. We must support and encourage our military to search out and
destroy or capture Al Qaeda wherever they exist. We must reach out to
the Muslim world, the great majority who are not fanatics or extremists,
who suffer from a lack of freedom and a lack of material resources and
hope, and offer them the support and the freedom that they desire and
that is ultimately the best defense against the evil terrorism of the
minority in the Islamic world that Al Qaeda represents.
As we approach the great debate in this Chamber on the questions
around Saddam Hussein and Iraq, we must remember the lessons of
September 11. As we look back, having heard the warnings of Osama bin
Laden, having experienced the attack against the World Trade Center in
1993, against the two embassies in Africa, against the USS Cole, as we
look back, don't we wish we had taken the kind of action we are taking
today to destroy Al Qaeda?
In her foreword to ``At Home In The World,'' a collection of Daniel
Pearl's writings in the Wall Street Journal, his widow Mariane Pearl
wrote:
The terrorists who killed Danny stood at the other extreme of what
Danny represents. They could only wield their knife and cowardice
against Danny's intellectual courage and bold spirit. Danny died holding
only a pen. They stole his life but were unable to seize his soul. By
killing Danny, terrorists took my life as well but could not lay claim
to my spirit. We will never let them win.
So, too, the terrorists may have killed 3,000 innocent Americans on
September 11 last year, but they will never lay claim to America's
living spirit. We will never let them win.
Hon. Sam Brownback
of Kansas
Madam President, I rise to speak about the events of 1 year ago. I am
delighted to follow my colleague, Senator Lieberman of Connecticut, with
whom I have worked and will continue to do so. I add my name to his
comments.
Today we are gathered to remember those who lost their lives on
September 11, to honor those who sacrificed everything for the concept
of and belief in freedom. That day and every day since then are stark
and simple reminders that freedom is not free and that it is never
secure.
This is something the people of my home State of Kansas have long
understood. Our very motto is ``ad astra per aspera''--``To the stars
through difficulties.'' We have lived this every day, every year since
before we were a State.
It is also a theme our entire Nation embraces today. We were not bowed
by last September's attack. In fact, we arose from the ashes stronger
and more resilient than ever.
``The greatest victories come when people dare to be great,'' Ronald
Reagan said, ``when they summon their spirits to brave the unknown and
go forward together to reach a greater good.''
In the days immediately following that fateful day, we summoned our
spirits and went forward together. We dared to be great.
As you look at the memorials, and as you listen to the speeches of
remembrance, think of the sacrifice of all those involved, and of the
lives cut short, the promises broken, the happiness destroyed. It is all
too easy to cloak these sacrifices in mere platitudes. We must remember
exactly what it means to sacrifice and what exactly was sacrificed.
These were not nameless, faceless people who just simply acted out
some role. These were sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers,
sisters, mothers, and fathers. They were scared men and women who had
thrust upon them the part of hero, and they lived up to the billing.
It is also too easy to just call them heroes and walk away. It is not
easy to recognize the fear and the strength and the courage they
exhibited on that particular day.
I have been particularly taken now, reading stories of the heroes of
9/11 and the miracles that happened on that day--stories that we are all
familiar with now--Todd Beamer and ``let's roll,'' and the flight that
went into the field in Pennsylvania, which was the very flight headed
for this building. It probably would have reached its target had they
not been heroes on that day. Would this place even be here now? It may
have been rebuilt, but would we be back here yet? How many lives would
have been lost here?
I read last Friday in USA Today about miracles of 9/11. Some police
officers, one a rookie, went into the South Tower; they were buried in
20 feet of rubble. Three of them were together. The first was killed in
the first crushing, but two survived and they were able to crawl around.
The second tower came down and they were pinned underneath the rubble
and stayed there almost 24 hours. They could see a light about 20 feet
up, and they knew there was a possibility they would get out. As they
faded in and out of consciousness during the night, one of them had a
vision, it said in USA Today. The vision he saw was Jesus coming toward
him, bringing him a bottle of water. It gave him strength. He wasn't
fearful of death. He was able to reach out with strength and yell for
help. They were eventually found by a Marine and were dug out from the
rubble. That is one of the miracles of 9/11.
I think of the heroes that were going up the tower, instead of coming
down, on 9/11. It was an amazing day, a tragic day, one we should not
and we won't forget.
Also, sometimes it is easy to think that perhaps life does not change
that much when actually life has irrevocably changed. It is not that
life doesn't go on; it certainly does. We must never forget.
As author Elie Wiesel said in his Nobel lecture:
For me, hope without memory is like memory without hope. Just as a man
cannot live without dreams, he cannot live without hope. If dreams
reflect the past, hope summons the future. Does this mean that our
future can be built on a rejection of the past? Surely, such a choice is
not necessary. The two are incompatible. The opposite of the past is not
the future, but the absence of the future; the opposite of the future is
not the past, but the absence of the past. The loss of one is equivalent
to the sacrifice of the other.
We must not forget our past or the attacks or the outpouring of
generosity and patriotism and simple kindnesses in the days following
the attacks. All of this must continue. We cannot return to the safety
of our homes and pretend the storms buffeting the lives of people
hundreds and thousands of miles away does not affect us.
September 11 was a wake-up call that we cannot and will not forget.
It has changed us. It has changed us in substantial ways that we can see
and feel, and in ways that I don't think we have wrestled with yet.
One simple thing: ``God Bless America'' has become a national song--
not the national anthem but the national song. We gathered again today
as Members of the Congress on the steps and sang it as we did on
September 11. I hope we can officially continue to do that. Even though
it was unofficial today, I hope our national song will become official.
We are a Nation founded by men and women who are willing to stake
their lives upon the conviction of universal rights and freedoms. This
was larger than their own lives and small roles that they felt they
would play. Their actions were just a shot across history's bow on
behalf of all people who both desired to be free and honored the sense
of duty that liberty engendered.
On September 11 we saw a number of people step forward to recognize
and fight for those universal rights and freedoms, each of us in our own
way in our own actions. Today, we still have a torch to carry--for all
those who died on September 11, all those who have died in the war
against terrorism, and all peoples across the world who desire freedom.
These may seem to be the worst of times, but we are resilient and,
most important, we are a hopeful people and we will prevail. There is a
Biblical verse that says:
And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience,
hope: and hope maketh not ashamed . . . .
We are a hopeful people. God bless America.
Hon. Richard J. Durbin
of Illinois
Madam President, I joined my colleagues in the Senate this morning on
a trip to the Pentagon. The project there is known as the phoenix
project, and those familiar with mythology know that the phoenix is the
great bird that rose from the ashes and flew again. Well, the spirit of
America was flying again this morning at the Pentagon as we looked at a
restored building--more important, a restored spirit.
The President, the Secretary of Defense, and others spoke. We all
gathered--thousands of us--to pay tribute to those who lost their lives
on September 11 there, as well as the victims in Pennsylvania and in New
York.
As our buses came back, there were a number of people gathered in
Washington on the Mall. Many of them were--in their own way, with their
families and friends--commemorating September 11. As I passed, I saw one
man standing there with a handwritten sign that said ``United in
Memory.'' I thought that really captures what we are doing today. We
have stood united since September 11, but today we reflect. We are
united in memory. We grieve for the victims. We mourn those who died.
But we also stand in praise of those heroes of September 11. Each one
of us carries certain images in our minds of where we were when we heard
it, what we did. For most of us, the first calls were to our families,
and maybe it was indeed proper that we would turn to those we love the
most to make certain they were safe.
I still remember images of that day, and the days following, just as
real as the moment when I experienced it. One was a photograph from the
New York Times, which showed a New York firefighter racing up the
stairs, as you saw a long line of people racing down the stairs of the
World Trade Center. A young, handsome face--probably a man with a family
himself, thrusting himself into the jaws of that disaster in the hope
that he could save someone's life.
Many like him--firefighters, policemen, first responders, medics, and
others--gave their lives on September 11. They got up that morning and
put their badges and uniforms on and probably never thought twice about
whether they would return to their families. Sadly, many never did. They
are truly American heroes.
I can recall a few weeks later being out on Lake Michigan, near
Chicago, in a Coast Guard vessel with the young men who were keeping 12-
hour shifts, patrolling the shores to keep them safe, checking every
vessel that came on the Great Lakes. Most people in Chicago didn't even
know they were there. But they were--every single day.
I can remember, as well, the Capitol Police just outside this door and
around this complex, who worked 12-hour shifts day after day, week after
week, to protect us, to protect the visitors, to protect the staff, to
protect this great building after September 11. They are truly American
heroes.
In January, as part of the first congressional delegation to visit
Afghanistan in the daylight hours, we went to Bagram Air Force Base. It
was an old Soviet base, and we were using it as part of our efforts to
liberate Afghanistan from the Taliban.
We sat down with those young men and women in uniform who had missed
Christmas with their families, did not know how long they were going to
be there, and just talked with them and ate with them and shared some
stories about home. One young man came up to me and said: Senator, I am
from Illinois. Can I ask you a favor? When I come back after this, could
you give me a helping hand?
I said: Sure, what is it?
He said: I would like to become an American citizen.
I said: Wait a minute, you're a soldier here.
He said: Yes, I am. I was born in Panama, and I am not an American
citizen. Will you help me become an American citizen?
I said: You got it, buddy; whatever you want, I will be there.
I also remember another incident in the middle of December. I flew
into O'Hare, and I went down to get in the line for a taxicab. I drew a
taxicab, and the driver was wearing a black turban and a beard. As we
started to move along, I said: Excuse me, sir, would you happen to be a
member of the Sikh religion?
He said: Yes, I am.
I remember I had been visited by Muslims, Sikhs, and others worried
about people who would discriminate against them, and I knew a little
bit about some of the terrible things that happened to them--they were
isolated, but that did happen.
I said to the taxicab driver: How have things been for you over the
last several months, wearing your turban, trying to be a regular taxicab
driver?
He said: Most people couldn't be nicer. There were bad ones, too. Some
cussed me out; some wouldn't get in my cab. They think I am a terrorist,
too.
He said most people could not be nicer. He said: I have been in the
United States for 33 years. I wish they would get in my cab because I
would like to show them something.
I said: What is that?
He reached over and pulled down the visor, and there was a photograph
of a young man in a U.S. Army uniform.
He said: I want to show them a picture of my son Michael.
I said: Michael is in the Army?
He said: Oh, yes; he was in Kosovo.
I said: Where is he now?
He said: He is with the Special Forces in Afghanistan, and I haven't
heard from him in 6 weeks.
I thought to myself: Boy, does that tell the American story. Here we
have a man who some people, with little education or learning, in their
ignorance, would say is an enemy of America. No, that man is a loyal
American who was offering his greatest treasure on Earth, his son, to
our Nation to serve and who was in harm's way at that very moment.
Just a few weeks ago, four widows from the World Trade Center came to
see me. They want a public investigation of what happened leading up to
September 11. I completely support them. I think it is now overdue. We
should do it.
They talked about their experiences with their families. They told
their stories over and over in all the Senate offices. Some of them
carried around their necks photographs of husbands and families.
I remember one saying: I am lucky. My three friends here do not have
any evidence of their husbands they lost, but I was a lucky one because
they found a hand, and on that hand was my husband's wedding ring which
I now have on my hand. That is all that survived.
She was grateful for that one memento of his life and how much it
meant to her, and what a reminder it is to all of us of the true grief
and loss that so many families have endured.
I suppose the lesson from September 11 should be clear: Let all those
around the world who would attack the United States know that they will
pay a heavy price. We approve of that. But also let everyone around the
world know that we are not an aggressive, angry people. We are a caring
and compassionate nation, and if others will reach out with a hand of
peace, we will extend ours as well, no matter where you are from, no
matter what your religion or ethnic or cultural background. Osama bin
Laden and Al Qaeda did not understand that, but we in America understand
it well.
When I reach back in history for words that bring inspiration, I so
often turn to one of our favorite sons, Abraham Lincoln from Illinois,
and his second inaugural address right outside this building in which he
said:
With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the
right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the
work we are in, to bind up the Nation's wounds, to care for him who
shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all
which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves
and with all nations.
Lincoln said those words as we came to the close of the most
devastating war in our history. He reached out to try to find common
ground, even with the enemy, to bind this Nation. So, too, should we
reach out in this world to tell the story of America, to help build a
more peaceful world, a world where our children and grandchildren never
have to fear another September 11.
After September 11, we were not just united in anger, not just united
in sympathy. We were united in memory and united in hope--hope for a
world of peace, hope that our children and children around the world
will be spared the horror, the disaster, and the tragedy of September
11.
Hon. Mitch McConnell
of Kentucky
Madam President, as we observe the 1-year passing of the day Al Qaeda
attacked America, we have in our hearts, our thoughts, and our prayers
the victims and their families. On this painful anniversary, they do not
stand alone in their grief. All Americans of all faiths, colors, and
creeds mourn the senseless loss of life on September 11, 2001.
The war on terrorism is a fight against evil forces bent on destroying
America and our many freedoms. President Bush said this war will be
unlike any we have ever seen, and he is certainly right. This is a war
without borders and one in which the battle must be brought to the
enemy, lest terrorists strike again on our own soil.
In the long proud arc of our Republic, America's courage has been too
great, its values too strong, and its freedoms too dear to ever be
turned back by an enemy. As we stand at the beginning of a new century,
I am certain in the knowledge that we will prevail again.
Madam President, the watchwords for Kentuckians and all Americans on
this day must be: Never again.
I think we can safely say that 1 year after September 11, 2001, we
have ended the first chapter in the book about the war on terrorism. But
the second chapter is going to be, in many ways, much more challenging.
The President and many of us in this Chamber are haunted by the notion
that a year ago today, had those planes been full of something other
than gasoline--a chemical weapon, a biological weapon or, worse still, a
nuclear weapon--all of the destruction that we remember so vividly today
would have been dramatically worse.
We will have before us in the Senate in the next few weeks a
resolution giving the President the authority he will be seeking, and we
will need to give him, to begin to launch the second chapter in this
war, which is to target weapons of mass destruction, wherever they may
be in the world, in the hands of leaders or gangs who wish to use them
against our own people here at home.
This is a new doctrine the President will be laying down. In the past,
we have turned the other cheek, if you will; we have waited to be
attacked, and then we have responded. But that approach, when one
considers the devastation of weapons of mass destruction, is simply
unacceptable. The American people will not accept a strategy based upon
responding after the next attack on our own soil using weapons of mass
destruction.
This will be one of the most important debates we will have in the
history of this body, and it will come up in the next few weeks. It will
be an appropriate memorial and remembrance to those who lost their lives
a year ago today as a result of a conventional attack. Were they alive
today, I am sure they would applaud our efforts to prevent another
attack with weapons even more devastating on other Americans here at
home.
Make no mistake about it, this is the new challenge of the 21st
century: Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of gangs such as Al
Qaeda or regimes such as the one in Baghdad used on Americans here at
home by people who really are against modernity, who want to roll the
clock back to the Middle Ages where women had no rights, where people
had no opportunity to speak or to worship as they chose.
This is a war between modernity and the Middle Ages. Our enemies are
quite intelligent and resourceful, and this challenge is going to go on
for quite some time.
In conclusion, this would be a fitting memorial to those who died a
year ago today, that America in a very proactive way seeks to prevent
the next attack in the United States using weapons of mass destruction.
Hon. Larry E. Craig
of Idaho
Madam President, I think all Americans today are pausing, if not for a
moment, for a longer time just to think, to kneel and pray. On their
mind is a historic incident that occurred a year ago today in this
country.
Many of my colleagues and I went to the Pentagon this morning to
recognize that great tragedy once again and to be there to honor those
184 civilian and military men and women who tragically died in the
Pentagon when it was struck by terrorists.
There is no doubt in my mind, and my guess is there is no doubt in any
American's mind, they again relived the events of the phenomenal and
tragic incident that occurred a year ago today, both mentally and
visually on television or in ceremonies or prayers or moments of silence
around this country.
In rethinking that day myself, I thought of my own emotions; that I
grew angry at first to realize we were being attacked by terrorists.
Then I experienced for a moment on Capitol Hill that day a sense of fear
that maybe the Capitol itself would be struck, or our office buildings,
and that my staff might be in some way injured or my family may not be
safe. Out of that fear, though, grew in my mind, and grew in most
Americans' minds, a phenomenal sense of resolve.
Since that tragic day, we have seen that resolve take shape in so many
forms, whether it is the celebrating of a complete reconstruction of the
Pentagon today in almost unbelievable time, or whether it was citizens
across this Nation reaching deep in their pocket to give a little or a
lot of their personal wealth to help the remaining citizens whose
husbands, wives, sons, or daughters were the victims of the 9/11
incidents.
As I was listening to our Secretary of Defense and our President
today, I thought of two Idahoans who died a year ago today at the
Pentagon, one Ltc. Ron Vauk of Nampa, ID, and one Brady Howell of Sugar
City, ID.
I have known Lieutenant Colonel Vauk only by a piece of paper. When I
was a young Member in the House of Representatives, I had looked at his
resume. I had studied his grades and I, along with the rest of my
colleagues, had decided he was eligible for and ought to be nominated to
the Naval Academy at Annapolis. We did nominate him, and he served with
honor.
He had retired from the military and was serving in the Navy Reserve,
teaching in this area. He was serving only as a reservist at the
Pentagon in a temporary status for a few days, having been called from
his job to do so when that plane struck. I will never forget the time I
spent with his bride and their small son in Maryland. I watched the
unity of that family coming around the widow and that small son of Ltc.
Ron Vauk. That was the kind of resolve we have seen repeated time and
time again out of the tear-stained faces of Americans as they recognized
that they had to commit themselves, as our President and as this
Congress has committed itself, to never letting this happen again.
I remembered Jennifer Vauk today, and I can only say to that brave
widow that I thank her for her courageousness at this tremendously
difficult time for her. Resolve and resilience flowing from the veins of
Americans into the energy of their souls clearly speaks so well in this
country today. It is not just a 9/11 feeling, it is a sense of
patriotism and resolve that has grown out of nearly every crisis this
great country has experienced down through the years. It comes in all
different forms.
At this instance, in Idaho, it was the Red Cross sending volunteers
all the way across the country to Ground Zero in New York, or it was the
numerous churches or memorial services held across the State of Idaho,
or it was a marvelous little gal in Pocatello who had saved $1,000 of
her own money to buy a horse, and she gave all of it to the 9/11
charities so some other child could have a little bit because that child
had lost so much, a mother or a father.
It was not just an Idahoan doing it. It was thousands of Americans
speaking out from the smallest, almost the poorest, to the tallest and
the most wealthy in our country who found the capacity in their heart to
experience this resolve and dedicate themselves, as did Leah Wright in
Pocatello with her $1,000.
I suspect every generation has a defining moment. My guess is that
September 11 is the defining moment for America's current generation.
Our President, in speaking today, has given a name for all of us who
would call it 9/11. It will be a Patriots Day, and I hope that every
year we stop to remember Patriots Day and why we now recognize it in
that capacity.
Congress is now debating legislation to create homeland security as a
department, hopefully to bring our country together more cohesively, to
allow our law enforcement communities to do so in a way that will give
us greater intelligence and therefore greater resolve. In doing so, we
must not allow terrorism, or our commitment to stopping it, deny us our
own personal freedoms. We should never select security over freedom
because it is the very freedom of our country that gives us the resolve
we have today. Tragically enough, it was the very freedom of our country
that caused terrorists to strike at us because we do not speak of
freedom for Americans only, we speak of it for all citizens of the world
and citizens of all countries as a right of humankind to be as free as
possible, and for this great country to be dedicated to that freedom.
In our search for security, let us not deny ourselves the very freedom
that is the strength of our country.
Many more will speak today, and at the end of the day many tears will
be reshed in memory of the men and women who died on 9/11. I am so proud
of my country and so proud to be but a small part of its leadership
because I have sensed in the Senate that while we may have our
differences politically, a resolve all Americans have at this moment is
to never allow this to happen again, never allow our citizens to be the
target of an enemy that would choose to strike them down for political
expression.
So be it 9/11 or be it Patriots Day, I hope on September 11 next year
we will once again be speaking out about that day on September 11, 2001,
when thousands of Americans lost their lives, but America found once
again a revitalized reason for being what we are and striving to allow
the rest of the world to have the same kind of human freedoms we have
and cherish.
Hon. Bill Frist
of Tennessee
Madam President, though we would never wish to relive the horror of
September 11, 2001, we must dedicate ourselves to appropriately
remembering it. That is the task we begin with this first anniversary of
that darkest of days, to properly and lastingly honor the sacrifice of
the more than 3,000 women, men, and children who perished at the
Pentagon, at the World Trade Center and at the crash site of flight 93
in Shanksville, PA.
September 11 will be a day of mourning for many years to come. And it
should be, for the grief of those who lost loved ones on that day will
pass only with their passing. Nothing can wipe away the memory of a
friend or a family member taken before their time. The victims of
September 11--those who died and the friends and family who survived
them--deserve our enduring respect.
Though the attacks were carried out in New York, Washington, and
Pennsylvania, no American was left untouched by this tragedy. That
includes the men and women of my home State of Tennessee. I think of
John and Pat Lenoir of Knoxville who lost their son, Rob, when the World
Trade Center collapsed. Francis Hall of Knoxville lost her sister-in-
law. And Otis and Nancy Tolbert of Brentwood, TN, lost their son when
flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. We keep those Tennesseans in our
thoughts and prayers today.
It is entirely appropriate that the President and First Lady began
their September 11 by attending a church service. I hope Americans all
across this country follow their example by spending some part of their
day in a house of worship or on bended knee in prayer. Regardless of the
God we may worship, faith in a higher power can help heal and explain
and console and reassure us today, just as it did a year ago.
Though September 11 attacks did bring one of the darkest days in our
history, a few rays of light did shine through. Americans rallied to
help those in need by waiting hours to give blood, by donating supplies
to the rescue effort, by digging deep in their own pockets for the
September 11 charities. I am especially proud of the Tennessee Baptist
Convention that sent 30 volunteers to prepare food for the rescue
workers at the World Trade Center.
I am still moved to this day, as we were at the Pentagon a few hours
ago, by the presence of members of the Tennessee Task Force One who
helped search for survivors and recover the fallen at the Pentagon.
America will always remember the men and women who risked their lives
to save the lives of others on September 11: Those on the front line,
the medical personnel, the firemen, the police officers, all who rushed
into harm's way, who forever touched our hearts with their heroism.
Their example exists, survives, as an inspiration to us all. It will
remain so for generations to come.
Britt Brewster, a 12-year-old Tennessee girl, who came up yesterday
from Tennessee to participate in the remembrance services said earlier
this week: The one good thing [about September 11] was that America
started coming together as one.
I remember visiting Ground Zero with about 40 of my colleagues from
this body a couple days after the attacks. Smoke was still rising from
the debris. Almost everything was covered with the fine ash. The only
color, other than the workmen's bright yellow hats, was the American
flags that hung so proudly posted on the buildings around that World
Trade Center site. We should fly our flags on this anniversary and show
our common love for country and our fellow countrymen.
There has been much debate about what we should teach our children on
this first anniversary of the September 11 attacks. I believe they need
to know the truth. I had the opportunity to take my wife and my three
teenage boys to Ground Zero about 2 months after the attacks. I wanted
them to see first-hand the destruction with their very own eyes and
remember, long after I am gone and my generation is gone, what evil once
did--and, I should add, can do again--to our country. I will take them
back to New York. We were just there 5 days ago and saw the rebirth, the
vitality of that remarkable city. I also want my sons to see what good
can be done, and can always be done, in our country.
The Gettysburg Address is considered one of the most powerful pieces
of funeral oratory ever delivered on American soil. As Lincoln himself
admitted, even he could not dedicate the battlefield beyond what those
who fell there had already done. Instead, he urged his audience at the
time to dedicate themselves, ``that from these honored dead we take
increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full
measure of devotion.''
The terrorists attacked on September 11 and continue to make deadly
threats because they hate our country and everything we represent. The
3,000 women, men, and children who died on that tragic day did so for
the same cause as those who fell on the battle green of Lexington, and
the forests of Argonne, and on the beaches of Normandy--justice,
equality, liberty, democracy.
I urge every American to offer their respects to families who lost
loved ones, to put those who perished in their prayers, and to show
their patriotism by unfurling the American flag. But above all, I hope
we will rededicate ourselves to those values, to the values that have
been the core of the greatness of our country for more than two and a
quarter centuries. Those values may be threatened sooner than we may
think. If they are, we will find strength and hope and resolve in
remembering, properly and lastingly, September 11, 2001.
Hon. Paul S. Sarbanes
of Maryland
Madam President, this past year has been one of tragedy and challenge
for the American people. Just a year ago, on September 11, 2001, we
experienced a dawning national tragedy.
Just as the workday was beginning--8:46 a.m. to be precise--terrorists
struck this country in a series of savage attacks. Over 3,000 were
killed and many more were injured. Those attacks struck a vicious blow
at every American everywhere.
Over the past year we have labored with the highest degree of human
spirit to address our grievous losses--as individuals, in our families,
in our communities, and as a nation. At the same time, we have worked
hard to deal with the challenges that confront us now and into the
future. We are resolved to put an end to the scourge of terrorism and to
bring its perpetrators to justice. Our response to terrorism must be
committed and complex, for no simple solution or single action can
accomplish our goal. We must engage in the broadest possible
international effort, for we know that terrorists are not contained by
national borders. As we move forward, we take our inspiration from the
calm determination and steely resolve of the firefighters, police,
emergency personnel, and airline passengers who responded to the
attacks, and from the resilience of those who are rebuilding lives and
families and communities.
And we shall move forward, for we have families to care for, neighbors
to look after, jobs that must be done, and civic obligations that must
be met. The events of September 11, 2001, were tragic beyond measure,
but our response to those events demonstrates the great strength of
America and provides a new sense of what it means to be an American. The
future of our Nation is ours to make.
Hon. Don Nickles
of Oklahoma
Madam President, a year ago today our Nation was savagely attacked in
maybe the most evil attack ever on American soil. Over 3,000 innocent
people were killed. I call it an evil attack because how can it be more
evil than to kill people who are totally innocent--men, women, and
children?
The attack on the World Trade Center was an attack on the United
States, on our economic beliefs and foundations. The attack on the
Pentagon was an attack on our national security and defense. Flight 93
was, we now find out, headed for the Capitol, an attack on our
democracy. I thank God for the heroes, the passengers on the plane.
A lot of heroes came out as a result of these savage attacks a year
ago--men and women who were running into the buildings, not away from
the buildings; into the buildings to save lives.
It is amazing. If you look at the pictures we have seen in the last
few days of the World Trade Center and Pentagon--it is amazing that
there are only 3,000 that were lost. That number could have been
significantly higher. If you look at the devastation in New York City
alone, it would not have been hard to imagine 20,000 lost, not 3,000. It
probably would have been 20,000 lives lost had it not been for the
courageous acts of firemen and policemen and fellow workers putting
their own safety at risk to save other lives, not to mention the
passengers on flight 93 who kept that plane from running into our
Capitol, from hitting our Capitol. I cannot imagine the loss that would
have happened, not just the loss of life--of Senators and Congressmen,
our staffs, our employees, our security officers--but also the effect it
would have on democracy. I shudder to think what would have happened if
they would have hit our Nation's Capitol Building.
Today I joined with the President and many others in rededicating the
Pentagon. It is great to see the Pentagon rebuilt, and my compliments go
to the workers and others who rebuilt such a wonderful building in such
a short period of time. But we also remember the loss of life in each of
these instances.
In the Pentagon, a former employee and personal friend of mine,
Barbara Olson, was killed. She was a passenger on that airplane. My
heart still aches for Ted Olson and their family. What a terrible loss
that was, taking the life of a person who was so bright, had so much
life, was so engaged in the political life of our country. To have that
life taken is just a very sad tragedy. To think that is multiplied by
3,000 times all across the country, it is a very sad reminder of the
enormous tragedy we have suffered.
It reminds me of the Oklahoma City bombing we suffered on April 19,
1995. In Oklahoma City, we lost 168 lives. I knew some of those people
as well. When you know somebody it makes it more personal. It is not
just 3,000 lives. You realize it is individual families and some of
those families were totally devastated and their futures enormously
changed, if not destroyed because of this senseless, cowardly, evil
attack that happened a year ago.
Like Oklahoma City, we had a lot of heroes. The heroes, the firemen
who raced into the building, the heroes on flight 93, the heroes who
were saving lives in the Pentagon, the medical personnel and others who
saved countless lives, in some cases they gave up their life in order to
save lives. The Bible says: Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends.
We had a lot of American citizens who laid down their lives to save
other lives. What an enormous gift they have given. They did this to pay
the ultimate price or make the ultimate sacrifice--to save the lives of
other Americans.
Thousands of people killed 1 year ago today. Why? Because they were
Americans, because they happened to be citizens of the United States,
because they stood for freedom, they happened to share freedom.
Our country was attacked economically and militarily and politically.
However, we survived that attack. The American economy is fine. Our
American military stands strong. Our American democracy remains
steadfast.
My compliments to the men and women in the military who are protecting
our freedom daily and who have done a fantastic job going after the
culprits, those who are responsible for this attack, in Afghanistan and
other places.
My compliments to the administration, President Bush, Secretary Powell
and Secretary Rumsfeld and others, who are going after the perpetrators
of this crime--not just in Afghanistan, but in countries all across the
world. My compliments to them for building up an international coalition
of over 90 countries who are joining us in this attack, fighting the
battle against terrorism throughout the world.
There is a lot of work that has been done and a lot of work that yet
needs to be done. This Congress needs to join with the administration,
both legislatively but also in support in continuing this attack and
this battle on terrorism. We are not finished. There are still a lot of
trained terrorists who threaten our country. Unfortunately, maybe they
have been brainwashed into thinking it is good to try to kill innocent
people if they happen to be Americans, or maybe if they happen to be
friends of Israel. There is a lot of hatred that has been fomented for a
long time, and that is very regrettable, but it is important that we
band together--people all across the world--to condemn and combat
terrorism.
I think the President has done an outstanding job, leading this
country and leading the free world in that battle. I compliment him for
it. We have a lot of work ahead, but I am absolutely confident that
freedom will prevail. We are a great country because we are a free
country. We have greater freedoms--political freedom, economic freedom,
religious freedom--than any other country in the history of mankind. I
am absolutely confident, though, in 10 years from now or 20 years from
now, we will still be able to say that we live in the greatest and most
free country in the history of mankind. However, these freedoms have
been attacked. Frankly, these freedoms have been under attack for
several years. Now we are responding and we are responding strongly. Yet
we still have a lot to do. I am confident that the people who challenge
us will not be successful. Freedom will prevail.
Hon. James M. Inhofe
of Oklahoma
Mr. President, I think my colleague from Oklahoma is exactly right. We
can carry it one step further. We have these freedoms and that is why
they hate us so much; they don't have these freedoms. The idea that
individuals can have the freedoms we in this country have is totally
alien to everything they believe in.
I sat there as others did--I am sure my colleague from Oklahoma did
this morning--and looked at the Pentagon, and I know what went through
his mind and what went through my mind was the Murrah Federal Office
Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. We lost about the same number of
lives back then as we did in the Pentagon. There are a lot of other
similarities there.
The appearance after the airplane struck was so similar to that which
we experienced in Oklahoma City. That brought back those very sad
memories.
I sometimes look at things and ask, How can anything good come from
something as bad as all that? Yet I can see--it is obvious, as I saw the
changes in attitudes of people here in this body, and also the body down
the hall--they are reflecting the interests of the American people.
Hon. Richard C. Lugar
of Indiana
Mr. President, it is a privilege to welcome a distinguished delegation
from the Norwegian Parliament. Nine members of the Committee on Defense
are with us today in the Senate Chamber. They have come to the United
States this week as a part of an ambitious series of events which will
include meetings at the Pentagon, the State Department, the National
Security Council, and Central Command in Florida.
They had been scheduled to leave Washington this morning, but they
have changed their itinerary deliberately because they wanted to be with
us here, the U.S. Senate, in the Capitol Building on this solemn day.
As fellow legislators and close NATO allies, the Norwegian Defense
Committee wanted to express its solidarity with Congress and with the
American people on the first anniversary of September 11.
I would like to read a letter into the Record from the Defense
Committee of Norway.
They have written:
To the Senate of the United States:
The Standing Committee on Defense of the Norwegian Parliament wishes
to express its deepest sympathy and solidarity with the American people
on this day of remembrance--one year after the horrible terror attack on
the United States that occurred September 11, 2001.
Let us never forget all those individuals who lost their lives in New
York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, including firemen, police officers,
and volunteers who tried to rescue people from the flames.
September 11 changed the world and international politics. Norway is
proud to participate in the broad coalition against terrorism and does
so by taking part in ``Operation Enduring Freedom'' under U.S. command.
The fight against terrorism is a fight for democracy, for an open and
free society, and for human rights.
Sincerely,
The Standing Committee on Defense [of Norway]:
Ms. Marit Nybakk, chairman DC, Ms. Aase Wisloeff
Nilssen, Member DC, Mr. Bjoern Hernaes, Member DC,
Mr. Kjetil Bjoerklund, Member DC, Mr. Per Roar
Bredvold, Member DC, Mr. Gunnar Halvorsen, Member
DC, Mr. Aage Konradsen, Member DC, Mr. Leif Lund,
Member DC, Mr. Per Ove Width, Member DC, Mr. Joern
Olsen, Secretary DC.
I know that I speak for all Members of the Senate when I say that we
deeply appreciate your support today. Your presence here reminds us of
the importance of allies and the enduring bond between the United States
and Norway.
During the long decades of the cold war, Norway was the only NATO
member to border directly on the Russian Republic. This front line
position imposed a special burden on Norway, and its value as a member
of the Alliance far exceeded the size of its population.
The border between Norway and Russia is now peaceful and cooperative.
Yet Norway still bears burdens from its history as a front line state.
In particular, it must contend with the environmental dangers created by
the nuclear-powered Soviet-era fleet that is deteriorating on the nearby
Kola Peninsula.
In June of this year, I had the pleasure to visit Norway following an
extensive trip to Russia. There I met with many members of the Norwegian
defense establishment, including members of the Defense Committee. We
talked a great deal about nuclear cleanup issues on the Kola Peninsula.
Norway has been an invaluable partner in addressing this nuclear threat
through its support for the Nunn-Lugar program and its participation in
the trilateral Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation Program or
AMEC. Under AMEC, our country has been working with the Russians and
Norwegians to safely dispose of the nuclear material from decommissioned
vessels.
We have had great success so far, but the challenges of safeguarding
weapons and materials of mass destruction are immense. I am hopeful that
our efforts can be expanded and accelerated, and I know that Norway will
work closely with us to address these dangers.
So we welcome the Norwegian Defense Committee and draw encouragement
from their presence here on this day of remembrance. We look forward to
all that we can accomplish together, as we strive to make the world safe
from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.
Hon. Jim Bunning
of Kentucky
Mr. President, I rise today in honor of those in New York, at the
Pentagon, and in the skies over Pennsylvania who lost their lives 1 year
ago today.
None of us in the Senate will ever forget the events of that terrible
morning, nor will we ever forget the courage and compassion displayed by
Americans everywhere in response to the attacks.
Today, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families,
and all of those who risked their lives to save others on that awful
day. The despicable acts that we witnessed were meant to create havoc
and to test our resolve as Americans. America passed that test. We are
stronger and more united as a Nation today than we ever were. Despite
the fact that our buildings were damaged, America's foundations remain
unshaken. And despite the fact that 3,000 of our friends, relatives, and
neighbors were murdered, America's sense of community is stronger than
ever.
This morning, many of us took part in a memorial service across the
river at the newly restored Pentagon. One year ago today, that building
was on fire. One of its five sides essentially lay in ruin.
Last September, I visited the Pentagon just days after the attack. It
was a terrible scene of devastation. But today we saw a building that
has been completely rebuilt. The Pentagon, both on the inside and on the
outside, is better than before. The offices within are busy now with the
activity of military men and women who are hard at work in the war
against terror.
The Pentagon today stands as a reminder of the American spirit and a
warning to those who want to terrorize us: America will triumph, and
those who want nothing less than to destroy our way of life will fail.
They will fail because of the American spirit. They will fail because of
our faith in freedom and democracy. They will fail because of the
strength and character of the American people.
I believe Americans have emerged from the attacks even stronger and
more dedicated to our beliefs and to our Nation. But we cannot let our
guard down again. We cannot forget that evil is lying in wait for
another opportunity to attack. So far, we have been able to anticipate,
with intelligence, any future attacks. But we know the enemy will try
again.
It has been said many times--but it bears repeating--it might not seem
that we are at war, but we are at war. It is a different kind of a
struggle than we have ever fought before.
On the surface, it might not seem like World War II, Korea, Vietnam,
or any other conflict of the past. Make no mistake about it, danger
still lurks, and we must remain vigilant.
Americans have made many sacrifices, big and small, over the last
year. They gave blood and contributed to relief efforts. They became
more vigilant in their communities. They volunteered to help those in
need. We have come a long way since the attacks a year ago, and I could
not be prouder of our people.
In that time, I believe we have found new national unity, not only
from the heroism of firefighters, police, and our military, but also
from the everyday efforts of regular everyday Americans.
I am proud of the way we in Congress responded to the attacks. By
putting aside politics and working together with President Bush for the
greater good, we have shown that, while we all wear political labels as
Republicans and Democrats, we are Americans first.
The President has done a superb job leading our country in the war on
terror, and we in Congress have done our best to provide him with the
resources necessary to persecute and win that war.
Much has been done, but we must continue to remain focused on the task
at hand--protecting our homeland. And that job continues tomorrow in the
Senate. We will finish it, and we will finish it successfully.
People often ask me how things have changed in Washington since 9/11.
Some things on the surface certainly have changed. There are more
concrete barriers, roadblocks, and security precautions, but looking
beneath the surface, I think the better question to ask is, What did 9/
11 reveal about us? It showed that we are still a good and compassionate
Nation and people. It showed that, under the worst of circumstances, we
will come to the aid not only of our friends and neighbors, but to
complete strangers. It showed that America is still the greatest nation
on Earth, and it showed that, in the war on terror, we will prevail.
Hon. Mary L. Landrieu
of Louisiana
Mr. President, I will spend a few minutes remembering the day, as we
all have taken some time to express our individual thoughts and honor
this day in the best way we can, to express what it means for us, for
all Americans, and actually for millions of people around the world.
It is truly a somber day for all of us. In a nation that has known
unparalleled success, coping with a tragedy of this enormity is all that
more difficult. We love our liberty, we love our freedom, and we want
nothing from the world or for the world but peace and prosperity. Yet
today we find our liberty and our personal freedoms restrained. We are
fighting one war and are poised on the brink of another. It is no wonder
the anxiety of the American people is palpable.
As we search for certainty and leadership in these uncertain times, it
is only natural we turn toward one of our greatest leaders, Abraham
Lincoln. As our leader during our greatest crisis, his words carry a
resonance and wisdom that ring true today.
President Lincoln's second inaugural address, delivered at the
twilight of the Civil War, reads like a prayer. It is a request to God
to show us how to be just, and to grant this Nation peace. Yet, while it
is a prayer, it is also a plan. President Lincoln wrote:
Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of
war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all
the wealth piled by the bondsman's 250 years of unrequited toil shall be
sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by
another drawn with the sword, as was said 3,000 years ago, so still must
it be said, the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the
right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the
work we are in, to bind up the Nation's wounds, to care for him who
shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all
which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves
and with all nations.
President Lincoln asked for God's assistance, but also to shine a
light on the righteous path to victory. We must finish the work we are
in, but we must also care for the victims of war and do all we can to
achieve a lasting peace.
That is how President Lincoln wanted the Civil War to end. Not with
recriminations that would tear the country apart forever and sow seeds
for the next war but, rather, to approach victory with charity. For a
powerful Nation such as the United States, it is only in demonstrating
our commitments to a world order that we can attain a lasting peace.
It is only in our generosity to the struggling nations of the world we
can enjoy the full fruits of our labors and the great bounties of our
democracy. It is part of the twin ironies of being the sole superpower
in the world. The first is that to preserve the peace, we must prepare
for war. The second is that to attain any real victory, we must show
mercy to those we have vanquished.
Louisiana lost three sons on September 11: Petty Officer Second Class
Kevin Yokum of Lake Charles, Navy LT Scott Lamana of Baton Rouge, and
Louis Williams of Mandeville. The quick and expedient thing for our
country would be to cry for their revenge and the revenge of the
thousands of other Americans who died for freedom that day. Yet that is
not America. It is not what these three men would have wanted. Rather,
they would want to know that their deaths had helped to sow a lasting
and just peace among ourselves and with all nations.
So I join my colleagues today in saluting the heroism of these men, of
the men and women who died and were wounded at the Pentagon, the heroism
of the men and women of our great metropolis, New York, and the
surrounding States and regions--of course, New Jersey lost many people--
and the men and women aboard flight 93. Let their heroism be our
inspiration to finish the work that we have at hand.
We have a great amount of work ahead. We can be proud of the work we
have accomplished in the last 12 months, any number of initiatives and
bills and legislative proposals and endeavors that have really made this
country much stronger, more secure than we were on this day, this hour,
a year ago. But there is no doubt there is a great deal of work to be
done. Let us remember that we will show leadership in our might and
power. We will also show leadership in our mercy, in our willingness to
leave this world to a much more just and fair place, where democracies
rule the day and people can enjoy freedoms unheard of, really, and not
yet experienced in the world. That is America's greatest challenge.
Hon. Orrin G. Hatch
of Utah
Mr. President, 1 year ago today, September 11, 2001, terrorists
attacked our country, killing almost 3,000 people. Each of us has, in
the year since the attack, had our lives touched by the horrific events
of September 11. Each of us has, in the year since the attack, been
shocked by the terrible images of destruction and suffering at the sites
of these attacks--at the World Trade Center, in Pennsylvania, and at the
Pentagon. Paradoxically, each of us has also been uplifted by the
stories of heroism and self-sacrifice that have emerged from around the
country in the wake of these terrible events.
From this act of war and hatred against all Americans, our country has
demonstrated once again the resilient strength in the fabric of our
people. Make no mistake about it: Our country is at war. But unlike past
wars, we face a new challenge, a new type of enemy, one that is loosely
organized throughout the world, with tentacles stretching into every
corner of the globe, and one which is steadfast in its determination to
defeat America.
We cherish our freedoms, our opportunities, and our tolerance. But we
remain vigilant in our determination to meet and defeat our enemy--
terrorists who threaten our security and our freedoms. Throughout our
country's history, our people, its leaders, and Congress have
demonstrated time and time again that when we work together--when we
harness the full energy and commitment of our country--we can overcome
any adversity or any enemy to our people. The tragic events of September
11 have united this country and challenged our country once again to
face down the terrible threat of terrorism.
While we have accomplished much, there is still much to do. Since
September 11, we all recognize that we live in a different and more
dangerous world. We must unite in our continuing support for our
country's war against terrorism; we live with an ongoing and serious
threat to our society. We must remain vigilant in protecting our way of
life and meeting the challenges ahead.
I want to take a moment and offer my prayers and condolences for those
families and friends who lost loved ones on September 11. Today we all
join together, hand in hand, heart in heart, tear in tear, to share as a
country all of the pain of September 11. We recognize your terrible
loss, we offer you our support and we give you our love. We will never
forget the terrible tragedy of September 11. We will do all we can in
our prayers and in our deeds to make sure that such an attack never
occurs again.
It is a new era in America and I ask for your prayers and support as
we face many difficult challenges ahead. We do so with a steely resolve
to never, ever let this horrible event ever occur again.
Hon. Ernest F. Hollings
of South Carolina
Mr. President, in the year since last September 11, there has been
much debate on the Senate floor on how to stop terrorists; and there
will be plenty of time in the coming months to debate what we do insofar
as organizing homeland security, and how we deal with Iraq and the
fanatics who want to blow us up and the like.
But on this September 11, this Senator wants to remember the 3,000
lives lost in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania. Obviously
their loss has been felt by their families in ways none of us can
imagine. But their loss has also been felt by all Americans. As a
Senator, in the last year, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought
about what happened last September 11, and what actions this Congress
can take to prevent such horrifying events. September 11 has moved this
Nation to respond and to defend ourselves in ways that has made America
stronger, I have no doubt.
In addition, I want to honor the men and women in the Armed Forces who
have put their lives on the line in the last year to track down
terrorists in caves and everywhere else they are hiding. I honor the law
enforcement officials all over this country who protect our homeland
every day. And I have great respect for the newly hired men and women of
the Transportation Security Administration, who are wearing the newest
American uniform to ensure the safety of our airports.
September 11 made us address our security vulnerabilities, but there
is more work to be done. In the coming months, on days that are less
emotional than this anniversary, I hope we remain as strong and
determined to win the war on terrorism.
Hon. Pete V. Domenici
of New Mexico
Mr. President, many of us will spend a good deal of this day
reflecting on what happened 1 year ago in New York, Washington, DC, and
Pennsylvania. The images of horror, confusion and bravery that dominated
our television screens last September will, once again, be refreshed in
our minds. The raw emotion that we felt then will also be revisited.
And, as is our nature, we will, again, try to rationalize why such
tragedy befell our Nation. But this effort will be futile, because those
who attacked us are filled with a hatred that is incomprehensible to
American logic. Simply put, for us, life is a precious gift of God; to
our enemy, it is utterly dispensable. So how can we constructively
approach September 11, 2002? I believe that Americans can do three
things today to accomplish a sense of healing.
The first step focuses on our children. No group was scarred as much
by the terrorist attacks as were they. Their innocent view of the world
did not contemplate the kind of evil that was perpetrated on September
11, 2001. So for them, the images of crashing planes, burning buildings,
and crying adults shattered their belief in a world that was good and
safe. Not only were they frightened, they were also confused about why
others wanted to hurt us. Today, many children may experience the same
anxiety about terrorism that they did 1 year ago; let us recognize that
and take a moment to reaffirm to them that they are loved, that they are
protected, and that the good people in the world far outnumber the bad.
Second, be a patriot. This can be accomplished in many ways. Flying
the flag is the most recognized. But telling a service-veteran that you
appreciate his or her sacrifice is equally valuable. The civic heroes of
September 11, firefighters and police officers, also deserve our
recognition for selflessly responding to the needs of the country. And
acts such as giving blood, helping a neighbor in need or giving to a
charity are just as patriotic. All these acts have the effect of uniting
us behind a common purpose and remind us that no enemy can weaken our
moral fabric.
Last, reflect back upon these words spoken by President Bush last
September 20:
We will direct every resource at our command--every means of
diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law
enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of
war--to the disruption and defeat of the global terror network.
This bold commitment by the President signaled to all that the United
States was entering a long struggle that would require our desire for
action to be checked by patience.
Patience, of course, remains necessary, but we have achieved much in
our initial response to last year's attack. U.S. military action has
unseated the Taliban government that once protected Al Qaeda in
Afghanistan, while terrorist training camps in that country have been
rendered inoperable. At home, Congress and the President are working to
establish a new Department of Homeland Security to enhance coordination
of our government's antiterror effort, both Chambers of Congress have
passed the largest defense budgets in our Nation's history, and
extraordinary effort has been made to improve air safety, intelligence
gathering and counterterrorism methods. To be sure, our war on terror is
just beginning, but we should remember that American action since last
year's attack has been strong and has yielded positive results.
Contemplating what happened to our country 1 year ago is difficult for
all of us. It is difficult for the friends and family of flight
attendant Al Marchand, a New Mexico native who was one of the victims
aboard United Airlines flight 175. It is difficult for the urban rescue
team that traveled from New Mexico to New York in hopes of finding
survivors. But remembering those lost is a duty. Today, if we focus on
our children, our communities and the progress we have made in the last
year, we will honor the fallen as well as reenergize ourselves for the
struggle ahead.
Before I end, I want to make note of a poem I received from a young
girl from Los Alamos, NM. The title of the poem is ``Who Am I,'' and it
reflects some of the very serious thoughts that the reality of terrorism
has forced upon our young people, thoughts about humanity, and thoughts
about whether peace can prevail. I ask unanimous consent to print this
poem in the Record.
Who Am I?
(By Noopar Goyal, May 2002)
A face, different from others around me.
A name, unusual to outsiders, yet beautiful in
meaning.
A voice, bold but not abrasive when spoken to the
world.
To my parents, I am their pride, their courage.
To my teachers, I am a word of exquisiteness.
Me: lucky and fortunate to be here and to have what
I have.
In my family I am the listener and the speaker.
To my friends, I am the fun and happiness.
To my enemies, I am ignored like dust swept away.
To many strangers, I am another face smiling in the
crowd.
My mind is mature, but there is much I don't know.
I am a child in every way.
Successes come and go, and I'm sure there will be
disappointments.
I dream about the future and what it brings.
I always remember the good things and seldom the
bad.
I forget the days when I was little, and they
disappear into vast space.
People don't understand my thoughts, my culture, or
sometimes, just me.
My frustration makes me want to be alone.
Who am I?
I am a voice with laughter, thoughts and opinion.
A name with pride and courage.
But most of all, a person waiting to fulfill a life
of wonders, dreams, and the happiness that comes
with it.
Hon. Jeff Bingaman
of New Mexico
Mr. President, I rise today in remembrance of the events of September
11, 2001. It hardly seems that it was 1 year ago that New York City and
Washington, DC, awoke to an astonishingly sunny late summer day whose
calmness belied the tragic events that would come that morning. While
the passage of time has continued as it did before that day, our lives,
our Nation, and the entire world have since been profoundly transformed.
As that day unhinged 1 year ago, we all struggled to answer the
questions that raced through our heads: ``Who is capable of such
monstrous violence?'' ``Why would they do this to us?'' And like the
families of the victims, many of us sat at the end of that long day and
wondered: ``How do we go on from here?''
A deep sense of loss and uncertainty permeated the Nation in the weeks
that followed the attacks. But in spite of the somber mood, we did what
Americans do best. United as never before, we found our resolve to forge
ahead. We found strength by turning to family and by turning to our
neighbors. We rededicated ourselves to the civic responsibility that is
the cornerstone of freedom.
While memory remains scarred by the worst act of terrorism on American
soil, the past year has been a time for healing. Today, we continue to
heal by remembering those who lost their lives on September 11. We
remember the men and women who worked at the World Trade Center, the
military and civilian personnel at the Pentagon, the firefighters who
did what they could to ease the tragedy, and the heroes of United
Airlines flight 93 who gave their lives to spare the Nation an even
larger loss.
Each day that passes will bring us a bit closer to becoming whole
again. But we must all take time on this day to mourn those who lost
their lives on September 11 and honor the heroes who saved so many
lives. We must also keep in our thoughts the troops who are fighting
overseas in defense of our Nation.
Today is about remembrance, but tomorrow is always about the future.
Once again, we have to ask ourselves, ``How do we go on from here?'' And
answer with certainty and strength. America will not be deterred by
terrorism. Instead we will celebrate what it means to live as citizens
of this country and honor our continued responsibility to advancing the
freedoms that are the hallmark of this country.
Hon. Strom Thurmond
of South Carolina
Mr. President, I rise today, on this somber occasion, to remember and
honor the thousands of lives that were lost 1 year ago today in the
tragic terrorist attacks on our Nation. The United States will never
forget the horrific events that occurred on what began as a peaceful
morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The tranquility of that morning
was shattered by the evil acts of terrorists, filled with hatred for our
Nation and opposed to the ideals we treasure. With their terror, our
Nation was plunged into one of the darkest days of our history as
thousands of Americans lost mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters,
sons and daughters, friends and associates.
However, during this tragedy, the American spirit shined through that
darkness and continues today, as a beacon to the world. It is that
spirit, the willingness to expend the last full measure of one's life in
service to others, that is the strength of our Nation. It is a power
that grows as we are challenged. It is a force which has helped this
Nation through difficult times and will see us through these times as
well.
On that dreadful day, the terrorists failed miserably in their attempt
to weaken our Nation. Their goal was destined for failure, for America
has faced adversity numerous times before and has always emerged
stronger. The acts of heroism and charity by Americans in New York City,
at the Pentagon, over the skies of Pennsylvania, here in Washington and
across the Nation were extraordinary but not surprising.
Today, I also honor the men and women of our Armed Forces. They serve
around the world defending the freedoms we enjoy and securing the
liberty we cherish. I have stated many times that the highest obligation
of American citizenship is to defend this country in time of need. Our
citizens have accepted that obligation, some giving their all. Whether
serving abroad or at home, the men and women in uniform are performing
in an outstanding manner and deserve the appreciation and respect of all
Americans.
History will not forget the events of this day. Likewise, we must
never forget the thousands of Americans to whom we pay tribute today.
Hon. Kent Conrad
of North Dakota
Mr. President, anniversaries are a time for reflection, and I wanted
to take a few moments to share what emotions this North Dakotan is
experiencing.
First, I feel sorrow. I feel sorrow for the thousands of innocent
victims and the scores and scores of families and friends most directly
and tragically affected. Those murdered were fathers and brothers;
daughters and spouses; they were coworkers earning a living and
supporting their families; they were best men in weddings and mothers
flying home to see their children.
They were also honorable Americans, as well as citizens from 86
countries around the world. The victims included North Dakotan Ann
Nelson. Ann was the kind of daughter every parent wishes for. She was
intelligent, caring, adventurous, and had a real zest for life. Ann was
simply doing her job that day in the World Trade Center. Ann, the pride
and joy of Stanley, ND, didn't make it home from work that fateful day.
When I think about Ann and her family and the other victims and their
loved ones, I also feel anger. One of my home State newspapers, the
Grand Forks Herald put it best,
Americans should accept that at the core of their grief is a white-hot
fury and a sense of being outrageously wronged . . . . The World Trade
Center didn't collapse in a strong wind. The Pentagon didn't fall into a
sinkhole from an abandoned mine, and United flight 93 didn't crash in a
Pennsylvania field because it ran out of gas. No, those things happened
because a band of terrorist fanatics slit the pilots' throats and then
flew the planes, passengers and all, into the buildings for the mad
glory of killing infidels by the score.
This North Dakotan's anger and sorrow also fuels my resolve. I feel
resolve to continue working with Members from both sides of the aisle
and with our President to make sure we are doing everything in our power
to protect North Dakotans and all Americans.
Over the past year, we have enacted vital antiterrorism legislation,
including provisions I authored to shore up our visa and border security
laws. And while we have paid more attention to the challenges of
protecting our 4,000-mile northern border from terrorist infiltration, I
continue in my resolve to focus the necessary attention and resources to
get the job done right.
So I feel sorrow, anger and resolve, but I also feel pride, pride in
how our heroes performed that day in response to the attacks; pride in
our police officers and firemen; pride in those risking their lives to
save coworkers; and pride in members of flight 93 who lost their lives
to save countless others.
I also feel pride at North Dakota's own, the Happy Hooligans, who
minutes after the terrorist attacks took to the skies over Washington,
protecting our Nation's Capital at this most critical time.
I feel pride at the men and women in uniform, who have served and
continue to serve in Afghanistan and across the world, with the
unfailing twin goals of eradicating global terrorism and protecting
their fellow citizens. I feel pride in the dedication of those
reservists who have put their lives on hold to serve our country.
I also feel pride in our country, and it is certainly appropriate that
Congress and the President agreed to designate September 11 as ``Patriot
Day.'' September 11 brought out the best in our fellow citizens and
showed us again why we are all so fortunate to be a part of the greatest
Nation on Earth. Rather than the disillusionment that the terrorists
hoped for, our country responded with renewed patriotism.
And finally, on this first anniversary of one of the darkest days in
our country's history, this North Dakotan feels optimism. In times of
challenge, moments of great opportunity also present themselves. In this
instance, we stand at a critical time in our Nation's and the world's
history, and the decisions we now make will influence the shape of our
world in the 21st century and beyond.
Will we live in a world of freedom or fear? Will democracy reign or
will fanaticism retain its lure? Will our country try to build a wall
around ourselves or will we continue to be a beacon of freedom,
democracy, and tolerance around the world?
Some fifth grade North Dakota students are planning to commemorate the
September 11 attacks by planting trees at the International Peace
Garden, just north of Dunseith, ND. The name of the program is ``Seeds
of Peace.'' I have the optimism to believe that this is the perfect
symbol to commemorate the first September 11 anniversary.
Hon. E. Benjamin Nelson
of Nebraska
Mr. President, I am here on this day of remembrance to express on
behalf of the National Funeral Directors Association and all Nebraskans
our heartfelt sorrow for those who lost their loved ones on September
11, 2001. We Americans can be proud to declare the continued strength of
our Union 1 year after this horrific act.
The United States of America continues to stand as a beacon of freedom
and opportunity for everyone, regardless of race, creed, or religious
belief.
The United States of America was founded on the fundamental principle
that all citizens have the inalienable right of life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness. The vitality of the United States of America is in
the diversity of ideas, the freedom to express those ideas, and the
opportunity to achieve one's potential and direct one's destiny.
These principles are absolute and will not be surrendered or weakened
by the cowardly acts of terrorists who are afraid of the sunshine of
freedom and the responsibility it brings.
On this day we must continue our unity, which reaffirms the principles
for which this country was founded and that on this day freedom shall
ring from every community in this great land and the voice of America
will be heard around the world.
Hon. Robert G. Torricelli
of New Jersey
Mr. President, we will always remember where we were on this day, 1
year ago. As on other moments of tragedy in American history, September
11 will forever be in our hearts and mind. For those who were lost, for
those who gave of themselves to save others on that day, we were all
one. We were all Americans.
When we reflect upon a tragedy such as this, there are many who come
into our minds. We reflect upon the honored dead who we remember today,
including the friends and family we lost. We think of our loved ones who
are still with us today. We remember all of the firefighters, police and
ordinary citizens who risked their lives to save people they often did
not even know. We reflect upon the members of our Armed Forces who
diligently work to protect us from any future tragedy.
On this solemn occasion, I would like to take a brief moment to
recognize the efforts of the members of the AFL-CIO on September 11 and
its aftermath. Indeed, there were few others as affected by September 11
than the labor community. The firefighters and police who bravely
sacrificed and risked their lives were union members. The laborers,
ironworkers, and operating engineers who helped dig for survivors while
the fires still burned were union members. The nurses, doctors and EMTs
who cared for the injured and dying were union members. Those who manned
the ferries and fireboats that transported both the survivors and the
bodies of the victims across the harbor were union members. Their
efforts greatly affected the lives of many.
In the aftermath, unions across America started up blood drives and
the AFL-CIO Union Community Fund along with dozens of local and
international unions raised relief funds for the families and children
who have been left behind.
On this day of solemn remembrance, I want to recognize all of the
sacrifices of these valiant men and women. Their response to this
tragedy was truly heroic.
Hon. Herb Kohl
of Wisconsin
Mr. President, today we remember the terrible events of September 11.
A year has passed but for those who lost loved ones or sustained serious
injuries in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center or at the
Pentagon, the pain is still fresh and the loss is still palpable. Losing
a loved one is always difficult but to experience loss as a result of a
senseless act of terror can only compound the pain.
For Americans in general, the sheer number of lives lost on September
11 was a national tragedy. Those of us who did not lose friends and
family also experienced loss on September 11, albeit a loss of a
different kind.
On September 11, we lost our sense of personal safety. The idea that
terrorism could strike Americans going about their business, working in
their offices or taking a simple plane ride for business or pleasure,
has changed us forever. Travel by air will never be the same post-
September 11. And on a less tangible level, we are now cognizant that in
a free society like ours terrorists cannot truly be contained. The
threat of terrorism may subside but it will never disappear.
On September 11, we lost our sense of trust. We have become more
suspicious of those who want to enter our country. The Federal officials
who protect our borders and control access to our country continue on
heightened alert, on the lookout for aspiring terrorists. Our first
responders, our local police and fire officers, have been tasked to
survey our towns with a new eye and have entrusted all of us with the
unsettling job of reporting suspicious activity in our neighborhoods.
Most of all, on September 11, we lost our sense of national security.
The attacks of September 11 brought with them the realization that our
robust defenses, the biggest and best in the world, cannot protect us
from terrorists. Our sophisticated planes, submarines and missiles
cannot deter a terrorist attack, and cannot protect us from the
unconventional attacks we now know the Al Qaeda terrorists were
contemplating.
Today, however, is not just a day to reflect on loss. Just as the
stories of those who experienced personal loss on September 11 have
evolved into stories of determination to carry on, our losses are
tempered by resolve.
We are resolved to uproot the terror cells which may now be lurking in
as many as 60 countries, waiting for us to let down our guard so they
can attack us at home or abroad. Working with our allies around the
world we are determined to disrupt these cells by stopping their funding
and prosecuting their members. We will also remain vigilant. To the best
of our abilities, we will take all precautions to deny these terrorists
the opportunity to strike again.
We are resolved not to succumb to hate and to stereotyping of those
who share ethnic or religious backgrounds with the terrorists. One of
the biggest fears after September 11 was that there would be a backlash
in this country against those of Middle Eastern descent or against
adherents of Islam.
While there were reports of hate crimes, many Americans reached out to
their Muslim or Middle Eastern neighbors to reassure them--whether they
were American citizens or just residents--that they should not feel at
risk. While the heinous acts of September 11 elicited many emotions, I
was proud that most Americans recognized that taking our revenge against
those who had nothing to do with Osama bin Laden would have sunk us to
the level of the terrorists themselves.
The threat of terrorism does have the potential to change the
character of our Nation. Just as we are vigilant about our physical
security, we are resolved not to let terrorism curtail our freedoms. We
must not allow the war on terror to infringe on the rights and liberties
we hold dear. Terrorism will not go away, but it will have succeeded if
we use it as an excuse to trample on the Constitution. The wonderful
outpouring of patriotism which occurred this past year was not just an
expression of national unity, it was a strong statement that we cannot
and will not allow terrorism to undermine our democratic way of life.
In the days after September 11, many Americans wondered how we would
carry on. And yet we have carried on. We have danced at weddings,
rejoiced in new babies, and it is the brave family members of those who
perished on September 11 who have led the way: the mothers who gave
birth without the presence of their husbands and the brides who walked
down the aisle without their fathers. This has been a difficult year, a
year of inconceivable loss, but a year which has been marked by resolve
and a rededication to the ideals and principles upon which our Nation
was founded.
Hon. Charles E. Grassley
of Iowa
Mr. President, I rise today on this 1-year anniversary of September 11
to join my colleagues, as well as the rest of the country, in a day of
reflection and remembrance. It is often said that time heals all wounds.
Obviously, it is going to take an eternity for the grief to subside for
the families of the 3,000 people mass-murdered last year, with the
mental image of commercial jetliners searing into the national landmarks
remaining fresh in our mind. If they do not, we are reminded of it by
watching television this very day and maybe all week.
Such horrific acts that happened a year ago today seemed impossible at
that time. But, of course, all that has changed. Now it is hard to
understand how such hate and extreme acts of horror against humanity can
take place. While the Federal Government is working to beef up the
military to protect our borders and to improve its intelligence
gathering, it is virtually impossible to guarantee a risk-free
environment in a free and open society that we proudly claim as America.
One year after the attacks, I am not so sure the American people
really remember that we are in a war on terrorism. But the fact is, we
are, and we will be for some time to come. I pray that we do not end up
with a situation in the Middle East that we see too often on television
where there are random suicide bombings. The risk exists and Americans
are not realistic if they do not think of those things happening here
like they might happen in Jerusalem. Terrorism has changed our way of
life. We might be complacent about it and not want to realize it, but it
is here. And every one of us, then, has a responsibility to remain
vigilant.
The 1-year anniversary of September 11 is an important reminder that
the war against terror has not yet been won. Considering the loss of
human life, imminent terrorist threats to our security, and even our
ailing economy, it is not easy to look for the silver lining on the 1-
year anniversary of the September 11 attacks. But remember what the
President said in the week after those attacks: The terrorists succeeded
in tearing down bricks and mortar, but they failed to rock the
foundation that has kept America strong.
A year later, America's resilience can be seen from sea to shining
sea.
September 11, 2001, ushered in a new era. Notions of invincibility
have been shattered. But the uncommon courage of first responders called
to duty on that day reflects the steadfast spirit of our great Nation
and our people called Americans. Our resolve to pull together and to
stand united against evil immediately resurrected the principles on
which this country was founded some 226 years ago. Despite the attacks,
attacks defined to pit fear against freedom, the United States of
America is yet stronger than ever.
Like the rest of the country, lawmakers in Washington, DC, dropped
partisan pretense, worked quickly to assist survivors, backed recovery
efforts, ensured the safety of the flying public, and got the economy
rolling again. The 107th Congress threw its support behind the President
to root out the terrorist networks responsible for the attacks,
realizing the war in Afghanistan is probably only one of many battles to
be fought and hopefully won.
Thanks to courageous servicemen and women, the Al Qaeda network has
been largely dismantled from its base in Afghanistan but not elsewhere.
That evil continues to lurk in other regions of our world. And with the
security of the American people first and foremost in our mind, the
President has worked to leave no stone unturned. That includes creating
a new Cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security and keeping Iraqi
dictator Saddam Hussein from unleashing weapons of mass destruction
against the United States or other places within our world.
The President needs to make the case to the American people, to
Congress, and our allies abroad, and he will do that hopefully within 48
hours, and do it in a way that says freedom and peace will remain at
risk, as he explains it, until rogue dictators and others who harbor
terrorists and finance their evil acts are no longer able to do those
things.
This month, the Senate is debating the proposal to realign the Federal
Government's infrastructure and operations charged with thwarting acts
of terrorism. I am working to make sure the new department helps to
solve the shortcomings exposed by September 11 and not create new ones.
Many recall the patriotism displayed by native Iowan Coleen Rowley,
who blew the whistle on bureaucratic bungling at the FBI. I will work in
this bill to see that new department employees are guaranteed strong
whistleblower protections and to strengthen accountability within the
intelligence community. These protections for whistleblowers are very
important to make sure our intelligence community and the homeland
security is working for the good of the American people and to see the
statutory requirements are carried out.
When the Department of Homeland Security bill is up, I will make sure
that hard-working taxpayers' money is not wasted with this new Federal
agency.
One year later, after September 11, life goes on in America. It is not
the same as it was a year ago. Life is not as secure or risk free as we
once thought it was--and maybe we should not have thought that it was,
but we did. Air travelers deal with tightened security measures at the
Nation's airports. People are staying closer to home, flying less.
Ordinary Americans and law enforcement officials do not hesitate to
report suspicious activity. For many, it has enhanced common courtesies
and boosted greater appreciation for the simpler things of life.
Iowans deserve a lot of credit for their outpouring of support in the
last year. From a remarkable quiltmaking project for the victims,
particularly in New York City, to generous charitable cash donations,
and to those serving in our military, Iowans are proud, compassionate
Americans. Many agree that the tragedy a year ago has renewed a sense of
civic duty, patriotism, and appreciation for the U.S. military. There is
a spirit of all-for-one and one-for-all, as we wear, display, and
decorate with all things red, white, and blue.
With this 1-year anniversary, I join my colleagues in reflection and
remembrance. While we go about our daily business, we can consider the
tragic loss in human life and the acts of heroism by brave defenders. In
the weeks and years ahead, we can continue to work for the betterment of
our communities. We can donate blood, pray for the victims and their
families, support emergency workers, and give thanks for the precious
freedoms we enjoy every day.
We cannot erase the sorrow and suffering brought by September 11, but
with our actions each one of us can make America stronger.
I remember this day especially Miss Kincade, from Waverly, IA, who was
on the plane that hit the Pentagon. She was an intern in my office in
1984.
I remember Mr. Edward V. Rowenhorst, whom I did not know but I know
his brother who goes to my church in Cedar Falls, IA. He was in the
Pentagon working.
I remember traveling to a ceremony last Veterans Day in Anamosa, IA,
where they honored one of their own who was also killed in the Pentagon
1 year ago today.
So Iowans, as most people in most States, have victims to remember. I
remember them.
Hon. James M. Jeffords
of Vermont
Mr. President, today we as a Nation commemorate a most unfortunate
milestone, the 1-year anniversary of the tragic attack of September 11,
a day that will sadly live in infamy. Since that time, much has been
said and written about the terrible events of that day.
As we reflect on the events of the past year, I would like to commend
the thousands of rescue workers, volunteers, and countless others who
helped rebuild our Nation in the months following the attacks. In
particular, I would like to especially commend the work of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, fondly known as FEMA.
To give some background, on August 15, 2001, I became chairman of the
Environment and Public Works Committee, which has jurisdiction over
FEMA. A short month later, terrorists attacked the Pentagon and the
World Trade Center. Later that day, following the attacks, I visited the
Pentagon. I was amazed that literally overnight FEMA had established a
well-coordinated Federal response at the Pentagon. Virginia, Maryland,
and other first responders came--from as far away as Nebraska. As soon
as possible, they were all working, as coordinated as I have ever seen.
As soon as possible after that, I traveled to the World Trade Center--
again to take a look at FEMA's response. Again, I was overwhelmed by the
organizational capacity of FEMA and the fine work being done by that
agency's men and women, under the guidance of FEMA Director Joe
Allbaugh. There, on the piers of Manhattan, FEMA had quickly created a
disaster field office that was a small city unto itself. Thousands of
workers from around the country came together to bring calm and order to
an otherwise chaotic situation.
Visiting the Pentagon this morning brought back a flood of memories
for me about my own visits to the Pentagon and the World Trade Center.
Just days after those attacks, I vividly remember the sights and sounds
and smells. The devastation I witnessed was incredible, and difficult to
put into words. Thousands of people lost their lives due to the cruel
and cunning acts of evil perpetrated by a few. The victims of these
attacks were men, women, and children, people with well-laid plans for
their pleasant futures.
Although I left both the Pentagon and the World Trade Center with a
heavy heart, I also left with a profound sense of gratitude for the
gallant efforts of these rescuers and volunteers who tirelessly, and
mostly anonymously, worked in places reserved only for the Ground Zero
heroes.
In the year following the attacks, I have spoken with many people,
Vermonters and others, about the attack. We have all expressed profound
sadness for our Nation's great loss. They have also left me with the
confidence that freedom will prevail, that good will triumph over evil,
that these horrible attacks cannot break our resolve to stand together
as free Americans.
Abraham Lincoln once said: Freedom is the last best hope on Earth.
Time is a great healer. The passage of time has brought thoughtful
recollection. The passage of time has not dulled my recollection of what
I saw and felt in those days following September 11. For me, this
healing process has brought a renewed commitment to move forward with
the hope that freedom prevails.
In closing, I would also like to pay tribute to the work of the
Vermont Air and National Guard, which did an outstanding job of
protecting our skies and our borders and our airports in the days after
September 11. When our Nation was most in need, we pulled together
successfully to bring this Nation into a position where it feels secure
and with hope for the future.
MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE
At 3:15 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered
by Ms. Niland, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has
passed the following bill, in which it requests the concurrence of the
Senate:
H.R. 3880. An act to provide a temporary waiver from certain
transportation conformity requirements and metropolitan transportation
planning requirements under the Clean Air Act and under other laws for
certain areas in New York where the planning offices and resources have
been destroyed by acts of terrorism, and for other purposes.
Under the authority of the Senate of January 3, 2001, the Secretary of
the Senate, on September 6, 2002, during the recess of the Senate,
received a message from the House of Representatives announcing that the
House has passed the following concurrent resolution, in which it
requests the concurrence of the Senate:
H. Con. Res. 464. Concurrent resolution expressing the sense of the
Congress on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks launched against
the United States on September 11, 2001.
INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
The following bills and joint resolutions were introduced, read the
first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated:
By Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. Allard, Mr. Allen, Mr. Bayh, Mr.
Bennett, Mr. Biden, Mr. Bond, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Bunning, Mr.
Burns, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Carnahan, Mr. Carper, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Cleland,
Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Cochran, Ms. Collins, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Corzine, Mr.
Crapo, Mr. Dayton, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Edwards,
Mr. Ensign, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr.
Grassley, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Helms, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Hutchinson, Mrs.
Hutchison, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Johnson, Mr.
Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kohl, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Levin, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr.
McCain, Mr. McConnell, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Miller, Mr. Murkowski, Mr.
Nelson of Florida, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Nickles, Mr. Reed, Mr.
Reid, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Schumer, Mr.
Sessions, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Torricelli, Mr.
Warner, Mr. Wellstone, and Mr. Wyden):
S. 2924. A bill to authorize the President to award posthumously the
Congressional Gold Medal to the passengers and crew of United Airlines
Flight 93 in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the United States
on September 11, 2001; read the first time.
Hon. Thomas A. Daschle
of South Dakota
Mr. President, what we saw happen to our country 1 year ago today will
be forever etched in our memories. Several of our colleagues have taken
time here on the floor today to reflect on that horrible day.
Though our Nation was wounded deeply that day, we learned a great deal
about ourselves--and that has made our country stronger. The courage of
the first responders, the valor of the passengers on flight 93, the
strength of the families of the victims, the character of our Armed
Forces, and the generosity of Americans from each and every State in the
Union have shown to terrorists, and to the world, that America is strong
and will not bow to terror.
H. Con. Res. 464 is a small tribute to each of these heroes. It spells
out, in broad bipartisan fashion, Congress' memory for lost loved ones,
our deep admiration for the families of these innocent victims, our
respect for the work of our first responders and Armed Forces, and our
resolve to find and bring to justice those responsible for the attacks.
That resolve was made clear on September 14, 2001, when we
overwhelmingly passed S.J. Res. 23. In that resolution, we granted the
President the authority to pursue the nations, people or organizations
who perpetrated the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United
States in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism
against the United States by such nations, people, or organizations.
With today's resolution, we look back at the horror and the hope we
saw on a day we will never forget. There may come a day when we must
again look ahead to threats to our Nation that lie on or beyond the
horizon. I am confident that when that time comes, Congress will again
act in a bipartisan fashion to take the steps needed to keep America
strong, and Americans safe.
But today, as we walk the path from remembrance to recovery, this
resolution says what we all know in our hearts: We will never forget.
Thursday, September 12, 2002
SEPTEMBER 11 REMEMBRANCE
Hon. Michael B. Enzi
of Wyoming
Mr. President, yesterday we marked the anniversary of one of the most
horrific events in our Nation's history. On September 11 of last year,
without provocation or warning, extremists took control of four of our
planes and used them as weapons of destruction against us to cowardly
take from our lives our friends and neighbors, our mothers and fathers,
and our sons and daughters.
As we watched those events unfold, during the subsequent rescue
attempts, we saw more of our Nation's brave men and women lose their
lives in the support and defense of others. It was not only a terrible
loss of life. It was a loss of our most vital and valuable resource, our
Nation's people and the potential they carried within them for greatness
in so many different fields and endeavors of importance to them and to
us.
As we watched the images broadcast around the world, we all made a
decision in our hearts to do everything we could to respond to the
attack on our Nation, our freedom, our liberty and our way of life. For
each of us it meant something different, but for all of us, it helped to
know there was something we could all do to help.
For Congress, that meant expressing our strongest support for the
President and his ambitious and necessary plan to end the global network
of terror that has sown the seeds of despair and hatred wherever it has
found fertile ground. The President's plan is to do more than defeat the
forces of terror. It is to replace those seeds of anger and hatred with
seeds of hope and peace.
For our Nation's Armed Forces, it meant answering the call to duty and
taking arms against an enemy who placed no value on human life.
The rules of war are not many, but one unavoidable one is that it
takes the lives of our young men and women. One of those we lost in the
early stages of the war was one of Wyoming's own, Jonn Edmunds, an Army
Ranger from Cheyenne, who gave his life in Afghanistan as he fought and
died for a cause that he believed in.
For all Americans, it meant an awakening of our sense of patriotism
and our love of country, as we put aside our differences and unfurled
our flags and proudly displayed them on our porches and windows. We came
together as one, united, in support of our leaders and our President.
We know from past experience that the effort to respond to challenges
like this is not a quick or easy one. It takes a lengthy and determined
commitment to principle if we are to succeed.
I have no doubt our resolve will remain strong and we will be united
in purpose, as we have done before when called to respond to a threat to
our way of life.
A little over 50 years ago, on a day that has been compared to this
one, those who opposed us were heard to say after their attack that they
may have done nothing more than awaken a sleeping giant. On that day in
December and this one in September, we may have been a sleeping giant,
but when the time came to respond, we did, and by so doing, we changed
the world.
We have to respond with strength and determination because those who
attacked us chose their targets with such clear and evil intent. They
attacked the World Trade Center because of its symbolic representation
of our economic power. They attacked the Pentagon because of its
symbolic representation of the power of our military. And they sought to
attack our Nation's Capital because it is the heart of our government
and it represents our democracy and our way of life.
No one will ever forget where they were or what they were doing as
they first heard the news of the terrorist attack on our Nation. We all
sat and watched in stunned silence as events unfolded that are now
forever etched in our mind.
In the days that have passed since then, we have kept alive the memory
of those we lost, repaired and restored what we could, and made plans to
recreate what could not be saved. It has been a difficult and daunting
task.
Through it all the President has led a united Nation, committed to
ending the threat of terrorism, not just for us, but for our children,
and for all the children of the world who deserve to grow up and pursue
a dream of peace, hope and opportunity.
When the terrorists struck at the heart of our Nation that day they
took something more precious than our buildings, and the symbols of
American pride and ingenuity we all hold dear. When they took our loved
ones from us, they also took the innocence of our children who had to
learn quickly, and at a young and tender age, that there are bad people
in the world who do bad things. And that all too often, bad things
happen to good people.
But, when they looked at us with questioning eyes, did any of us have
a good answer to the question they wanted answered the most, ``Why?''
Fortunately, the President's leadership has enabled him to put
together an international coalition dedicated to dismantling the network
of terror and to bringing those responsible to justice, wherever they
may try to hide.
The conspiracy of terrorism can only survive in the darkness of
hatred. It can not long survive when we bring the light of peace to bear
on all the nations of the world. That light is the symbol of freedom
that our Statue of Liberty holds proudly and with purpose in the harbor
of New York, not far from where the Twin Towers once stood. It is a
light that will someday shine for everyone in every country in the
world, and we will all live in peace and freedom.
We are, and always will be, a Nation of individuals. We all have our
own stories, our own goals and ambitions, and our own plans for our
lives. But, when faced with a crisis, as we were last year, we come
together as one united in our commitment that no one will ever have to
endure a tragedy as terrible as the events that unfolded last year.
Yesterday was a day of remembrance. It will always be so. May it serve
as a constant reminder that we are one Nation, under God, with liberty
and justice for all.
The lives of all those who were lost are like an unfinished symphony
that has been left to us to continue and complete. We carry their
dreams, their hopes, their ambitions, their challenges and their plans
for the future with us. With God's strength and the support of each of
us we will complete the work they started and ensure the safety and
security of all people, of all countries, and of all regions of the
world for generations to come.
MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE
ENROLLED BILLS SIGNED
Under the authority of the Senate of January 3, 2001, the Secretary of
the Senate, on September 11, 2002, during the recess of the Senate,
received a message from the House of Representatives announcing that the
Speaker has signed the following enrolled bills:
H.R. 3917. An act to authorize a national memorial to commemorate the
passengers and crew of Flight 93 who, on September 11, 2001,
courageously gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on our
Nation's Capital, and for other purposes.
H.R. 5207. An act to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 6101 West Old Shakopee Road in Bloomington,
Minnesota, as the ``Thomas E. Burnett, Jr. Post Office Building''.
MEASURE PLACED ON THE CALENDAR
The following bill was read the second time, and placed on the
calendar:
S. 2924. A bill to authorize the President to award posthumously the
Congressional Gold Medal to the passengers and crew of United Airlines
Flight 93 in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the United States
on September 11, 2001.
Friday, September 13, 2002
Hon. Don Nickles
of Oklahoma
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record
an article from the Wall Street Journal dated September 11, 2002.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Wall Street Journal, Sept. 11, 2002]
We Will Prevail
(By Theodore Olson)
From a speech by Solicitor General Theodore Olson to the Federalist
Society on Nov. 16, 2001, Mr. Olson's wife, Barbara, was one of the
airplane passengers murdered on Sept. 11, 2001.
September 11, 2001 was unprecedented in our Nation's history. Our
country has been attacked before. Our soldiers and innocent citizens
have been the victims of terrorism before. But never before in our
history have so many civilian citizens, engaged in the routines of their
daily lives, who neither individually nor collectively had done anything
to provoke the savage attack that they were to experience that day, been
brutally murdered for the simple reason that they were Americans, and
because they stood, in their countless individual lives, for all the
things that America symbolizes.
As President Bush immediately recognized, Sept. 11 was an act of war.
But it was much more than that. It was also a crime, an act of pure
hatred and unmitigated evil.
The victims were of all races, backgrounds, religions, ages and
qualities. They had one thing in common. They were nearly all Americans.
Their lives were extinguished because they were the embodiment of the
aspirations of most of the world's peoples. The people who killed them
hate the beacon that America holds out to people who are impoverished,
enslaved, persecuted and subjugated everywhere in the world.
The men who planned the savage acts of Sept. 11 cannot prevail as long
as American ideals continue to inspire the people they hope to tyrannize
and enslave.
It is a cynical lie that the animals that killed our loved ones were
motivated by Islam, or because this nation of ours is anti-Islamic.
Enshrined in the First Amendment to our Constitution is freedom of
expression and the free exercise of religion. This continent was
populated by people who crossed a terrifying ocean to reach a rugged and
inhospitable frontier to escape religious persecution.
From its birth, this nation and the American people have offered
sanctuary and shelter to all faiths. Our Constitution--always with the
support of our people--has extended its embrace to the unpopular, the
unusual, the unconventional and the unorthodox. We protect not only
those who will not salute our flag, but those who would spit upon it or
burn it. We pledge our allegiance to a Constitution that shelters those
who refuse to pledge their allegiance to it.
It is true, I suppose, that there are many in the Middle East who hate
this country for its support of Israel. But how tragic and misguided to
despise us for extending comfort and defense to a people who have so
long, and so recently, been the victims of indescribable ethnic
persecution. Nor has America's support for Israel ever been rooted in or
manifested by hostility to the Muslim faith or those who practice it.
The terrorists and their apologists have lied about these things, but
what is another lie when their goals and tactics are so vastly more
evil?
The terrorists can succeed only through corruption and brutality. Thus
they must tear down America and its system of laws which shields its
people from those malevolent acts. They can enslave the people they wish
to subjugate only by keeping them poor and destitute, so they must
undermine and discredit the one place in all the world that stands the
most for the rule of law and allows its people the opportunity to rise
above all those conditions.
Abraham Lincoln was paraphrasing our Declaration of Independence when
he characterized our Nation as having been ``conceived in liberty and
dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.'' That
revolutionary document set down our collective belief in inalienable
human rights, the proposition that governments derive their powers from
the consent of the governed, the principle that tyrants who would
oppress their people are unfit to be rulers of a free people, and the
right to the pursuit of happiness.
The terrorists of Sept. 11 cannot prevail in a world occupied by the
Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and its Bill of Rights,
the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, the Statue of
Liberty, the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the Capitol, the Supreme
Court and the White House. They cannot coexist with these ideals, these
principles, these institutions and these symbols. So they cannot
survive, much less prevail, in the same world as America.
America is not today, or ever, without imperfections and shortcomings.
Implementation of our lofty ideals has never been without error, and
some of our mistakes have been shameful. But the course of our history
has been constant, if occasionally erratic, progress from the
articulation of those lofty ideals to the extension of their reality to
all our people--those who were born here and those, from hundreds of
diverse cultures, who flock here.
There is no segment or class of the world's peoples who have exclusive
claim on the term ``American,'' and no segment of the world's population
to whom that claim has been denied. We welcome 100,000 refugees per year
into this country. Over 650,000 people immigrated legally to America in
the most recent year for which we have reliable statistics. Over five
million people are in this country today who were so desperate to come
here that they did so illegally.
There are more Jews in New York City than in Israel. More Poles in
Chicago then any city in the world except Warsaw. America is home to 39
million Irish-Americans, 58 million German-Americans, 39 million
Hispanic-Americans and nearly a million Japanese-Americans. And there
are seven million Muslims in America, nearly the population of New York
City.
How tragic it is that the agents of the Sept. 11 terrorist acts were
people whom we welcome to this country, and to whom we extended all of
our freedoms, the protections of all of our laws, and the opportunities
this country affords to everyone to travel, work and live. But we
welcome immigrants because nearly all of us are immigrants or
descendants of immigrants who came here to enjoy freedoms, rights,
liberties, and the opportunity, denied elsewhere, to pursue happiness
and prosperity.
Ronald Reagan often said that ``every once in a while, each of us
native-born Americans should make it a point to have a conversation with
someone who is an American by choice.'' Mr. Reagan was fond of quoting
from a letter he received from a man who wrote, ``you can go to live in
Turkey, but you can't become a Turk. You can't go to live in Japan and
become Japanese, [and so on for Germany, France, etc.]. But . . . anyone
from any corner of the world can come to America and be an American.''
So it is particularly sad and a bitter irony that the 19 savages who
took the lives of thousands of Americans were able to come here because
we welcomed them, and trusted them, and allowed them to learn to fly our
airplanes and gave them the freedom to travel. They took these precious
gifts and turned them into instruments of hatred and death.
It has, I suppose, always caused some resentment that we believe so
passionately and unquestioningly that the freedoms we value should
belong to all people. But we know that these are enduring values. We can
debate nearly everything else, but we don't need to debate that. We know
that these principles lift everyone up.
We have now been reminded, in the most horrible way, that there are
those who not only hate our principles, but who would dedicate their
lives--and surrender their lives--to banish those ideals and the
incentives they provide for tyrannized and impoverished people
everywhere to do what Americans did in 1776. We have tragically learned
again, in the most unthinkable fashion, that our values and our
principles are neither self-executing nor self-sustaining, and that we
must sacrifice and fight to maintain what our forebears sacrificed and
fought to bequeath to us.
And now the rest of the world is learning again that Americans will
not flinch from that fight or tire of it. Americans will fight, they
will sacrifice, and they will not give up or leave the job unfinished.
This war is for all living Americans. It is for the parents,
grandparents and great-grandparents that fought and sacrificed to come
here. And it is for our children and generations to come. And it is for
those who choose to become Americans in the future.
America will not lose this war because we cannot even consider that we
will lose what centuries of Americans fought to create, improve and
maintain. We cannot, and we will not, betray the people who gave us this
glorious heritage. We cannot and will not, dishonor or wash away the
memories of those who somehow clawed their way out of poverty, tyranny
and persecution to come to this country because it was America, and
because they were willing to risk death to become Americans, and to give
their children and grandchildren the opportunity and freedom and
inspiration that makes this place America. Americans could no longer
call themselves Americans if they could walk away from that legacy.
People who write for newspapers and who offer opinions on television,
or who send advice to us from other parts of the world, sometimes say
that America is too rich, lazy, complacent, frightened, soft and
enervated to fight this fight. That we have no stamina, strength, will,
patience, or steel. That we will collapse.
They are so wrong. We will prevail for the very reason that we have
been attacked. Because we are Americans. Because the values that made us
free, make us strong; because the principles that made us prosperous,
make us creative, resourceful, innovative, determined and fiercely
protective of our freedoms, our liberties and our rights to be
individuals and to aspire to whatever we choose to be. Those values and
those characteristics will lift us and will defeat the black forces who
have assaulted our ideals, our country and our people.
The very qualities that bring immigrants and refugees to this country
in the thousands every day, made us vulnerable to the attack of Sept.
11, but those are also the qualities that will make us victorious and
unvanquished in the end.
Tuesday, September 17, 2002
ENROLLED BILLS SIGNED
The following enrolled bills, previously signed by the Speaker of the
House, were signed on September 12, 2002, by the President pro tempore
(Mr. Byrd).
H.R. 3917. An act to authorize a national memorial to commemorate the
passengers and crew of Flight 93 who, on September 11, 2001,
courageously gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on our
Nation's Capital, and for other purposes.
H.R. 5207. An act to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 6101 West Old Shakopee Road in Bloomington,
Minnesota, as the ``Thomas E. Burnett, Jr. Post Office Building''.
Wednesday, September 18, 2002
TRIBUTE TO BRADY HOWELL
Hon. Larry E. Craig
of Idaho
Mr. President, the terrorism of September 11 changed America forever,
and it profoundly changed Americans, as well. The people we lost left
behind legacies, the compilation of the meaningful things they
accomplished throughout their lives, actions and words that still touch
their friends and families after their deaths. Those legacies inspire
all of us with the bravery and courage of the human spirit, and also
remind us of the precious frailty of life.
Brady Howell lost his life in the attack on the Pentagon. This letter,
written by Brady's brother, Carson Howell, to commemorate the 1-year
anniversary of that terrible event, articulates the legacy Brady left
behind. I would like to enter this letter into the Congressional Record
so all my colleagues can remember the great example these Americans are
to us. In the words of Carson Howell, ``The men and women who perished
that day are not heroes because of how they died; they are heroes
because of how they lived.''
Let me read the letter in its entirety:
Today is a sad day for our family. Not just our family, but also
families just like the Vauk family, the Conaty family, the Andrews
family, and thousands of others. It's a sad day for our American family
as we all remember and pay tribute to the thousands of friends, family,
and fellow Americans that lost their lives 1 year ago today. It's a day
that many will remember as the day we learned that heroes aren't found
only in comic books. No, there are heroes greater than Superman and my
brother is one of them.
Brady Kay Howell loved this country. He was an Eagle Scout. He loved
children and taught the youth in Sunday School classes while living in
New York and later Virginia. He loved his family and actually had plans
to return to Idaho that following weekend for a welcome home party for
my parents and for my wedding reception. He loved his wife, Liz, to whom
he'd been married for only five short years.
Brady was working in naval intelligence as an intern. Shortly before
his death, he and I had a telephone conversation. In it he told me that
one of his goals in his life was to have top-secret clearance. I'm proud
to say that he accomplished that goal.
I could go on and on about how great my brother was. But, if it were
he speaking here today, he wouldn't use this opportunity to speak of his
accomplishments. I believe that he would talk about service. He would
talk about what a great country this is that we live in and how proud he
was to serve and protect all of us.
The work that Brady and many others did that died that day was for all
of us. Brady prepared briefings for the Chief of Naval Intelligence and
other high-ranking officials so that they could best be informed of how
to protect us--the American public. Every day he was protecting our
country. Every day he was fighting for our freedoms that we enjoy. To
Brady, it didn't matter how much money you had, it didn't matter what
the color of your skin was, it didn't matter which religion you
believed. To Brady, what mattered were the people.
Ongoing community service initiatives to commemorate Brady's
commitment to public service are being conducted in the Washington,
D.C., area and there are plans for at least one such initiative in Utah.
Generous contributions from all over the country have allowed us to
create an endowed memory in Brady's name to continue the influence of
his story. These contributions will also support an endowed lecture
series in Brady's name that has been established and now approved by the
BYU-Idaho Board of Trustees.
I miss Brady very much. I remember with fondness building bases and
battling with our G.I. Joe action figures, waking up early Saturday
morning to watch the ``Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show'' together, and
climbing trees together. I always looked up to Brady and for me, he was
always a hero. As his story is told, others are hearing about the hero
whom I was privileged enough to call ``brother.''
September 11 wasn't the first day that this country has known heroes,
nor will it be the last. We should take this time to pay tribute not
only to the heroes of September 11, but all of the heroes that have
fought for freedom. Thousands of men and women are working today to
protect us from evil. The men and women who perished that day are not
heroes because of how they died; they are heroes because of how they
lived. Heroes are the men and women who have put themselves in harms way
for the cause of democracy and freedom since long before September 11,
2001. Heroes are the men and women who serve each day to protect people
they will never know. Heroes are the men and women who spend more waking
hours caring for and about others than they do for themselves. Let us
remember the heroes of September 11, 2001, along with the heroes who
stood before, who stand now, and who are preparing to stand against
evil. Because it is to all of you who have served this country, have
given your children for the service of America, and are currently
serving that we, the American people, pay tribute this day; the
firefighters, the police officers, the emergency medical crews, and the
soldiers of freedom.
If the mark of a hero is one that cares about and fights for others, I
hope that the destruction of September 11 has facilitated the
construction of tomorrow's heroes. Wouldn't the greatest honor that we
could pay to those that perished be if we could follow their example and
give of ourselves as they did? We may not be called upon to die for this
country, but we are all called upon to live for it. This country doesn't
need more martyrs, but this country could use more doers.
Tens of thousands have given their time and tens of thousands have
given their lives for America; this ``one nation, under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'' To be ``one nation,''
we need to be one state, one neighborhood, one home. Let us rededicate
ourselves as we did after September 11, to being Americans. Never in my
life before September 11, had I seen such a display and attitude of
patriotism. We were friendlier, we were more patient, and we looked out
for each other. I wish that those who died that day could have seen the
America that we became. We became strong and united. We showed forth the
America that we always should have been; the America that those men and
women sacrificed their lives for. Let us honor all of the heroes of
America by not letting their sacrifices be in vain. Let us continue
their legacies. Let us live for what they died for--The United States of
America.
Thursday, September 19, 2002
THE POEM AMERICAN PRIDE
Hon. Mary L. Landrieu
of Louisiana
Mr. President, the events of September 11 were very tragic and very
traumatic for our Nation, especially our children. This poem, written by
10-year-old James Dillon Hughes of Bourg, LA, demonstrates, very simply,
what is great about America. In these few lines James captures the
spirit of his country, stronger now than ever before. It is our job to
ensure that the freedoms we enjoy now will still ring true for our
children and future generations to follow. James wrote this on September
13, 2001, only 2 days after the terrible events of September 11. Even
after those tragic events, James was still able to show his American
pride. I was so moved upon reading this poem that I ask that it be
printed in the Record.
The poem follows:
American Pride
(By James Dillon Hughes)
I am proud to be an American
I am proud to be free
I'm proud to be able to choose anything I want to
be.
I can be a doctor, a lawyer or a priest
Because I live in a country
That allows me to be free.
Our country was somewhat divided
Now it has united
Let's keep it strong and free.
Where leaders teach and guide us
Always stand beside us
And show us the way to be.
Our country is rich
Our army is strong
Living in America
Could never be wrong.
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
NEW JERSEY TASK FORCE ONE
Hon. Robert G. Torricelli
of New Jersey
Mr. President, I rise today to bring to the attention of the Senate
the outstanding efforts and contributions of the New Jersey Task Force
One Urban Search and Rescue Team.
On September 11, 2001, at approximately 9 a.m., New Jersey Task Force
One was activated and deployed to the World Trade Center attack.
Requested by New York City's Office of Emergency Management, New Jersey
Task Force One had an advance team in New York City by 11:15 a.m. The
team's entire equipment cache, along with 140 members was set up at the
Jacob Javits Center by 2 p.m. that same day. They deployed search assets
to search for survivors during the afternoon and evening of the 11th and
for the next 10 days they worked continuously as part of the urban
search and rescue effort.
In a short period of time, New Jersey Task Force One became an
integral part of the rescue efforts. The team was integrated into the
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue System and was included in the FEMA Urban
Search and Rescue Action Planning. The well-equipped New Jersey Task
Force One had the ability to lend critical equipment to some of the
responding FEMA teams and developed an excellent working relationship
with many of these teams. Structural engineers and planners from New
Jersey Task Force One were used by the FEMA Incident Support Team to
brief the incoming FEMA teams as they rotated into New York City.
FEMA gave an operational performance evaluation to New Jersey Task
Force One for their participation related to the World Trade Center
operations. New Jersey Task Force One was rated as superior in six out
of nine categories. Those categories included attitude, initiative,
consideration for personnel welfare, obtain necessary equipment and
supplies, physical ability for the job, and safety.
With valor and honor, the members of New Jersey Task Force One have
proven themselves as one of the finest urban search and rescue teams in
the country. It is for these reasons that my colleague, Senator Corzine
and I introduced S. 2618 to designate New Jersey Task Force One as the
29th national urban and search rescue team.
New Jersey Task Force One was formed in 1997 and they have used the
FEMA urban search and rescue guidelines in its development. The team is
organized under the New Jersey State Police Office of Emergency
Management Domestic Preparedness and Hazardous Material Planning and
Emergency Response Unit. The State provides an annual budget of $1.5
million to support New Jersey Task Force One.
The team consists of 180 members from over 100 different fire, police
and EMS agencies throughout the State. Over the past few years, New
Jersey Task Force One has purchased the necessary cache of equipment,
based on the FEMA equipment list, and has trained its members to FEMA
urban search and rescue standards. New Jersey Task Force One is in the
process of purchasing weapons of mass destruction response equipment.
The 180 courageous men and women of New Jersey Task Force One have
dedicated their lives to saving others. They have proven themselves to
be highly qualified to join FEMA's urban search and rescue system. I
strongly believe that New Jersey Task Force One would enhance FEMA's
urban search and rescue program. I urge the FEMA Director to include New
Jersey Task Force One as the 29th FEMA urban search and rescue team.
Thursday, September 26, 2002
Hon. Hillary Rodham Clinton
of new york
Mr. President, on September 12, 2001, hundreds of thousands of New
Yorkers woke up to a changed world. Thousands had lost family, friends
and coworkers to the terrorist attacks of September 11 and hundreds of
thousands more New Yorkers had lost their jobs. America watched the
scenes of New York and felt pride in the firefighters, the police
officers, the emergency workers, and the construction workers who had
all fled to Ground Zero to help with recovery.
Monday, September 30, 2002
HOMELAND SECURITY
Hon. Joseph I. Lieberman
of Connecticut
As the Senator from Utah said, we never want to give the impression we
do not think the employees who will move to this Department are as
concerned about homeland security as we and the rest of the American
people are. In fact, the evidence before us is quite ample that Federal
employees are concerned.
The stories are legion and numerous of Federal employees--I think of
FEMA employees--they were somewhere else and they rushed to the Pentagon
to be of help; they flew to New York; they worked hours and hours of
overtime. Of course, the most vivid demonstration of the way in which
union membership is not inconsistent with national service or sacrifice
is the firefighters in New York, several hundred of whom were off duty
on September 11. When they heard what had happened, they just rushed to
the scene. Nobody was thinking about whether this was supposed to be a
day off under the collective bargaining agreement, what risks they were
assuming, or they were going to be asked to do things that were not
quite in their job description. Needless to say, a lot of them not only
rushed into the building, but they never came out.
Tuesday, October 1, 2002
EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION ACT OF 2002
Hon. Edward M. Kennedy
of Massachusetts
I want to speak today about America's workers. We live in a Nation
forever changed by the tragic events of September 11. The dreadful
images seared into our memories on that fateful day were grim proof to
every American that we are vulnerable to grave new threats. We must take
the necessary steps to protect America from these new dangers. We must
act wisely as we create a new Department of Homeland Security. We must
ensure that our actions truly enhance, rather than diminish, our
Nation's security. And we must meet our security needs in ways that
reflect the values that make America the envy of the world.
As we debate the formation of this new agency, we should remember the
events of September 11 and the heroism of our Nation's union workers in
the cause of homeland security. Union members risked and lost their
lives and saved countless others through their actions on September 11.
We will never forget the example that firefighters, construction workers
and many government workers set that day.
Union workers have also shown great bravery and extraordinary
sacrifice in the service of homeland security since September 11. The
postal workers and the hospital worker killed as a result of
bioterrorism were all union members. The brave flight attendant, whom
the President recognized in the State of the Union Address for
preventing terrorism, is a member of a union.
The dedication and resolve of these union members truly represents the
best of America. Over 43,000 of the Federal workers affected by the
proposed government reorganization are currently union members. These
are the workers who risk their lives each day to protect our Nation's
borders. They are the workers from the Federal Emergency Management
Authority who coordinated the Federal emergency response on September
11. These workers are out every day on the high seas to rescue those in
need and to prevent dangerous cargo from reaching our shores. They are
also the workers dedicated to making our Nation safer from the threat of
bioterrorism.
Among the ranks of unionized Federal workers are true heroes who have
served their Nation with distinction in battle and are now contributing
to our Nation as civilian employees and as active members of their
community. I am talking about Federal workers like Robert J. Patterson,
who was awarded the Purple Heart Medal and the Bronze Star and many
other honors for his service in Vietnam. He was ambushed and shot in the
legs, the stomach and the shoulder while on patrol in Vietnam, but he
still managed to call for backup and save the lives of many other
members of his squad. For nearly 20 years now, Mr. Patterson has worked
as a civilian employee for the Federal Government, and he now serves as
vice commander of his local VFW post and is active with the Boy Scouts
and as a mentor for troubled youth.
Dedicated Federal workers like Mr. Patterson take pride in their work,
love their country, and have served it with distinction for decades.
Nearly half a million Federal workers are veterans of our Nation's armed
services. Veterans are represented at twice the rate in the Federal
workforce as in the private sector. Disabled veterans, those who have
paid a great price for serving this Nation, are five times more likely
to work in the Federal Government as the private sector.
On September 11, unionized Federal workers were on the scene and
played critical roles at both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as
they worked round the clock to make our homeland secure. Denise Dukes,
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, worked a 24-hour shift in
Washington on September 11 to ensure that food and water was reaching
the rescue personnel at Ground Zero. Afterward, she left her two
children to go to New York and coordinate the response and recovery
effort on the ground. As Ms. Dukes explains of her fellow Federal
workers: ``We were proud and eager to serve our fellow Americans, and we
would never allow anything to stand in the way of that mission.''
Michael Brescio, who works for the Environmental Protection Agency's
Response Team, got tens of thousands of urgently needed respirators to
the rescue workers at Ground Zero immediately after the attack. Far away
in Kodiak, AK, Mark Andrew Jamison went on high security alert in order
to protect our Nation's coastline. Mr. Jamison, a veteran of our
Nation's armed services who was entrusted with a top secret security
clearance, loves his job because, as he put it: ``Above all . . . I'm a
patriot like the hundreds of thousands of other Federal employees who
keep our country secure and safe day-in and day-out.''
We must protect the rights of these dedicated Federal workers to
remain union members and we must allow other workers in the new
department to exercise their fundamental right to form a union.
REFLECTING ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11
Hon. John Ensign
of Nevada
Mr. President, 1 year ago, this Nation stood united. Together we
mourned, prayed, and hoped. We hugged our loved ones a little bit longer
and a little bit tighter. Our hearts wept for the thousands of families
who unexpectedly and unbelievingly lost a husband or wife, a mother or
father, a son or daughter at the hands of evil.
It's hard to believe that an entire year has passed since that surreal
day. While we have observed holidays, celebrated milestones, and
continued with life, there are still daily reminders of the horrific
events of 1 year ago. Flags still fly more frequently than before,
security precautions still cause delay, and our hearts still weigh heavy
when we think about the dreams that were cut short that tragic day.
As we remember September 11, I encourage you to make today a day of
introspection and compassion.
Remember where you were last year when you heard the news. Remember
the footage you watched in disbelief. Remember the pain you felt in your
heart. Take those images with you throughout the day. Make it a point to
leave work on time, have dinner with your family, talk to each other
about what today means, and hug your loved ones a little bit longer and
a little bit tighter.
On your own or as a family, consider doing something for your
community in honor of the victims of 9/11. It can be donating blood,
making a financial contribution to a needy cause, or giving your time
and energy to a worthwhile organization.
I hope that we can all make today a positive and meaningful
opportunity to unite our communities in helping others and honoring the
victims of 9/11. Together we will send a strong message to the world
that Americans remain united. Time will not steal our memory of the
victims and attacks of September 11.
Friday, October 4, 2002
ADDITIONAL COSPONSORS
S. 1434
At the request of Mr. Specter, the name of the Senator from Michigan
(Ms. Stabenow) was added as a cosponsor of S. 1434, a bill to authorize
the President to award posthumously the Congressional Gold Medal to the
passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 in the aftermath of the
terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2001.
Tuesday, October 15, 2002
MASSACHUSETTS MEMORIAL SERVICE
Hon. Edward M. Kennedy
of Massachusetts
Mr. President, I am honored to join all of you, the families of loved
ones from across our Commonwealth who lost their lives last September
11.
We come to this birthplace of liberty to remember, to give honor, and
to express our resolve.
All around us in this historic place are the images of famous leaders
who brought life and nationhood to the ideals that were attacked a year
ago, on a day whose dawn had seemed almost uniquely American in its
sunny optimism.
Etched on the wall around this stage are the names of heroes who gave
their lives for our country on September 11, 2001. The list is
heartbreaking, and it goes on and on. These heroes were famous in a
different way, famous to their friends for their fabled jumpshot in a
neighborhood park, or prized in their firms for a brilliance tempered by
laughter, or celebrated by their young children as superheroes, able to
launch them into the air with an easy toss, and always there to catch
them. They expected to pass the ball again, to make another trade or
tell another joke, to come home that night and read a bedtime story.
Then they were gone, in the darkness at mid-morning which succeeded
that sunny dawn. We mourn them for the years that were too few and the
hopes that were unfulfilled. We praise them for the way they lived, and
in so many cases for the bravery in the way they died. And we as a
country, as a community, as friends and neighbors and family, hold them
in our hearts.
I spoke with a member of almost every family in Massachusetts who lost
a loved one on the planes, or at Ground Zero in New York, or at the
Pentagon. To those left behind, I say on this sad day: I know something
of what you feel. To lose someone you love, and to lose them so
suddenly, so unexpectedly, so terribly, to see them torn out of the
fabric of life, is almost more than one can bear.
And then, although we know the passage of a year cannot heal that
memory, we move on, because we have to, because they would want us to,
and because there is still light left in the world, including the love
they left us.
In a different time of grief, my brother Robert Kennedy quoted the
ancient poet Aeschylus:
In our sleep, pain, which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the
heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through
the awful grace of God.
May God, this year and every year and every day, grant that grace to
you the families.
And for all of us, there is something else that comes from last
September 11. From the pain that day have come both wisdom and will.
We have learned anew the wisdom that as Americans, we are many, but we
are also one.
On flight 93, there was a unity of purpose and a fierce pride.
Passengers who had never met before became a band of brothers and
sisters, sacrificing their lives so that others might live. Many other
individual acts of courage saved more lives than we can know or count at
Ground Zero and the Pentagon.
People all across the country and of all ages asked what they could
do, from giving their blood, to clearing rubble at the World Trade
Center, to giving their dollars, to lending a shoulder to their neighbor
to cry on. In countless ways, we came together, and founded a new
American spirit of service to others.
The terrorists taught us a lesson different from the one they
expected. They acted with hate, but we reached out to comfort and
support one another with love. No one asked whether the rescuer leading
them down the packed stairwell of the World Trade Center was rich or
poor, Anglo or African-American or Hispanic, gay or straight. We gained
a new determination as Americans to reject discrimination in all its
hateful forms.
Out of the pain that day, Americans understood more powerfully than
perhaps ever before the pledge of ``liberty and justice for all.''
To help those in need;
To give hope;
To share what we have;
To see suffering and try to heal it--
That is our lesson from this tragedy, and it is wisdom that must guide
us over time. The new American spirit of service can and must become a
new era of commitment to the ideals of compassion, equality,
opportunity, and concern for one another. We as a society seek to save a
life when a terrorist strikes, and we as a society must do as much when
the terror or a dread disease strikes, or the terror of poverty steals
opportunity.
May that legacy of 9/11, that legacy of love and compassion and
caring, become our enduring tribute to all those who were lost.
Out of that day also came a new sense of national resolve and will. We
are at war today, with a terrorism that has plagued too many places for
too many years, and that has finally struck at the heart of America.
This is a conflict we did not seek, but must win, not alone for
ourselves, but for the cause of freedom, tolerance and human rights
around the world.
The ideas and ideals created long ago in this great hall have shaped
the dreams of countless millions yearning to be free.
Now, as the greatest power on Earth, we have a responsibility. Our
gifts of strength and wealth and values can decide that the future will
belong to the forces of hope and not to hate.
This brighter future depends on victory against terrorism. It demands
that we then continue in a long, tireless endeavor to make the world not
only safer for us, but better for all. In our determination to defeat
those who have attacked our people and our principles, we truly are
``one Nation under God, indivisible.''
How true that was, how deeply we felt it, a year ago today. Together
that day, we hurt and feared and hoped and prayed. And together now, we
will prevail.
God bless all who were lost and all who lost them. God give us
strength, and the wisdom to use it well. God bless America.
MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE
At 1:05 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered
by Ms. Niland, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has
agreed to the following concurrent resolution, in which it requests the
concurrence of the Senate:
H. Con. Res. 487. Concurrent resolution authorizing the printing as a
House document of a volume consisting of the transcripts of the
ceremonial meeting of the House of Representatives and Senate in New
York City on September 6, 2002, and a collection of statements by
Members of the House of Representatives and Senate from the
Congressional Record on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Thursday, October 17, 2002
AMERICA'S STRENGTHENED RESOLVE
Hon. Rick Santorum
of Pennsylvania
Mr. President, this year, we did not wait passively for September to
arrive; we began preparing weeks ago to greet this month with offerings
of memorial in hand. At services across the Commonwealth and in
remembrances around the country, last fall's attacks have again drawn
the focus of our Nation. There is a new sentiment this time around,
though, one that is hopeful, grateful, more determined, and less
confused.
For all of us, it has been a week of reflection on the losses and
lessons of the attack that changed our history and our lives. The
destruction wrought by a hateful few was intended to unravel America's
strength, but it has only made us stronger. And from this strength, we
have come to understand that the tragedy of last September 11 has in
fact blessed us with an opportunity. The attacks are still tangible in
Pennsylvania, and so we take this opportunity very seriously, proud to
have a part in creating a positive legacy for 9/11. It was aboard the
plane that crashed in Shanksville that America's response to terrorism
first began.
Somerset County, for this reason, will be a symbol of the heroism and
sacrifice that a few brave, ordinary citizens chose to exhibit when
faced with the most difficult and dangerous situation of their lives.
Shanksville, the World Trade towers, and the Pentagon can all be
reminders of what the American spirit is capable of overcoming, of what
Todd Beamer meant when he said, ``Let's roll,'' if we as a Nation choose
to make it so. The anniversary of September 11 should, therefore, be
about the resolve to honor the memories of all those lost to the
terrorist attacks by living to make ourselves, our communities, and our
country better.
Looking back over the past 12 months, the most inspiring aspect of the
national recovery effort was the compassion, cooperation, and concern
that citizens across the country shared with one another. Through the
charity of time, prayer, blood, consolation, money, and other
expressions of support, Americans exhibited a good will that is rarely
seen so universally, but comes so naturally to us all at times of
crisis. As we settle back into our normal, peaceful lives, however, this
good will tends to steal away from us. As a result, our collective
awareness of a common humanity and a world view larger than our own
backyards also begins to fade. In the aftermath of 9/11 and the years to
follow the shock of terrorism on our soil, we must renew the commitment
we have to our neighbors, our communities, and our Nation. Across the
country, we can make the courage and responsibility displayed by the
heroes at Ground Zero endure. In this way, we will triumph over evil and
devastation, and we can try to make sense out of all that we have
suffered.
When I first visited the cratered field in Shanksville, and when I
returned to that crash site this week, I was struck by the importance of
our continued hope. I was also inspired by the strength of those flight
93 family members, now carrying the torches of their loved ones who gave
their last measure of bravery for our Nation. I have resolved to make
every day a memorial to September 11 by working to keep the bigger
picture in mind and a better world in sight. I hope you will find your
own way to keep and exhibit this renewed American spirit in your lives.
May God bless you and our great country.
IN CELEBRATION OF THE WOMEN AT GROUND ZERO
Hon. Barbara Boxer
of california
Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to share with the
Senate my thoughts on 33 women who courageously served as rescue and
medical workers, firefighters and police officers in New York City on
September 11, 2001.
It is my great honor to recognize the extraordinary contributions made
by these rescue workers who bravely worked to save lives at Ground Zero
in New York City during the horror of September 11, 2001. The selfless
actions of these women helped heal our country during a time of national
tragedy. On September 11, we found out as a Nation what heroism truly
is, how strong and united we can be, how we can set aside differences
for the greater good and work together. And these women helped show us
the way.
Some wonderful people in my home State of California are bringing
these women to Sonoma County for an all-expense-paid week in the wine
country to pay tribute to their heroism. I want to send my warmest
thanks to Susan Hagen and Mary Carouba, authors of ``Women at Ground
Zero,'' who wanted to make sure that the contributions of women rescue
workers were recognized and honored along with their male counterparts.
In honor of their incredible efforts on September 11 and the important
work they do every day, I am going to read the names of 30 women who
worked at Ground Zero and then I will remember 3 women rescue workers
who lost their lives on September 11, 2001: Detective Jennifer
Abramowitz; Rose Arce, who is not a rescue worker but who was doing a
live broadcast next to Ground Zero on September 11 in order to get vital
escape and rescue information out; Lt. Doreen Ascatigno; Cpt. Brenda
Berkman; Maureen Brown; Tracy Donahoo; Major Kally Eastman; Bonnie
Giebfried; Lt. Kathleen Gonczi; Sarah Hallett, PhD; Cpt. Rochelle
``Rocky'' Jones; Sue Keane; Tracy Lewis; Patty Lucci; Christine Mazzola;
Lt. Ella McNair; Cpt. Marianne Monahan; Lt. Amy Monroe; Lois Mungay;
Cpt. Janice Olszewski; Carol Paukner; Sgt. Carey Policastro; Mercedes
Rivera; Lt. Kim Royster; Maureen McArdle-Schulman; Major Molly
Shotzberger; JoAnn Spreen; Cpt. Terri Tobin; Nancy Ramos-Williams; and
Regina Wilson.
I also want the following names to be memorialized today: Yamel
Merino, emergency medical technician; Cpt. Kathy Mazza, commanding
officer of the Police Academy at the Port Authority Police Department;
and Moira Smith, police officer with the New York Police Department. All
three of these women sacrificed their lives on September 11, 2001, in
their heroic efforts to save the lives of others.
None of us is untouched by the terror of September 11, and many
Californians were part of each tragic moment of that tragic day. I offer
today this tribute to the heroic women who worked tirelessly and
selflessly at Ground Zero. I want to assure the families of Yamel
Merino, Cpt. Kathy Mazza, and Officer Moira Smith that their mothers,
daughters, aunts, and sisters will not be forgotten. And we will always
be grateful to the brave men and women who worked tirelessly and
selflessly at Ground Zero.
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
INDEPENDENT COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS
Hon. John McCain
of Arizona
Mr. President, the legislation Senator Lieberman and I introduced last
year to create an independent commission to investigate the September 11
attacks passed the Senate as an amendment to the homeland security bill
by a vote of 90 to 8 in September. Days before the vote, the
administration issued a letter supporting the creation of an independent
commission. But Congress is about to adjourn without having done so.
The agreement that was reached on the homeland security bill is a
welcome development and will make our Nation more secure. But the agreed
text does not include our independent commission proposal, despite an
overwhelming Senate vote in September and despite its previous inclusion
in both the Lieberman and Gramm-Miller bills.
I believe President Bush and his team have responded admirably and
with a sense of purpose to the terrorist attacks, and the joint
intelligence committee investigation into the associated intelligence
failings has added to our understanding of what went wrong. But neither
the administration nor Congress is alone capable of conducting a
thorough, nonpartisan, independent inquiry into what happened on
September 11, or to propose far-reaching measures to protect our people
and our institutions against such assault in the future.
To this day, we have little information on how 19 men armed with
boxcutters could have so effectively struck America. After every other
such tragedy in our Nation's history, like Pearl Harbor and President
Kennedy's assassination, independent investigations were immediately
appointed to examine what went wrong and recommend needed reforms to
prevent such tragedies from happening again. There has been no such
review since September 11.
This is what our proposed commission would do. Its goal would be to
make a full accounting of the circumstances surrounding the attacks,
including how prepared we were, and how well we responded to this
unprecedented assault. The commission would also make comprehensive
recommendations on how to protect our homeland in the future. It would
examine not just intelligence but the range of government agencies and
policies, from border control to aviation security to diplomacy.
Learning the lessons of September 11 will require asking hard
questions. It will require digging deep into the resources of the full
range of government agencies. It will demand objective judgment into
what went wrong, what we did right, and what else we need to do to deter
and defeat depraved assaults by our enemies in the future.
No such review has occurred to date. Passage of the homeland security
legislation is a good start to making needed reforms, but to some extent
we are flying blind in our efforts to reform our approach to homeland
defense because we still do not know what parts and policies of the
government failed the American people last September 11.
We do know, thanks to press leaks and the work of the joint
intelligence committee, that significant failures occurred.
The chairman and ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee
have suggested we might have prevented the September 11 attacks had we
properly analyzed available information. They strongly support our
independent commission legislation to carry on the work their joint
intelligence investigation started. Together with Senators Bob Graham
and Dick Shelby, we have been negotiating intensively with the White
House and remain hopeful we might reach an agreement with them to create
a commission, but we believe Congress must speak on this issue.
The families of September 11 will not rest until they have answers
about how their government let them down and what we can do to make sure
such tragedy never strikes America again. This is not a witch hunt. It
is a search for the answers that will enable us to better protect our
Nation against future attack by terrorists. It is about the future, not
the past. It is worthy of the strong bipartisan support it has already
received. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
I want to thank my friend from Connecticut for his efforts on behalf
of this commission. I want to thank him for his efforts on behalf of the
families, and I want to thank the White House for their continued
negotiations. It is time we wrapped up these negotiations so this
commission can be part of the homeland security bill.
Hon. Joseph I. Lieberman
of Connecticut
Mr. President, I thank my dear friend from Arizona for his strong
statement, for joining me in introducing this amendment, and for his
characteristic steadfastness in pursuit of an important cause regardless
of the opposition and where it comes from.
He and I introduced legislation last December. We are approaching a
year ago. It was a few months after the tragic attacks of September 11.
We felt there should be an independent citizen commission, nonpartisan,
with full powers of subpoena and adequate resources to investigate how
could September 11 have happened, because clearly the fact it did happen
said we were not adequately protecting the American people. We were
insistent that this kind of investigation occur so we could learn how to
prevent it from ever happening again.
There have been roadblocks along the way, but we have continued to
state, and we state again, we are not going to give up this fight until
such an independent commission is created because we cannot rest until
the truth and the whole truth, so help us God, as best as anyone is able
to find it, is determined about September 11. Because without that
unlimited, unvarnished, uninhibited truth, we are not going to be able
to inform this new Department of Homeland Security adequately.
This measure of ours passed the Senate earlier this year when we were
considering the homeland security measure. It passed overwhelmingly with
bipartisan support. In fact, the so-called Gramm-Miller substitute
incorporated this provision, which I was very grateful to Senator Gramm
and Senator Miller for doing, and Senator McCain was a great advocate
for that cause.
In the substitute introduced by Senator Thompson, in coordination with
the White House and the House, the commission proposal is not in it, and
that is not acceptable. Senator McCain has said happily we continue to
negotiate with the White House up until this moment, hopeful that an
agreement can be secured that will create the aggressive, independent,
nonpolitical commission this tragedy requires. But if it is not, and we
have not reached an agreement yet, we are going to do everything we can
to reinsert this commission into this homeland security bill where it
belongs.
I think I can say for my friend from Arizona and myself if for some
reason that does not work, we are going to keep introducing it wherever
and whenever we think we can get a vote that will make it law. We owe
this to the families of the September 11 victims.
I have met with them, as Senator McCain has, several times. Their
desire for this commission is in some ways the strongest and most
compelling argument anyone can make on its behalf, because they asked us
and they asked America, having lost loved ones, how could September 11
have happened? We owe them an answer to that question, and we have not
given it to them yet.
As Senator McCain said, the work by the Joint Intelligence Committee
has revealed information, media investigations have revealed
information, that only increases our understanding of how much more we
need to know. The Senate coleaders of the Intelligence Committee,
Senator Graham and Senator Shelby, are now strong supporters of this
commission idea.
Going back to the families of the September 11 victims, I do want to
say the persistent advocacy of these families, led by Steve Push,
Kristen Breitweiser, Mary Fetchet, Beverly Eckert, and so many others,
despite their great personal loss, has inspired not only my deep
admiration but our continuing commitment to fight for this commission
until it comes to fruition. We are not interested in pointing fingers.
This is all about our common security, and improving it is our common
responsibility.
I hope our colleagues will join us in supporting this amendment to the
homeland security bill and restoring this provision to create an
independent commission on September 11.
It is the clear desire of the families of the victims of September 11
that this commission be created by Congress. We ought to create it. This
was a national catastrophe.
As we create a Department of Homeland Security to protect the American
people from that ever happening again--as the representatives of all the
people of this country, all of them in this terrible new era we have
entered, potentially victims of terrorism--ought to say loudly and
together, hopefully together with the administration, we can never know
too much about how September 11 happened. We do not know enough now how
September 11 happened. The one best way to know as much as we can of the
truth about September 11 is to create a strong, nonpolitical commission
with full resources and powers of subpoena to get to the truth.
The day for this commission will come. The arguments for it are
irresistible. Let us hope that day is sooner than later. I thank my
friend from Arizona for his persistence and advocacy. Also, it is an
honor to work with him. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with a lot of
other Members, of both parties, of this body to get this commission
created.
AMERICA'S POWER
Hon. Jeff Sessions
of Alabama
Madam President, I join my colleagues today to commemorate September
11, 2002, and the special joint session of Congress held in New York
City. Americans are a generous people, with both our time and our money.
We are a people committed to our religious beliefs. We are a people who
place great value on education and the individual. We seek opportunity
at every turn for our children, and we strive to take care of those who
are elderly, infirm, and less fortunate.
We are also a people who take great pride in the protections we
collectively offer one another through a common defense. We wear most
humbly the mantle of ``super power.''
Last September 11, our collective vulnerability in securing the
borders of our Nation was made known to all. In those initial chaotic
hours, we watched the opening battle of what is now called the ``war on
terror.''
Like many States, Alabama lost sons and daughters that day. Indeed,
five Alabamians died in the Pentagon. Families were broken and great
symbols of our might and entrepreneurial achievement made waste. We
felt, and I believe we still feel, a collective pain in our hearts that
will never heal. But the world has witnessed the development of a new
resolve among Americans. A resolve too quiet for too long.
In the past year, we have taken a long and hard look at our defense
posture. We have found great problems that must be fixed. We have found
strength. We have committed our uniform services to battle, and we must
give our President tools and the authority to get the job done.
Nearly a year has elapsed. Our emotions still run high.
America is demanding much from itself and its governmental leaders.
The creation of the Department of Homeland Security has resulted in a
vigorous and healthy debate and a strong interest in making our homeland
safer and improving our intelligence gathering capabilities.
Fundamentally, the homeland defense debate is about change.
Specifically, it is about protection of American citizens.
I am proud of this country and how we have reacted. Everything has not
been perfect, but great progress has been made. Noted columnist Mr.
Charles Krauthammer recently wrote, ``National character does not change
in a day. September 11 did not alter the American character, it merely
revealed it.'' I could not agree more.
The American character displayed ``courage, resolve, resourcefulness
and above all resilience'' Krauthammer wrote and I agree. We are a great
power and indeed a super power.
We are a nation that believes in freedom and progress and are
forgiving and slow to anger, but when aroused we have proven once again
we can be a terrible force.
Our President is leading us with strength and resolve. Homeland
defense is but a part--an important part--of that resolve. Foreign
policy initiatives, social policy changes and prosecution of the war on
terror are other aspects as well. Of the latter, winning is no simple
matter. Patience, superior planning, and the support of the military are
all required to complete the tasks which lie ahead.
The Nation has met the challenge this year. Now we must work hard as
the memories of the horror of September 11 fade, to finish the job of
making our homeland safe and ensuring that our magnificent military
continues to expand its capabilities and world leadership. We must not
sleep.
CHANDLER RAYMOND KELLER: IN MEMORIAM
Hon. Barbara Boxer
of california
Mr. President, I take this opportunity to share with my colleagues the
memory of one of my constituents, Chandler Keller, of Manhattan Beach,
CA, who lost his life on September 11, 2001. He was a passenger on
American Airlines flight 77. As we all know, that plane crashed into the
Pentagon, killing everyone on board.
Mr. Keller was a 29 year-old lead propulsion engineer and project
manager with Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, CA.
Chandler Keller was known to his family and friends as ``Chad.'' He
was born in Manhattan Beach, CA. Chad mostly grew up there, with the
exception of some time spent in Hong Kong, New York and Sydney,
Australia, due to his father's work assignments with Security Pacific
Corporation.
As a child, Chad enjoyed a great love of rocketry and an avid interest
in space. As a young boy he had an innate ability to understand machines
and how to make them work. In 1993, Chad graduated from the University
of Colorado's aerospace engineering program and pursued his career at
HughesBoeing, working in their satellite launching program.
Chad and his wife, Lisa Hurley Keller, were married on July 22, 2000,
at the Old Mission in Santa Barbara. During their brief time together
Chad and Lisa enjoyed travel, outdoor activities, and most of all, being
with one another.
Chad Keller enjoyed surfing, skiing and snowboarding. He loved to cook
and possessed a wonderful sense of humor. ``He had the ability to bond
with people, and he touched many lives during his short life. He lived
his life to its fullest,'' says his father, Dick Keller.
In celebration of his life, the Keller family established the Chandler
Keller Memorial Scholarship at the University of Colorado. It is to be
awarded to well-rounded aerospace engineering students. Chad was
posthumously awarded the Defense of Freedom Medal for his work with the
Department of Defense in conjunction with Boeing Satellite Systems.
Chad Keller is survived by his wife, Lisa Hurley Keller; parents Kathy
and Dick Keller; brothers Brandon and Gavin; mother-in-law and father-
in-law Shirley Ann and Jim Hurley; and brother-in-law James Hurley.
Mr. President, none of us is untouched by the terror of September 11,
and many Californians were part of each tragic moment of that tragic
day. Some were trapped in the World Trade Center towers. Some were at
work in the Pentagon. And the fates of some were sealed as they boarded
planes bound for San Francisco or Los Angeles.
I offer this tribute to one of the 54 Californians who perished on
that awful morning. I want to assure the family of Chad Keller, and the
families of all the victims, that their fathers and mothers, sons and
daughters, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters will not be forgotten.
DINO XAVIER SUAREZ RAMIREZ: IN MEMORIAM
Hon. Barbara Boxer
of california
Mr. President, I take this opportunity to share with my colleagues the
memory of one of my constituents, Dino Xavier Suarez Ramirez, who lost
his life on September 11, 2001. Mr. Ramirez was a 41-year-old civil
engineer returning to Los Angeles from vacation when the flight he was
on, American Airlines flight 11, was hijacked by terrorists. As we all
know, that plane crashed into the World Trade Center, killing everyone
on board.
Xavier Ramirez was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and completed his
primary and secondary education there, receiving certification in
mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. Mr. Ramirez achieved his
goal of becoming a civil engineer by working during the day and
completing his university studies at night. He majored in civil
engineering at the University Laica Vicenete Rocafuerte de Guayaquil.
``He was very intelligent, and his hobby was reading. He knew very much
about the history of nations because of his reading,'' recalls his
mother, Blanca Vilma Ramirez.
Upon coming to this country, Mr. Ramirez worked to have his degree
recognized here. In his native country of Ecuador he worked in the
construction of roads. His mother further recalls that, ``He worked very
hard and was not afraid of any kind of job, wanting only to go beyond
himself in what he did.'' Xavier Ramirez is survived by his mother,
Blanca and his brother, Klinger David Suarez Ramirez.
Mr. President, none of us is untouched by the terror of September 11,
and many Californians were part of each tragic moment of that tragic
day. Some were trapped in the World Trade Center towers. Some were at
work in the Pentagon. And the fates of some were sealed as they boarded
planes bound for San Francisco or Los Angeles.
I offer today this tribute to one of the 54 Californians who perished
on that awful morning. I want to assure the family of Dino Ramirez, and
the families of all the victims, that their fathers and mothers, sons
and daughters, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters will not be
forgotten.
JOHN D. YAMNICKY, SR.: IN MEMORIAM
Hon. Barbara Boxer
of california
Mr. President, I take this opportunity to share with the Senate the
memory of Capt. John D. Yamnicky, Sr., of Waldorf, MD, who lost his life
on September 11, 2001. He was a passenger on American Airlines flight
77. As we all know, that flight was hijacked by terrorists and crashed
into the Pentagon, killing everyone on board. Captain Yamnicky was a 71-
year-old retired naval aviator who, since his retirement from the U.S.
Navy in 1979, continued to work as a defense contractor for Veridian
Engineering.
Captain Yamnicky was a gentleman and a scholar. He graduated from the
Naval Academy in 1952, and devoted a 26-year career in service to this
country. He served a combat tour in Korea and served two tours in
Southeast Asia flying from aircraft carriers. He earned several military
honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After graduating from the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River,
MD, in 1961, one of his first assignments was to determine the minimum
acceptable airspeed for the A-4 aircraft after a catapult launch from an
aircraft carrier. He was inducted into the Society of Experimental Test
Pilots in recognition of his contributions. In 1963, after that honor,
Captain Yamnicky reported to VA-146 at NAS in Lemoore, CA.
Captain Yamnicky met his wife, Jann, while she was working as a nurse
at Jacksonville Naval Hospital. They married in 1959 and had four
children. Their son John David, of California, said of his father,
``This guy was the head of the family, he made everyone feel safe. If he
ever talked about accomplishing something, it was as a group or a team.
He was a modest man.''
Friend and colleague, Dennis Plautz, commented that, ``John Yamnicky
emphasized teamwork. His style was never to leave a teammate straggling,
rather work with them, help them, encourage them to maximize their
potential.''
He applied this attitude in all areas of his life, including his
community contributions. Captain Yamnicky served on the Board of
Directors at his daughter Lorraine's high school, St. Mary's Academy,
was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and the Elks Lodge. He was
proud of his volunteer contributions to the De La Brooke Foxhounds Hunt
Club, where he and Jann were members for 25 years.
His best times were spent away from the office, riding on a tractor
through the fields of his Waldorf horse farm. ``He loved being out
there. His nature was not to stand around. He was always out in the
fields, always working on something,'' remembers his son, John.
Captain Yamnicky is survived by his wife Jann and their four children,
John, Jr., Lorraine, Mark and Jennifer.
Mr. President, none of us is untouched by the terror of September 11,
and many Californians were part of each tragic moment of that tragic
day. Some were trapped in the World Trade Center towers. Some were at
work in the Pentagon. And the fates of some were sealed as they boarded
planes bound for San Francisco or Los Angeles.
I offer today this tribute to one American who perished on that awful
morning. I want to assure the family of Captain John D. Yamnicky, Sr.,
and the families of all the victims, that their fathers and mothers,
sons and daughters, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters will not be
forgotten.
DOROTHY A. deARAUJO: IN MEMORIAM
Hon. Barbara Boxer
of california
Mr. President, I take this opportunity to share with my colleagues the
memory of one of my constituents, Dorothy A. deAraujo, of Long Beach,
CA, who lost her life on September 11, 2001. Mrs. deAraujo was an 80-
year-old retiree when the flight she was on, United Airlines flight 175,
was hijacked by terrorists. As we all know, that flight crashed into the
World Trade Center killing everyone on board.
Mrs. deAraujo was returning to her home in Long Beach after enjoying a
lengthy visit with her son, Joaquim (``Tim''), his wife Rita and their
two sons, Jonathan and Jason in Bedford, MA.
Dorothy worked as an executive administrative assistant in the
business office of California State University, Long Beach for 20 years.
She retired in 1979 and returned to the university as a student, earning
her bachelor's degree in fine arts. During her retirement, Mrs. deAraujo
traveled extensively and pursued her passion for watercolor painting.
She was a talented artist, and her paintings won several prizes in
various competitions.
During the 1970s Dorothy successfully overcame breast cancer. She was
active in her community and devoted her spare time to the American
Cancer Society. She was especially involved in operating the American
Cancer Society's Discovery Shop in Belmont Shore.
Mr. President, none of us is untouched by the terror of September 11,
and many Californians were part of each tragic moment of that tragic
day. Some were trapped in the World Trade Center towers. Some were at
work in the Pentagon. And the fates of some were sealed as they boarded
planes bound for San Francisco or Los Angeles.
I offer today this tribute to one of the 54 Californians who perished
on that awful morning. I want to assure the family of Dorothy deAraujo,
and the families of all the victims, that their fathers and mothers,
sons and daughters, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters will not be
forgotten.
ALAN BEAVEN: IN MEMORIAM
Hon. Barbara Boxer
of california
Mr. President, I take this opportunity to share with my colleagues the
memory of one of my constituents, Alan Beaven, who lost his life on
September 11, 2001. Mr. Beaven was a 48-year-old environmental lawyer
when the flight he was on, United Airlines flight 93, was hijacked by
terrorists. As we all know, that plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field,
killing everyone on board.
Mr. Beaven was born in New Zealand and was educated at the University
of Auckland, New Zealand where he was a recipient of the Butterworth
Prize. He taught law and practiced in the areas of securities, class
actions and environmental law in New Zealand, England, New York and
California.
Considered one of our Nation's leading environmental lawyers, over the
past 9 years Mr. Beaven prosecuted nearly 100 clean water cases. His law
firm partner, Joe Tabbacco, observes, ``This is an absolutely remarkable
record. Alan's efforts had almost single-handedly cleaned up the waters
in Northern California through his aggressive prosecutions.''
California lost an environmental champion, and Mr. Beaven's family
lost a loving and devoted husband and father. His proudest achievement
was his family. His wife, Kimi Beaven, recalls, ``He would do anything
for his children and spent hour after hour reading to Sonali, playing
ball with John and scuba diving with Chris.''
Mr. Beaven was flying back to California to prosecute one more water
pollution case before taking a sabbatical in India where he was to
volunteer his services as an environmental lawyer. Alan Beaven was one
of many heroes on flight 93 who, aware of the terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon, chose to fight back against the
hijacking terrorists. His voice was recognized by his family on the
cockpit voice recorder, and his remains were found in the wreckage of
the cockpit.
His son John perhaps describes Alan Beaven best when he writes, ``His
love for simplicity and genuine appreciation for the happiness he held
within was not lost on others; friends would always leave his company
with uplifted spirits.''
Mr. President, none of us is untouched by the terror of September 11,
and many Californians were part of each tragic moment of that tragic
day. Some were trapped in the World Trade Center towers. Some were at
work in the Pentagon. And the fates of some were sealed as they boarded
planes bound for San Francisco or Los Angeles.
I offer today this tribute to one of the 54 Californians who perished
on that awful morning. I want to assure the family of Alan Beaven, and
the families of all the victims, that their fathers and mothers, sons
and daughters, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters will not be
forgotten.
Thursday, November 14, 2002
TRIBUTE TO GUIDE DOGS
Hon. Hillary Rodham Clinton
of new york
Madam President, after reading an article in the Saturday Evening Post
about the Germans training dogs to aid veterans blinded during World War
I, Morris Frank, a blind man living in Tennessee, wrote to the author,
``Thousands of blind like me abhor being dependent on others. Help me
and I will help them. Train me and I will bring back my dog and show
people here how a blind man can be absolutely on his own.'' The author,
Dorothy Harrison Eustis, agreed to Mr. Frank's request, and Mr. Frank's
dog Buddy became the first guide dog in America.
That was in 1929 and today there are more than 7,000 guide dogs
serving in America, and 2 performed miracles in New York on September
11.
That morning, Roselle, a yellow labrador retriever and her owner,
Michael Hingson, went to the office on the 78th floor of the World Trade
Center. While Mr. Hingson worked, Roselle slept underneath his desk.
Then the plane hit the South Tower, and what she did next was nothing
short of heroic. She guided Mr. Hingson through the smoke and to the
stairwell. Not only did Roselle help Mr. Hingson down 78 flights of
stairs, but another woman who had been blinded by debris clutched
Roselle's harness until they reached safety.
There was another yellow lab in the World Trade Center named Salty.
His owner, Omar Rivera, worked on the 71st floor of the Port Authority.
After the planes hit, Salty refused to leave Omar's side and walked
through the smoke-filled stairway, broken glass and debris to get Mr.
Rivera and a coworker to safety. Even as the North Tower collapsed and
the debris cloud filled the streets, Salty remained calm, loyal, and
focused on guiding Mr. Rivera to a place free from danger.
These two guide dogs performed their jobs under the most extreme
circumstances. But what they did that day reinforced what guide dogs do
every day--they provide independence to individuals who are blind and
visually impaired so that they can live their life free from
constraints. To serve as another's set of eyes, to navigate busy city
streets, and to keep their owners from harm's way is a responsibility
that only a loyal dog would welcome with no questions asked.
Throughout the United States and around the world, guide dog schools
have given more than 100,000 people the chance to move about the world
with freedom and dignity. Each school offers their guide dogs at no cost
to the owners. All they have to do is apply, attend training, and
promise to care for their dog for the rest of his or her life. The
success of each school is dependent upon thousands of staff, volunteers,
and generous supporters. Many people volunteer to raise puppies,
socialize them and then give them up at the end of the year. And we see
these dogs every day sitting patiently on the subway, stopping at walk
lights, and maneuvering people around hazards that prevent a safe,
straight path. They wear bright colored vests that read ``Guide Dog in
Training.''
Not only did Morris Frank bring the first guide dog to America, he
opened the first school in 1929, the Seeing Eye. Now in every State,
guide dog schools provide an invaluable service. In California, The
Guide Dog School just celebrated its 60th anniversary, and in New York,
the Guide Dog Foundation in Smithtown has assisted New Yorkers and
others from around the world since 1946. And Guiding Eyes for the Blind
in Yorktown Heights has graduated more than 5,000 dogs and owners since
1954.
Each success story is testament that one good idea can transform the
lives of many. But the success of the guide dog schools would not have
occurred without two key components: those who believed that the blind
and visually impaired could lead more independent lives with the right
kind of help, and the dogs, the labrador retrievers, the golden
retrievers, the German shepherds, and other breeds that are ready,
willing, and able to guide their owners through the world.
Every day, thousands of people grab on to the harness and place their
trust in their companion. Some have acted with remarkable heroism like
those on September 11, and we have all heard the stories about guide
dogs waking their owners in the event of a fire and blocking them from
the path of a speeding car. But most go through their days with quiet
dignity and they deserve our utmost respect. Whether they are named
Roselle or Salty or Buddy, they all respond in the same way. That
harness goes on, their eyes open, and they show us that it is possible
to walk through this world with a profound desire to help another so
that life is limitless.
AUTHORIZING PRINTING OF HOUSE DOCUMENT
Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of H. Con. Res. 487 received from the House
and which is now at the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent resolution
by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 47) authorizing the printing as
a House document of a volume consisting of the transcripts of the
ceremonial meeting of the House of Representatives and Senate in New
York City on September 6, 2002, and a collection of statements by
Members of the House of Representatives and Senate from the
Congressional Record on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
concurrent resolution.
Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent
resolution be agreed to; that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the
table; and that any statements relating to the concurrent resolution be
printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 487) was agreed to.