[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 12, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9284-S9288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I send a resolution to the desk.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will state the resolution.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows.

       A joint resolution (SJ. Res. 22) expressing the sense of 
     the Senate and the House of Representatives regarding the 
     terrorist attacks launched against the United States on 
     September 11, 2001:
       Whereas on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked and 
     destroyed four civilian aircraft, crashing two of them into 
     the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and a 
     third into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C.;
       Whereas thousands of innocent Americans were killed and 
     injured as a result of these attacks, including the 
     passengers and crew of the four aircraft, workers in the 
     World Trade Center and in the Pentagon, rescue workers, and 
     bystanders;
       Whereas these attacks destroyed both towers of the World 
     Trade Center, as well as adjacent buildings, and seriously 
     damaged the Pentagon; and
       Whereas these attacks were by far the deadliest terrorist 
     attacks ever launched against the United States, and, by 
     targeting symbols of American strength and success, clearly 
     were intended to intimidate our Nation and weaken its 
     resolve: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That 
     Congress--
       (1) condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorists 
     who planned and carried out the September 11, 2001, attacks 
     against the United States, as well as their sponsors;
       (2) extends its deepest condolences to the victims of these 
     heinous and cowardly attacks, as well as to their families, 
     friends, and loved ones;
       (3) is certain that the people of the United States will 
     stand united as our Nation begins the process of recovering 
     and rebuilding in the aftermath of these tragic acts;
       (4) commends the heroic actions of the rescue workers, 
     volunteers, and State and local officials who responded to 
     these tragic events with courage, determination, and skill;
       (5) declares that these premeditated attacks struck not 
     only at the people of America, but also at the symbols and 
     structures of our economic and military strength, and that 
     the United States is entitled to respond under international 
     law;
       (6) thanks those foreign leaders and individuals who have 
     expressed solidarity with the United States in the aftermath 
     of the attacks, and asks them to continue to stand with the 
     United States in the war against international terrorism;
       (7) commits to support increased resources in the war to 
     eradicate terrorism;
       (8) supports the determination of the President, in close 
     consultation with Congress, to bring to justice and punish 
     the perpetrators of these attacks as well as their sponsors; 
     and
       (9) declares that September 12, 2001, shall be a National 
     Day of Unity and Mourning, and that when Congress adjourns 
     today, it stands adjourned out of respect to the victims of 
     the terrorist attacks.

  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the resolution? Hearing no objection, the resolution 
is before the Senate.
  The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, it is with pain, sorrow, anger, and 
resolve that I stand before this Senate, a symbol for 212 years of the 
strength of our democracy, and say that America will emerge from this 
tragedy, as we have emerged from all adversity, united and strong.
  The America in which we awoke today is far different from the one in 
which we awoke yesterday. This morning, as our rescue workers and 
medical personnel continue their heroic work, we begin to truly 
understand the enormity of what happened.
  My heart aches for the people of New York, our men and women serving 
at the Pentagon, the passengers and crew of the four hijacked aircraft, 
and for their families and friends. These attacks were an assault on 
our people and on our freedom. They aimed at the heart of the American 
community and the symbols and structures of our economic and military 
strength.

  As an American, as an elected representative, I am outraged. As a 
husband and a father, I am pained beyond words. Last night we sent the 
message to the world that, even in the face of such cowardly and 
heinous acts, the doors of democracy will not close. This joint 
resolution we laid down today condemns yesterday's attacks, expresses 
our sympathy for the victims, and our support for the President as our 
Commander in Chief.
  The world should know that the Members of both parties in both Houses 
stand united. The full resources of our Government will be brought to 
bear in aiding the search and rescue and in hunting down those 
responsible and those who may have aided or harbored them.
  Nothing--nothing--can replace the losses that have been suffered. I 
know there is only the smallest measure of inspiration that can be 
taken from this devastation. But there is a passage in the Bible from 
Isaiah that I think speaks to all of us at times such as this:

       The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with 
     dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will 
     replace them with cedars.

  That is what we will do. We will rebuild and we will recover. The 
people of America will stand strong together because the people of 
America have always stood together. And those of us privileged to serve 
this great Nation will stand with you.
  God bless the people of America.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, any expression of sympathy for the suffering 
today is too weak. Every expression of horror at this outrage is too 
mild. But we must confront these acts and find a way to come together 
and make sure that this kind of heinous, vicious action will not happen 
again in America. This premediated action against innocent men and 
women and children and their families, at the symbols of our country--
our economic strength, our military strength, and most importantly, our 
freedoms--is unimaginable.
  There's no way to understand it, to explain it, to defend it. 
Americans just don't think that way. That makes it hard for us to 
comprehend this very difficult moment and to do what's necessary to 
deal with terrorism and stop it in the future.
  Our prayers are going out to the victims and their families, to those 
who are suffering in so many ways in New York, in Virginia, and in 
Pennsylvania--in all of America. We have such a debt of appreciation to 
pay to those who have struggled mightily with these catastrophic events 
at the Pentagon and at the World Trade Center and in our cities and 
states--the volunteers, those who gave their lives trying to deal with 
this terrible moment. To our allies and to those around the world who 
see this not just as a strike at America, but at freedom and democracy 
all over the world, and to those who already have extended hands of 
cooperation, understanding, and support, we appreciate it on behalf of 
the American people.
  Now, Mr. President, it's so important that we show that even these 
terrible acts cannot stop America from going forward. We must get on 
with important work. But it is important also to make it clear that 
this is not business as usual. We're going ahead with our 
responsibilities. But we are going to act now, tomorrow, and in the 
weeks and months ahead to deal with those people who have taken these 
actions and with those who have supported them.
  We will take whatever action is necessary in the Congress, working 
with the administration, working with the American team to stop this 
kind of terrorism. Whatever we call it, we must put ourselves in a war 
footing. We must make up our minds we're going to fight this scourge of 
the world. We will. We have come together.
  There are moments in history when in the past the people of this 
country have set aside conflicts and prejudices and passions and have 
come together. We'll do it now. We've already done it. But we must 
continue to do so, regardless of region, religion, party, philosophy, 
or anything else.
  There's much to do. We've got to find out how this happened. Congress 
has a right and a responsibility to learn what has happened here. We 
must find out who did it. And we must be prepared to take actions and 
fight terrorist attacks in the future.
  This is not a time for timidity. This is not a time for 
pontification. Yes, we need to be sure of our actions. We need to be 
committed and determined. We need to be bold.
  Here in the Congress I hope we will think about how we most 
effectively

[[Page S9285]]

can fulfill our responsibilities to do everything we can to fight 
terrorism, to provide the funds necessary in this fight and to provide 
the aid so necessary for those who have been damaged and have lost so 
much.
  Just in a few hours we will take up the Commerce-State-Justice 
appropriations bill. In that bill is funding for counterterrorism. Is 
it enough? Can we do more? What should we do? I call on the Senate, as 
I know it will, to rise to this occasion, to be bold. Let's act 
together. The American people expect no less.
  I yield the floor, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Nevada, Mr. Reid.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, Senator Daschle, the majority leader, has 
asked that I announce that Senator Biden, the chairman of the Foreign 
Relations Committee, will manage the discussion on this resolution 
today.
  I join my colleagues in saying that my thoughts and prayers are with 
those individuals and families who were victimized by the cowardly 
terrorist acts perpetrated against the United States yesterday.
  We in Congress stand united in our resolve to ensure that President 
Bush has every necessary resource as he leads our great Nation forward 
in the coming days and weeks and months.
  I am very confident that every Member of the Senate views this as an 
American issue. No party affiliation, no partisanship, no attempt to 
gain political advantage--nothing--will erode our solidarity or 
undermine our united resolve as we respond to protect our country and 
our people.
  I personally express my appreciation to our Capitol Police men and 
women who yesterday acted so brilliantly, so heroically, in being 
called to arms, literally, at a moment's notice. I am very proud of the 
Capitol Police. We all should be. Every day they put their lives on the 
line for us.
  My heart goes out to the police officers and firemen in New York who 
lost their lives attempting to help other people.
  I hope we will all join with Senators Durbin and Bennett to make sure 
that every penny necessary to build the Visitors Center is provided 
this year. We need more than a plaque on a wall for Officer Chestnut 
and Detective Gibson. In their honor, we need to build a Visitors 
Center, because Officer Chestnut and Detective Gibson gave their lives 
protecting us, our staffs, and the millions of people who visit the 
Capitol complex every year. Building the Capitol Visitors Center is 
critical to ensuring the safety of all those who come to the U.S. 
Capitol.
  We will do everything in our power to support President Bush in his 
efforts to ensure that those who have done such evil and perpetrated 
these despicable acts do not go unpunished.
  But let me be clear about what we know. America is the greatest 
democracy and force for freedom the world has ever known. All of 
America will stand together to make sure that we rebuild and that we 
fight back, and that Americans continue to enjoy the freedoms and 
liberty that are the hallmark of this great country of ours.
  Perhaps of even greater importance, we must guarantee that no such 
act of terrorism ever revisits our Nation's shores. Future generations 
of Americans must never again feel the profound pain and grief that we 
feel today from Nevada to New York and back.
  As we mourn the loss of our fellow Americans, we must focus on the 
task ahead. Yesterday's barbaric attacks against the United States were 
not just acts of terror; they were acts of war perpetrated by the 
uncivilized.
  And in the war against those who would use terror to attack innocent 
civilians, our democratic values and our freedom, the United States--as 
the leader of the free world and its only remaining superpower--should 
be prepared to use every diplomatic, economic, and military means at 
our disposal to defend ourselves and to defeat these forces of evil.
  Of course, we should deploy our best diplomatic efforts to engage our 
friends and allies around the world in this war against international 
terrorism. Of course we should do that.
  I personally appreciate, as I think our Nation should, and does, the 
support immediately expressed yesterday by President Putin and the 
Russian people.
  As our allies around the world look to us for leadership and 
protection, we must call upon all nations to provide their friendship 
and support in this critical time of need. However, while diplomacy 
will play a central role in this war against terrorism, we must deploy 
the full economic and military might of the United States against those 
who threaten our citizens, our national security interests, our 
democracy, and our freedom.
  As I supported President George Herbert Walker Bush 10 years ago in 
his decision to use the overwhelming military force of the United 
States in the Persian Gulf war, I stand with President George W. Bush 
in his commitment to use every means at our disposal to exterminate the 
perpetrators of yesterday's acts of terror and war. Those who kill 
innocent Americans must be held accountable. And make no mistake about 
it, they will be. Moreover, I stand firmly with the President on this 
crucial point: Those who aid and harbor perpetrators of terror must 
also be held accountable. Make no mistake about that, they will be.
  While I can assure the American people that we will hunt down those 
barbarians who committed yesterday's acts of terrorism, we must also 
act to prevent these types of attacks from occurring in the 
future. International terrorism is perhaps the greatest modern threat 
to our national security interests. We must be prepared to act 
accordingly.

  General Holland, the U.S. Air Force Commander in Chief of the Special 
Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, directs our 
counterterrorism efforts on behalf of the U.S. military. He has no 
civilian counterpart. We need to establish one.
  The successful fight against terrorism is one that will require the 
highest level of diplomatic skill in gathering intelligence, as well as 
the most effective use for economic and military strength. However, 
when diplomacy fails, as regrettably it does on occasion, we must be 
prepared to employ alternatives. Terrorists, especially those who have 
the capability to plan and execute the kinds of attacks we witnessed 
graphically yesterday, require a significant level of financing and 
protection. We should be prepared to use alternatives such as economic 
sanctions to deter and prevent nations, organizations, and individuals 
from aiding and abetting those who engage in terrorism.
  When diplomacy and economic sanctions fail, as they do on occasion, 
our resolve to fight terrorism must not waiver. We must use military 
force in the war against terrorism--and not just in response to 
terrorism but also to prevent future attacks.
  Our friends, but more importantly our enemies, will judge us either 
by our strength and resolve to fight international terrorism or by any 
perceived weakness and complacency.
  I assure the American people as well as our friends and allies 
throughout the world, we as a nation are ready for this challenge. I 
make it clear to enemies, to anyone who would consider bringing harm 
upon Americans, our democratic values, and our freedom, that we are 
strong, we are resolved, and we will prevail.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I am advised that the assistant 
Republican leader would prefer to speak later in the day. I ask 
unanimous consent all remarks be limited to no longer than 10 minutes 
in order to accommodate as many Senators as possible. I earlier asked 
if we could alternate between the two caucuses. I also request of the 
Republican leader that we alternate now among the four Senators from 
the two States that are most affected by the horrendous tragedy 
yesterday, beginning, of course, with Senator Schumer and Senator 
Warner.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I seek the recognition of the Chair to note 
that if I have to leave the floor, Senator Gregg will manage the time 
on our side.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the order, the senior Senator from 
New York, Mr. Schumer, is recognized.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I very much appreciate, first, the 
hundreds of expressions of the Members of this body and the heartfelt 
expressions of

[[Page S9286]]

grief to New Yorkers during our time of grief and our sadness. We need 
to move forward.
  When something this cataclysmic occurs, one's mind works at many, 
many different levels. It is very difficult to come to grips with such 
an intense and terrible tragedy, but we must; we have to. We seek as 
guidance the generations before us who had their tragedies, they who 
rose to the occasion. We must, as well.
  There are many different levels of this tragedy. I will discuss four: 
the individual level, the level as a New Yorker, the level as an 
American, and the level of the world.
  As an individual, our first thought goes to all who grieve. Last 
night in my city and State, there were thousands of dinner tables with 
a missing person. There were thousands of families waiting for that 
phone call, dialing their phones endlessly to try to find a loved one. 
I know a little bit of the angst they went through. I was in the gym 
when this occurred, getting ready to address the Supreme Court. I saw 
the picture of the first damage to the World Trade Center. At first, I 
said what most said: This must have been an accident, a little 
propeller plane that accidentally ran into the World Trade Center.
  But the fire looked too large. Then we saw the second plane crash. 
Immediately, it hit me: My daughter attends high school within the 
shadow of the World Trade Center. Most of the pictures of the 
conflagration show her high school in the background. I reached my wife 
and for 2 hours we were in virtual panic, trying to locate her to see 
how she was. Then, praise God, she called and we were relieved. Those 2 
hours of pure misery are now being experienced tenfold, a hundredfold, 
a thousandfold by all of the families in New York and in Washington and 
in Boston and in California who have lost loved ones to this dastardly 
and disgusting act.

  So we first think as individuals how this has affected the lives of 
all of us. Everyone in New York right now knows somebody who is 
missing. I know someone on the 104th floor who worked for the good firm 
of Cantor Fitzgerald. We can't find hardly anybody from that firm. He 
called his parents, told them he loved them, and they haven't heard 
from him since.
  On television yesterday was the search of a mother and two daughters 
for their father and husband who worked in the World Trade Center 
restaurant. I have two daughters about the same age. We saw those 
little girls. There was almost nothing you could say. I have 
subsequently been told they found their father. Let us hope and pray 
that the others find their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, 
friends. Let us hope and pray that this tragedy, which is already the 
largest tragedy we have experienced since World War II, is as minimal 
as possible. But our hearts go out to all of those who are suffering 
now. We are with them from one end of this country to the other.
  Our city is a beautiful city. We have been bringing in people from 
all over the world for 300 years. In one generation we change them into 
Americans, and they sally forth around the country, adding vim and 
vigor and new ideas. That function of New York will never die. We are 
an international city and we love being an international city. We New 
Yorkers feel the loss of life as a whole, as a city.
  Out my window in Brooklyn, the dominant scene, after the Statue of 
Liberty looking over the harbor, are the two towers. Not seeing them 
anymore, I feel violated. I feel that some horrible person has come in 
and taken something away from all of us as a city. But we will survive 
and we will prevail. We are New Yorkers. The diligent firefighters and 
police officers, many of whom have now passed, run ``to'' tragedy, not 
away from it; their job is to save.
  It was told to me by many people that the lines to give blood went 
around block after block. People were waiting at 9 o'clock, at 
midnight, at 3 in the morning, standing in line because they knew blood 
was needed. This morning I am happy to tell my colleagues that the 
crisis, at least in terms of blood donation, is over. We do have enough 
blood.
  I was told of the story of the merchant whose store was on the path 
from the World Trade Center North. He owned a shoe store. He stood 
outside and gave the fleeing women sneakers, just handing out sneakers, 
tennis shoes. He knew they couldn't run in their high heels. That is a 
New Yorker; and there are millions of us.
  We are going to need your help. It has already been offered. I was 
gratified when the President called me yesterday afternoon and said 
this Nation will do anything it takes to help New York recover. I was 
gratified when just about every Member came over to me and to Hillary 
and offered us the help that we will need. We need help immediately.
  The FEMA Director, I believe, will be flying with us to New York 
early this afternoon to try to give help in terms of survival, in terms 
of the immediate rescue. We will need lots of help after that. We have 
suffered a huge, huge loss. Our financial industries have to recover, 
the lifeblood of the Nation and the world. I appreciate the offers. We 
will be counting on everyone here and in the other body and the White 
House.
  As an American, make no mistake about it, we did wake up in a new 
world in America. It is a new era. Since World War II, we had the cold 
war. We had a brief respite, for 5, 7, 10 years. But we are now in a 
new era. There are forces against us, and they are in many corners of 
the world. They hate us for our freedom. They are against the very 
progress that we have made. They want to turn the clock all the way 
back to the Middle Ages. In the past, there have always been backward 
forces. But technology has given this group the power to affect our 
lives in ways we never before imagined.
  Yes, this was a 21st century Pearl Harbor but a little different 
because they aimed at civilians, as they know our military is too 
strong. They are ultimately cowards and bullies. It is not a nation 
that does this, but it affects us. I say three things in that regard.
  First, we are a resilient nation. We don't take anything on our 
knees. We will not take this. I assure the enemies of America, the 
enemies of freedom, the enemies of progress, of that.
  Second, we must keep our freedoms as we do this. To constrict 
ourselves would give them the victory. And we must keep them.
  Third, I say this to all Americans: let us not respond in a way that 
is unseemly of America. There are millions of Muslims and Arab 
Americans in America. They have different views than I do on the Middle 
East, staunchly different views. But they were not for this. Let us go 
after those who advocate terrorism and destruction but not after a 
whole people or nationality or religion. We have to avoid that. That is 
the American thing to do.
  Finally, thinking as a world citizen, we are in a new world, 
interconnected but often nasty. Technology that has given us so much in 
the last 20 years has given this small group, these small groups, the 
ability to cause huge, huge damage. As with Pearl Harbor, we are 
affected directly. Unlike Pearl Harbor, there is no name or ZIP Code or 
address.
  But the one common thread is this: If we stay as resolute as we did 
after Pearl Harbor, we will win this war. We can and we will, if we 
keep our resoluteness. As somebody involved in antiterrorism, I have 
seen us go through paroxysms after each incident--3 months, 6 months of 
attention and then business as usual. We cannot go back to business as 
usual. We will not win this war against those who seek to destroy our 
very way of life in a day or in a month or even a year. It is going to 
take several. If we are resolute, we will succeed.
  They have their weaknesses and their pressure points. I was glad the 
President said we will not only go after the terrorists but those who 
harbor terrorists. This could not have been done without some help from 
countries. There are countries that aid terrorists. We know who they 
are. They are on the terrorist list. They should not remain immune from 
what happened. In fact, they are the weak pressure point of the groups 
that seek to hurt us and destroy us.
  Some of these awful people who did this yesterday knew how to fly 
757s. There was no 757 in the mountains of Afghanistan. How did they 
get access to learn to do this? These are the kinds of questions we 
have to ask in the next weeks and months ahead, if we do find, as all 
fingers seem to point, that is from where it came.

[[Page S9287]]

  We have to do one other thing. We have to have our European allies 
know that this finger is not just pointed at us but at them. This idea 
that for temporary economic advantage they can continue to have strong 
economic relations with countries that help and abet and harbor 
terrorists must go out the window.
  I was proud to speak to the President yesterday. I assured him 
something, and I think I speak for all of us: partisanship. Divisions 
are out the window. He will be our leader. He will come up with a plan. 
We will have advice and offer suggestions. But once that plan is 
arrived at, we will unite.
  This is a long struggle. It is not an easy struggle. But because of 
our freedom, because of our American way of life, we will prevail.
  In conclusion, this event will never leave us the same, not as 
individuals, not as New Yorkers, not as Americans, not as residents of 
the planet earth. But we can learn from it as we grieve. We can meet 
the challenge and rise to the next level of civilization. I am 
confident we will.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the order previously entered, the 
senior Senator from Virginia, Mr. Warner, is recognized for not to 
exceed 10 minutes.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my colleagues and commend our 
leadership. I want to pick up on the note of our distinguished 
colleague from New York. We will never be the same as a nation. That is 
true. We will be a better nation. We will be a stronger nation, as we 
step up to meet this challenge. Yesterday our great Nation, our people, 
suffered in a single day its greatest tragedy of a single day. 
Immediately thereafter, this Nation, arm in arm, embarked on what I 
think history will reflect is its finest hour--hours yesterday, today, 
and tomorrow, into the future.
  Our Nation from coast to coast locked arms, irrespective of our 
backgrounds, our cultures, our faiths, our beliefs--indeed, our 
differences. We locked arms, united as a nation behind our President, 
behind our Government, putting full faith in our Government to lead us 
in this crisis.
  I pray that our President, our Congress, the Governors of the States, 
right on down to the city councils, the police, the firemen who are 
working today, seize this opportunity and make our Nation even stronger 
and greater.
  Our challenge here in our legislature, working with the President and 
others, will be to devise, yes, a strengthened security system in every 
walk of life for America, regrettably, every walk of life, with 
emphasis this morning on airports. But those of us who have worked in 
the area of terrorism know that airports, yes, are vulnerable, but 
there are many other areas in which we are vulnerable.
  I am proud that the Senate Armed Services Committee, working with the 
other committees of this body, 3 years ago, when I was privileged to be 
chairman, instituted a special subcommittee solely dealing with those 
threats that are emerging against the United States of America. We have 
done a lot of work in this Congress. We have done our best to legislate 
and put our funds behind us. But now let us seize this opportunity to 
indeed make this Nation stronger.
  Each of us will forever remember yesterday, where we were, what we 
did. Those of us who convened here yesterday morning then went to our 
staffs. I commend the leadership of the Congress, indeed, the police 
and others who had an orderly evacuation. I then called the Secretary 
of Defense, Don Rumsfeld and asked what could I do as the ranking 
member of the committee to show my full support for the men and women 
of the Armed Forces and the uniformed as well as the civilians. He 
said: John, come over.
  I called my colleague, the chairman, Senator Levin. We joined and 
went over and stayed the better part of 3 hours which I will never 
forget. The Secretary had us in the room, the chairman and I, the Joint 
Chiefs, the other staff. We watched the operations. The President 
called in. I watched the Secretary and the President. The Secretary 
handed me the phone and said: The President wishes to speak to you.
  America will be proud of the manner in which our command and control 
of our military and indeed the executive branch functioned to address 
this crisis. That chapter will be written.
  I said to my friend, the Secretary: I want very much, as a Senator 
from Virginia, to go and look at that area of the building that was 
struck.
  He said: Of course. I will escort you. And that he did for Senator 
Levin and I.

  We went around that building, in which I spent over 5 years of the 
happiest days of my life in the Navy's secretariat. We speculated as 
far back as the late 1960s and 1970s how that building could be 
attacked. Yes, we thought of this scenario. But that is history.
  There I saw that building and how that aircraft, Mr. President, was 
skillfully guided and piloted such as to penetrate that building 
through three or four of the rings. And as we are here today, the 
casualties we know not in number, but what we do know and what I saw, 
as I sat there but a few feet from the building, all around me were 
voluntary firemen, men and women, professional firemen and rescue men 
and women. Therein rests the greatness of our Nation as to how they 
responded and what they were doing, unselfishly, risking their own 
lives. We saw some coming out filled with smoke and debris but doing 
what they could to help those trapped, dead or otherwise, in that 
building.
  Our colleagues from New York have most dramatically and 
compassionately described what has occurred in their State. We grieve 
with our citizens today who are suffering these losses, the dead, the 
injured, and their families. But America remains unbowed.
  America is stronger. America is united. And we the leadership have 
our greatest challenge in this hour.
  Again, as we pursue the legislative challenge to balance the 
magnificence of our Constitution, which has held us united--it remains 
the oldest continuously performing Republic in the world today--and 
balance the need of additional security against human rights, civil 
rights, and the rule of law, we will do it. Never before has our 
Congress been faced with a greater challenge to preserve one of the 
greatest parts of this Nation, and yet address the future.
  Just a personal note, I remember World War II. I was a youngster in 
the early parts of it. My generation, at age 17, we all volunteered, in 
the fall of 1944, 1945. I became a sailor.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator's time has expired.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed for 2 
minutes.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator will proceed.
  Mr. WARNER. I remember that period very well, how all Americans 
united. My generation of 17 and 18, we were prepared to do our part in 
the war. But I called my children yesterday and I said much has been 
said about the greatest generation, those who were privileged to serve 
in World War II, those who were here on the home front. This Nation 
pulled together, met our adversaries and emerged stronger.
  I said, we may be remembered as the greatest generation, but my 
children and your children will become the greater generation because 
they will seize, with our leadership, the same challenge, the younger 
generation in America, and go beyond what we achieved in World War II. 
We will relentlessly pursue the enemy wherever they are, and we will 
carefully, under the rule of law, seek justice. We will prevail and 
become a stronger nation.
  I thank this body for the privilege of addressing it and the Nation 
today.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I make a unanimous consent request before 
the Senator from New York speaks.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
stand in recess between 12:30 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. today; that no 
amendments or motions be in order with respect to the pending 
resolution; that at 1:45 p.m. today, the joint resolution be read a 
third time, and the Senate vote without any intervening action or 
debate on passage of the joint resolution; that upon the completion of 
that vote, the Senate stand in recess until 3 p.m.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection to the several 
requests?
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Reserving the right to object.

[[Page S9288]]

  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from California reserves the 
right to object.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I would like to ask the Senator, will 
we have opportunities to continue the line of speakers who were lined 
up before the vote on the resolution?
  Mr. REID. I say to my friend from California that the leader, the two 
leaders have said that anyone who wants to speak on this resolution 
throughout the day should be able to do so. There are some schedules 
that have to be met, especially by the Senators from New York. They 
need to return to their State. We need to get the vote out of the way. 
There will be added opportunity to speak.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection to the several 
requests?
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Further reserving the right to object, if I 
understand, then, the vote will be at 1:45, the Senate will go into 
recess until 3, and then the floor will be open to continue; is that 
correct?
  Mr. REID. The Senator is right.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I thank the Chair.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection to the several 
requests?
  Mr. WARNER. Reserving the right to object, could I ask the 
leadership, are we not, as a body, all 100 cosponsors? Has that 
parliamentary step been taken? If not, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members of this body be cosponsors of the resolution.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection? Without objection, it 
is so ordered.
  Under the previous order, the Senator from New York, the junior 
Senator, Mrs. Clinton, is recognized for not to exceed 10 minutes.
  Mrs. CLINTON. Thank you, Mr. President. I thank my colleagues for 
their outpouring of support, their concerns, and their many offers of 
additional aid that has come to the rescue of our people as a result of 
this devastating tragedy.
  Yesterday dawned a beautiful day in New York. My daughter told me it 
was one of those days where the sky was totally clear, there was a 
breeze, people were starting to line up at the polling places to vote 
because it was primary day, an election day, a continuation of the 
commitment to democracy and self-government that has set us apart from 
every society that has ever existed because of the longevity of our 
democracy and the will of our people to constantly renew themselves.
  New Yorkers went from standing in line to vote to standing in line to 
donate blood in just a few hours. I do not think any of us will ever 
get out of our minds the images we saw on television of the plane going 
into the first tower, the plane going into the second tower, and the 
plane going into the Pentagon, but there were tens of thousands of our 
fellow Americans, people who live in New York, New Jersey, and 
Connecticut, people literally from every part of our country and, 
indeed, the world for whom this was not an event they watched in horror 
on television but lived through and in too many instances did not 
survive.
  We are beginning to find out what that was like. Chuck and I have a 
lot of friends who worked in those towers, who worked in the center, 
and worked nearby. We are hearing the stories of husbands and wives 
grabbing cell phones and calling home to say: I love you; goodbye.
  We know, and I assure every person in this body, in the House, and 
many, many of our fellow citizens, when we finally know the names of 
those killed and injured, they will know someone.
  This was an attack on New York, but it was really an attack on 
America. I have been very gratified, as I know that Chuck has and all 
of our colleagues in the House, by the strong support we have received 
from the President. I am very grateful. We have expressed our 
appreciation.
  Chuck and I will be going to New York this afternoon with FEMA, and 
we could not ask for more than we have received in the immediate 
aftermath of this horrific attack.
  We are by no means anywhere near the end of what it will take to 
continue the search and rescue efforts. We are finding people even as 
we speak. Yet we know there is a very grim task ahead to do everything 
we can to find every person, to account for every single person who 
went to work. That is all they did. They went to work on a beautiful 
September day in New York.
  We will also stand united behind our President as he and his advisers 
plan the necessary actions to demonstrate America's resolve and 
commitment, not only to seek out an exact punishment on the 
perpetrators but to make very clear that not only those who harbor 
terrorists but those who in any way give any aid or comfort whatsoever 
will now face the wrath of our country.
  I hope that message has gotten through to everywhere it needs to be 
heard: You are either with America in our time of need or you are not.
  We also stand united behind our resolve, as this resolution so 
clearly states, to recover and rebuild in the aftermath of these tragic 
acts. New York was not an accidental choice for these mad men, these 
terrorists, these instruments of evil.
  They deliberately chose to strike at a city which is a global city. 
It is the city of the 21st century. It epitomizes who we are as 
Americans. So this in a very real sense was an attack on America, on 
our values, on our power, on who we are as a people. I know, because I 
know America, that America will stand behind New York, that America 
will offer whatever resources, aid, comfort, or support that New 
Yorkers and New York require because the greatest rebuke we can offer 
to those who attack our way of life is to demonstrate clearly we are 
not cowed in any way whatsoever.

  I hope that within a short period of time, I say to Senator Warner, 
we see scaffolding on the side of the Pentagon. After we finish the 
search and rescue and recovery work that is being carried out 
heroically there, I hope we all see a clear signal that we are 
rebuilding, that our defenses are more resolute than ever.
  I hope similarly that lower Manhattan has the same kind of image to 
project because the reality will be that we are rebuilding and 
reconstructing and making clear that just as our military might is 
unchallenged and uncowed, so are our economic, our social, our 
political values epitomized by New York.
  I have expressed my strong support for the President, not only as the 
Senator from New York but as someone who for 8 years had some sense of 
the burdens and responsibilities that fall on the shoulders of the 
human being we make our President. It is an awesome and at oftentimes 
awful responsibility for any person. I know we are up to it, I know we 
are ready for it, and I know that everyone in this body represents 
every American in making clear that we are united and stronger than 
ever.
  It is with a heavy heart--really a sense of heartbreak--that I rise 
today in support of this resolution, but it is also with a great sense 
of pride, first in the people of New York who responded as New Yorkers 
always do when times get tough. There was not a sense of panic. There 
was order, and there was an immediate outpouring of help. Those men and 
women whom we sent in to rescue our fellow Americans--there is no way 
adequately to express our gratitude to our firefighters, our police 
officers, our emergency personnel, our doctors and nurses and medical 
personnel. They responded at the height of a tragic, unexpected attack 
with the kind of grit and courage we expect from New Yorkers.
  To all of those who are missing a loved one, there are no words any 
of us can express except to tell you in the clearest possible terms: We 
will in a united American response support you, offer assistance to 
you, stand with you, and pursue those who reached deep into your 
families and homes yesterday and took someone you loved away from you.
  There will be a lot of work ahead of us in this body and in the 
House, and we will pursue that. I am grateful for the support we have 
received. Thank you very much.
  (Applause.)
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Nelson of Florida). The Senator from 
Delaware, the manager of the resolution.

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