III 110th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 656 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 11, 2008 Mr. Reid (for himself, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Allard, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Biden, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Bond, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Brown, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Burr, Mr. Byrd, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Carper, Mr. Casey, Mr. Chambliss, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Collins, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Corker, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Craig, Mr. Crapo, Mr. DeMint, Mr. Dodd, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Graham, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Hatch, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Kyl, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Martinez, Mr. McCain, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Obama, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Reed, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Smith, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Specter, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Tester, Mr. Thune, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Warner, Mr. Webb, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the terrorist attacks committed against the United States of America on September 11, 2001.

Whereas at 8:46 AM on the morning of September 11, 2001, hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 was flown into the upper portion of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York; Whereas 17 minutes later, at 9:03 AM, hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center; Whereas the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the New York Police Department (NYPD), the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD), the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) of the Mayor of New York, and countless eyewitnesses and public health officials responded immediately and valiantly to these horrific events; Whereas at 9:37 AM, the west wall of the Pentagon was hit by hijacked American Airlines Flight 77, whose impact caused immediate and catastrophic damage to the headquarters of the Department of Defense; Whereas Pentagon officials, county fire, police, and sheriff departments, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Fire Department, the Fort Myer Fire Department, the Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a National Medical Response Team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and numerous military personnel all responded promptly and courageously to this attack on the United States military establishment; Whereas the passengers and crew of hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 acted heroically to retake control of the airplane and thwart the taking of additional American lives by crashing the airliner in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and, in doing so, gave their lives to save countless others; Whereas nearly 3,000 innocent civilians were killed in the heinous attacks of September 11, 2001; Whereas the Fire Department of New York suffered 343 fatalities on September 11, 2001, the largest loss of life of any emergency response agency in United States history; Whereas the Port Authority Police Department suffered 37 fatalities in the attacks, the largest loss of life of any police force in United States history; Whereas the New York Police Department suffered 23 fatalities as a result of the terrorist attacks, the second largest loss of life of any police force in United States history, exceeded only by the number of Port Authority Police Department officers lost that same day; Whereas seven years later, the people of the United States of America and people around the world continue to mourn the tremendous loss of innocent life on that fateful day; and Whereas seven years later, thousands of men and women in the United States Armed Forces remain in harm’s way defending our Nation against those who seek to threaten the United States: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)recognizes September 11, 2008, as a day of solemn commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001; (2)offers its deepest and most sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; (3)honors the heroic service, actions, and sacrifices of first responders, law enforcement personnel, State and local officials, volunteers, and countless others who aided the innocent victims of these attacks and, in doing so, bravely risked and often gave their own lives; (4)recognizes the valiant service, actions, and sacrifices of United States personnel, including members of the United States Armed Forces, the United States intelligence agencies, the United States diplomatic service, law enforcement personnel, and their families, who have given so much, including their lives and well-being, to support the cause of freedom and defend our Nation’s security; and (5)reaffirms that the people of the United States will never forget the challenges our country endured on and since September 11, 2001, and will work tirelessly to defeat those who attacked our Nation.