[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 137 (Friday, October 12, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1857-E1858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                TRIBUTE TO THE COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 11, 2001

  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise today to express 
gratitude to the Colorado General Assembly. I respectfully submit the 
following Colorado Joint Resolution for the Record.

                    House Joint Resolution 01S2-1002

       By Representative(s) Dean, Spradley, Grossman, Fritz, 
     Cloer, Alexander, Bacon, Berry, Borodkin, Boyd, Cadman, 
     Chavez, Clapp, Coleman, Crane, Daniel, Decker, Fairbank, 
     Garcia, Groff, Hefley, Hodge, Hoppe, Jahn, Jameson, Johnson, 
     Kester, King, Larson, Lawrence, Lee, Mace, Madden, Marshall, 
     Miller, Mitchell, Nunez, Paschall, Plant, Ragsdale, Rhodes, 
     Rippy, Romanoff, Saliman, Sanchez, Schultheis, Scott, 
     Sinclair, Smith, Snook, Spence, Stafford, Stengel, Swenson, 
     Tapia, Tochtrop, Veiga, Vigil, Webster, Weddig, White, 
     William S., Williams T., Witwer, and Young; also Senators(s) 
     Matsunaka, Thiebaut, Andrews, Perlmutter, Anderson, Arnold, 
     Chlouber, Dyer, Epps, Evans, Fitz-Gerald, Gordon, Hagedorn, 
     Hanna, Hernandez, Hillman, Isgar, Lamborn, Linkhart, May, 
     McElhany, Musgrave, Nichol, Owen, Phillips, Reeves, Takis, 
     Tate, Taylor, Teck, and Windels.


  CONCERNING THE EXPRESSION OF THE SENTIMENTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 
REGARDING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON AMERICAN SOIL ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001.

       Whereas, September 11, 2001, may live in infamy as the day 
     on which more people lost their lives or were injured on 
     American soil as the result of acts of terrorism than on any 
     other single day in history; and
       Whereas, On that day, terrorists forcibly commandeered four 
     commercial jet airliners scheduled to fly routes from the 
     east coast of the continental United States to the west 
     coast; and
       Whereas, Once in control of these aircraft, the terrorists 
     implemented a dastardly, suicidal plan of unparalleled 
     proportions never before carried out in this country or 
     anywhere else in the world; and
       Whereas, The terrorists, piloting aircraft fully laden with 
     highly flammable jet fuel and with total disregard for the 
     lives of the passengers and crews on board or persons on the 
     ground, turned these jet airliners into flying weapons of 
     mass destruction, each with tremendous explosive power, and 
     aimed their weapons at targets in New York City and 
     Washington, D.C., our nation's capital, two of the most 
     densely populated areas in our country; and
       Whereas, Two of these aircraft were intentionally flown 
     directly into the World Trade Center Towers in New York City, 
     resulting in the terrifying, total destruction of two of the 
     tallest buildings in the world, home to some 50,000 workers 
     and up to 100,000 visitors daily and causing untold loss of 
     life and injury to innocent, unarmed civilians; and
       Whereas, A third jetliner slammed into the Pentagon in 
     Washington, D.C., headquarters of our country's national 
     defense and the largest office building in the world, also 
     causing extensive damage, loss of life, and injury to 
     persons; and
       Whereas, The fourth plane, presumably aimed at targets in 
     Washington, D.C., or possibly the presidential retreat at 
     Camp David, Maryland, crashed in rural Pennsylvania, killing 
     all on board, including the pilot, United Airlines Captain 
     Jason M. Dahl from the Ken Caryl Valley area of Jefferson 
     County, Colorado, and flight attendant Kathryn Laborie, 
     originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado; and
       Whereas, Although we may never know for sure, authorities 
     believe, based on cell phone calls from at least two 
     passengers on the fourth plane, Jeremy Glick and Mark 
     Bingham, to relatives on the ground in New Jersey and 
     California, that passengers heroically struggled with the 
     hijackers and probably took actions that prevented this plane 
     from reaching the terrorists' planned target; and
       Whereas, Many firefighters, law enforcement personnel, 
     military personnel, and others worked tirelessly to try to 
     save as many lives as possible in these disasters, and it is 
     possible that more than three hundred fifty police officers 
     and firefighters in New York City lost their lives in the 
     line of duty; and
       Whereas, The total loss of life and injuries resulting from 
     these cowardly acts will be in the many thousands of people, 
     if not more, and, in the words of New York Mayor Rudolph W. 
     Giuliani, will be ``more than any of us can bear''; and

[[Page E1858]]

       Whereas, President George W. Bush and the United States 
     Congress, acting in bipartisan agreement, have made available 
     all of the resources of the federal government to hunt down 
     those responsible for these vicious war crimes; and
       Whereas, After these events President Bush declared, ``The 
     resolve of this great nation is being tested''; and
       Whereas, President Bush said in punishing those responsible 
     that ``We will make no distinction between the terrorists who 
     committed these acts and those who harbor them''; and
       Whereas, President Bush also stated that in punishing the 
     guilty we must guard against assigning guilt to the blameless 
     and must treat all Americans with the respect that they 
     deserve, and we must particularly guard against unjustified 
     discrimination against Muslims, Arab Americans, and others 
     from the Middle East; now, therefore,
       Be it Resolved by the House of Representatives of the 
     Sixty-third General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the 
     Senate concurring herein:
       (1) That the General Assembly expresses its complete and 
     utter condemnation of and outrage at the terrorist attacks 
     that occurred on our soil on September 11, 2001;
       (2) That the General Assembly expresses its heartfelt 
     sympathy for the victims of these tragedies and their 
     families;
       (3) That the General Assembly commends the heroism of the 
     many emergency personnel and individual citizens who 
     responded to the scenes of these disasters;
       (4) That the General Assembly wants terrorists to know they 
     have failed in their mission to break the American spirit, 
     but rather, these heinous acts have served only to strengthen 
     our resolve; and
       (5) That the General Assembly expresses its full support to 
     President George W. Bush and the United States government in 
     its actions to hunt down the perpetrators of these crimes 
     against humanity and to punish those responsible, including 
     any person or government that aids, abets, protects, 
     finances, or harbors the perpetrators, in an appropriate 
     manner.
       Be it Further Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be 
     sent to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United 
     States, Colorado's delegation in the United States Congress, 
     the Honorable George E. Pataki, Governor of the State of New 
     York, the Honorable James Gilmore III, Governor of the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia, the Honorable Rudolph W. Giuliani, 
     Mayor of the City of New York, the Honorable Anthony A. 
     Williams, Mayor of the District of Columbia, and the families 
     of the late Captain Jason M. Dahl of Jefferson County, 
     Colorado and the late Kathryn Laborie of Colorado Springs, 
     Colorado.
     Doug Dean,
       Speaker of the House of Representatives.
     Judith Rodrigue,
       Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives.
     Stan Matsunaka,
       President of the Senate.
     Karen Goldman,
       Secretary of the Senate.

       

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