[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 75 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 75

  To express the sense of the Congress that the Public Safety Officer 
Medal of Valor should be presented to public safety officers killed or 
  seriously injured as a result of the terrorist attacks perpetrated 
   against the United States on September 11, 2001, and to those who 
    participated in the search, rescue, and recovery efforts in the 
                      aftermath of those attacks.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 4, 2001

  Mr. Harkin (for himself, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Warner, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. 
   Allen, Mr. Helms, Mr. Corzine, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Voinovich, and Mr. 
  Lieberman) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  To express the sense of the Congress that the Public Safety Officer 
Medal of Valor should be presented to public safety officers killed or 
  seriously injured as a result of the terrorist attacks perpetrated 
   against the United States on September 11, 2001, and to those who 
    participated in the search, rescue, and recovery efforts in the 
                      aftermath of those attacks.

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 the 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 the terrorist attacks, many of whom would perish when the twin towers 
        of the World Trade Center collapsed upon them after they rushed to the 
        aid of innocent civilians who were imperiled when the terrorists first 
        launched their attacks;
Whereas thousands more public safety officers continued to risk their own lives 
        and long-term health in sifting through the aftermath and rubble of the 
        terrorist attacks to rescue those who may have survived and 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 against the United States on 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 perished and were injured, and all 
        those who participated in the efforts to rescue whomever may have 
        survived the terrorist attacks and recover those whose lives were taken 
        so suddenly and violently are the first casualties and veterans of 
        America's new war against terrorism, which was unanimously authorized by 
        the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Senate Joint Resolution 23, 
        enacted September 14, 2001): Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 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 every public 
        safety officer who was killed or seriously injured as a result 
        of the terrorist attacks perpetrated against the United States 
        on September 11, 2001, and to deserving public safety officer 
        who participated in the search, rescue, and recovery efforts in 
        the aftermath of those attacks; and
            (2) such assistance and compensation as may be needed 
        should be provided to the public safety officers who were 
        injured or whose health was otherwise adversely affected as a 
        result of their participation in the search, rescue, and 
        recovery efforts undertaken in the aftermath of the terrorist 
        attacks of September 11, 2001.
                                 <all>