[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 243 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 243


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 31, 2001

        Received and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Public Safety Officer 
 Medal of Valor should be presented to the public safety officers who 
   have perished and select other public safety officers who deserve 
special recognition for outstanding valor above and beyond the call of 
duty in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the United States on 
                          September 11, 2001.

Whereas on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked and destroyed 4 civilian 
        aircraft, crashing 2 of them into the towers of the World Trade Center 
        in New York City, a third into the Pentagon, and a fourth in rural 
        southwest Pennsylvania;
Whereas thousands of innocent Americans and many foreign nationals were killed 
        and injured as a result of these


surprise terrorist attacks, including the passengers and crews of the 4 
aircraft, workers in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, firefighters, 
law enforcement officers, emergency assistance personnel, and bystanders;

Whereas hundreds of public safety officers were killed and injured as a result 
        of these terrorist attacks because they immediately rushed to the aid of 
        innocent civilians who were imperiled when the terrorists first launched 
        their attacks, many of whom would perish when the twin towers of the 
        World Trade Center collapsed upon them;
Whereas thousands more public safety officers are risking their own lives and 
        long-term health in sifting through the aftermath and rubble of these 
        terrorist attacks to recover the dead;
Whereas the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-12; 
        115 Stat. 20) authorizes the President to award and present, in the name 
        of Congress, a Medal of Valor to public safety officers for 
        extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty;
Whereas the Attorney General of the United States has discretion to increase the 
        number of recipients of the Medal of Valor under that Act beyond that 
        recommended by the Medal of Valor Review Board in extraordinary cases in 
        any given year;
Whereas the terrorist attacks in the United States of September 11, 2001, and 
        their aftermath constitute the single most deadly assault on our 
        American homeland in our Nation's history; and
Whereas those public safety officers who have perished and those who lead the 
        efforts to rescue innocent civilians from the terrorist attacks, are the 
        first casualties and veterans of America's new war against terrorism, 
        which was authorized by the authorization for use of military force 
        enacted September 14, 2001: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the President should award and present, in the name of 
        Congress, a Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor to those 
        public safety officers who were killed in the terrorist attacks 
        in the United States on September 11, 2001; and
            (2) the President should award and present a Public Safety 
        Officer Medal of Valor to those public safety officers who have 
        earned special recognition for outstanding valor above and 
        beyond the call of duty as named--
                    (A) in consultation with the Mayor of the City of 
                New York and Governor of the State of New York for the 
                attacks on New York--
                            (i) Commissioner of the New York City 
                        Police Department;
                            (ii) Commissioner of the New York City Fire 
                        Department; and
                            (iii) Executive Director of the Port 
                        Authority of New York and New Jersey;
                    (B) in consultation with the Chair of the 
                Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments, 
                including the sitting Chairs of the Police and Fire 
                Chief Committees; and the Fort Myer Federal Fire Chief, 
                and the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia for 
                the attack at the Pentagon--
                            (i) Fire Chief of Arlington County, 
                        Virginia; and
                             (ii) Police Chief of Arlington County, 
                        Virginia; and
                    (C) in consultation with the Governor of the 
                Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the plane crash in 
                Pennsylvania--
                            (i) Commandant of the Pennsylvania State 
                        Police; and
                            (ii) Adjutant General of the Pennsylvania 
                        National Guard,
        or any of their designees, for their heroic actions on 
        September 11, 2001, and thereafter during the rescue and 
        recovery missions.

            Passed the House of Representatives October 30, 2001.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.