[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 122 (Wednesday, September 19, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9507-S9508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. Bond, Mr. Bunning, Mrs. Boxer, 
        Mr. Burns, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Chafee, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Ensign, 
        Mr. Harkin, Mr. Helms, Mr. Kohl, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Nelson of 
        Florida, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Collins, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. 
        Miller, Mr. Dayton, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Corzine, Mr. 
        McCain, Mr. Wellstone, Ms. Snowe, Mrs. Carnahan, Mrs. 
        Feinstein, and Mr. Conrad):
  S. 1434. A bill to authorize the President to award posthumously the 
Congressional Gold Medal to the passengers and crew of Untied Airlines 
flight 93 in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the United States 
on September 11, 2001; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
Affairs.
  Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, today I have sought recognition to 
introduce 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 bill which I am introducing would authorize 
the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to each of the crew 
and passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, which took off from 
Newark, New Jersey, changed course over Ohio, and crashed in 
Shanksville, PA, which is located in Somerset County.
  On Friday, after the Senate had passed H.R. 2888, a resolution 
authorizing the use of force and $40 billion for additional disaster 
assistance, both of which have been requested by the President, Senator 
Santorum and I flew by helicopter to Shanksville, PA, Somerset County, 
which is in southwestern Pennsylvania. There, we took a look at the 
crash scene, participated in a prayer service, and talked to the 
representatives of the FBI and the National Transportation Safety 
Board, as well as our constituents and friends in the area.
  At that time, we found absolute rubble. The plane had traveled at a 
speed of approximately 450 miles an hour at a very low level as it 
passed by the Johnstown, PA airport, which is slightly to the north of 
the ultimate crash scene. The plane hit the ground with an enormous 
impact, leaving just traces, the debris of people, regrettably, and the 
plane itself.
  In our conversations with the officials of the National 
Transportation Safety Board, Senator Santorum and I inquired into a 
rumor which had been circulating that the plane might have been shot 
down. However, we were assured by the officials from the National 
Transportation Safety Board that such an event, in fact, had not 
happened.
  Notwithstanding the debris, the officials were able to piece together 
the four corners of the plane. Had the plane been shot down, there 
would have been some sign of it prior to the impact and prior to the 
crash.
  While we were at the scene, Senator Santorum and I announced our 
intention to seek the Congressional Gold Medal for the passengers and 
crew of United Airlines Flight 93. I am introducing this legislation 
today and, since yesterday, a large number of cosponsors have already 
signed on to the bill. Therefore, it is being introduced on behalf of 
Senator Harkin, Senator Boxer, Senator Bond, Senator Bunning, Senator 
Burns, Senator Cantwell, Senator Clinton, Senator Ensign, Senator 
Helms, Senator Landrieu, Senator Nelson of Florida, and Senator 
Schumer.
  The medal has special significance for the Senate, the House of 
Representatives, and for the Capitol because all indications are that 
the plane--and this is speculation, because we will never know for 
certain--but, there are indications that the plane was headed for the 
U.S. Capitol. That statement was made by Vice President Chaney on 
Sunday, September 16 on NBC's ``Meet The Press.'' It is speculation. I 
want to clearly identify it as such because there is no way to be sure. 
But the speculation is supported by the fact that the plane which hit 
the Pentagon had been on a direct line to the White House and it veered 
off at the last moment. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, 
appeared to have been headed in a line that could have been to the 
White House, or even to Camp David, although it is unlikely to have 
been headed to Camp David since no one was there at the time. Most 
likely, Flight 93 was headed to the Capitol, the symbol of our Nation.
  Wherever the United States is symbolized around the world, it is the 
Capitol dome that represents the nation. The terrorists intended to 
strike at us in every way possible: physically, psychologically, 
emotionally, and at the very Capitol.
  So it is with a heavy heart, which is a sentiment shared by Americans 
all across he land and really, by most people across the globe, that I 
introduce this bill denominated at the ``Honoring the Passengers and 
Crew of United Airlines Flight 93 Act.''
  On September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 took off at 8:44 
a.m. from Newark, New Jersey, destined for San Francisco, California;

[[Page S9508]]

  The plane was hijacked by 4 terrorists shortly after it took off;
  It is widely presumed that the terrorists who took control of United 
Airlines Flight 93 intended to use the aircraft as a weapon and crash 
it into the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.;
  The passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 learned from 
cellular phone conversations with their loved ones of the fate of the 3 
other aircraft that were hijacked earlier that same day and used as 
weapons to murder thousands of innocent people and destroy American 
landmarks;
  The passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, recognizing the 
potential danger that the aircraft they were aboard posed to large 
numbers of innocent Americans, American institutions, and the symbols 
of American democracy, took heroic and noble action to ensure that the 
aircraft they were aboard could not be used as a weapon:
  The 44 people in all, 37 passengers and 7 crew of United Airlines 
Flight 93, in the ultimate act of selfless courage and supreme 
sacrifice, fought to recapture their flight from the terrorists; and
  The struggle of the crew and passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 
against the terrorists caused the Boeing 757 to crash down in a 
sparsely populated area near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:10 a.m., 
September 11, 2001, possibly saving countless lives in the Nation's 
Capital.
  The President is authorized, on behalf of Congress, to award 
posthumously a gold medal of appropriate design to each of the United 
Airlines Flight 93 crew members: Lorraine G. Bay; Sandra W. Bradshaw; 
Jason Dahl; Wanda A. Green; LeRoy Homer; CeeCee Lyles; and Deborah A. 
Welsh; and the United Airlines Flight 93 passengers: Christian Adams; 
Todd Beamer; Alan Beaven; Mark Bingham, who made a call to his mother; 
Deora Bodley; Marion Britton; Thomas E. Burnett, Jr.--who was one of 
the individuals who had cellular phone contact--William Cashman; 
Georgine Rose Corrigan; Joseph Deluca; Patrick Driscoll; Edward Felt; 
Colleen Fraser; Andrew Garcia; Jeremy Glick--another one of the 
passengers who had contact with his wife, according to very detailed 
newspaper accounts, with the determination by Mr. Glick, according to 
his wife's report, that something would be done. Obviously, something 
was done--Kristin Gould; Lauren Grandcolas; Donald F. Greene; Linda 
Gronlund; Richard Guadagno; Toshiya Kuge; Hilda Marcin; Waleska 
Martinez; Nicole Miller; Louis J. Nacke; Donald Peterson; Mark 
Rothenberg; Christine Snyder; John Talignani; Honor Wainio; and 3 
additional heroes whose families have requested that their names be 
withheld.

  The original thought Senator Santorum and I had was to make the 
recommendation requesting the award of these medals only to the three 
individuals who had been identified as having cellular phone contact. 
However, it is entirely likely that others were involved in the heroic 
effort to somehow storm the cockpit. What precisely happened during 
that flight, we do not know. We may know more when the black box or the 
voice recorder is located and investigated. There was a very heroic 
action to stop that plane from continuing on its flight--wherever it 
was headed--presumably to the Capitol Building, causing it to crash and 
take the lives of the 33 passengers, seven crew members, and foiling 
the efforts of those four terrorists.
  I send the bill to the desk and ask unanimous consent that it be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1434

       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 ``Honoring the Passengers and 
     Crew of United Flight 93 Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) on September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 took 
     off at 8:44 a.m. from Newark, New Jersey, destined for San 
     Francisco, California;
       (2) the plane was hijacked by 4 terrorists shortly after it 
     took off;
       (3) it is widely presumed that the terrorists who took 
     control of United Airlines Flight 93 intended to use the 
     aircraft as a weapon and crash it into the United States 
     Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.;
       (4) the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 
     learned from cellular phone conversations with their loved 
     ones of the fate of the 3 other aircraft that were hijacked 
     earlier that same day and used as weapons to murder thousands 
     of innocent people and destroy American landmarks;
       (5) the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, 
     recognizing the potential danger that the aircraft they were 
     aboard posed to large numbers of innocent Americans, American 
     institutions, and the symbols of American democracy, took 
     heroic and noble action to ensure that the aircraft they were 
     aboard could not be used as a weapon;
       (6) the 40 passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 
     93, in the ultimate act of selfless courage and supreme 
     sacrifice, fought to recapture their flight from the 
     terrorists; and
       (7) the struggle of the crew and passengers of United 
     Airlines Flight 93 against the terrorists caused the Boeing 
     757 to crash down in a sparsely populated area near 
     Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:10 a.m., September 11, 2001, 
     possibly saving countless lives in the Nation's Capital.

     SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--
       (1) In general.--The President is authorized, on behalf of 
     Congress, to award posthumously a gold medal of appropriate 
     design to each of--
       (A) the United Airlines Flight 93 crew members--
       (i) Lorraine G. Bay;
       (ii) Sandra W. Bradshaw;
       (iii) Jason Dahl;
       (iv) Wanda A. Green;
       (v) LeRoy Homer;
       (vi) CeeCee Lyles; and
       (vii) Deborah A. Welsh; and
       (B) the United Airlines Flight 93 passengers--
       (i) Christian Adams;
       (ii) Todd Beamer;
       (iii) Alan Beaven;
       (iv) Mark Bingham;
       (v) Deora Bodley;
       (vi) Marion Britton;
       (vii) Thomas E. Burnett, Jr.;
       (viii) William Cashman;
       (ix) Georgine Rose Corrigan;
       (x) Joseph Deluca;
       (xi) Patrick Driscoll;
       (xii) Edward Felt;
       (xiii) Colleen Fraser;
       (xiv) Andrew Garcia;
       (xv) Jeremy Glick;
       (xvi) Kristin Gould;
       (xvii) Lauren Grandcolas;
       (xviii) Donald F. Greene;
       (xix) Linda Gronlund;
       (xx) Richard Guadagno;
       (xxi) Toshiya Kuge;
       (xxii) Hilda Marcin;
       (xxiii) Waleska Martinez;
       (xxiv) Nicole Miller;
       (xxv) Louis J. Nacke;
       (xxvi) Donald Peterson;
       (xxvii) Mark Rothenberg;
       (xxviii) Christine Snyder;
       (xxix) John Talignani;
       (xxx) Honor Wainio; and
       (xxxi) 3 additional heroes whose families have requested 
     that their names be withheld.
       (2) Modalities.--The modalities of presentation of the 
     medals struck under this Act shall be determined by the 
     President, after consultation with the Speaker of the House 
     of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the Senate, the 
     Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the 
     House of Representatives.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike 
     gold medals with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, 
     to be determined by the Secretary.

     SEC. 4. STATUS AS NATIONAL MEDALS.

       The medals struck under this Act are national medals for 
     purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
     such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

  Mr. DORGAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to be added as a 
cosponsor to the Senator's bill.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
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