[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 158 (Thursday, November 15, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S11921]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL DAY OF RECONCILIATION

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I will not take the full period of 
time. I want to make an announcement and inform the Senate family of 
something. Last night, we cleared through the Senate a national day of 
reconciliation to take place in the Senate and the House on December 4.
  When we come back, hopefully we will not be in session too much past 
that, but at least on December 4, there will be a gathering between the 
House and Senate, and hopefully members of the Cabinet, as a time to 
support one another and to reconcile.
  Historically, this was done 100 years ago, in particular at this time 
of the year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We will try to see the 
minor differences that have separated us and see if we really cannot 
make amends with each other, and seek amends with our Creator, if there 
are things that separate us from Him as well. This is going to take 
place on December 4. It has passed the House and the Senate as a 
concurrent resolution. There is a group that is planning on working 
together to do this, along with the Chaplains of the two bodies.
  I wanted to announce that to the Senate. Hopefully, there are people 
who will want to participate in this gathering. It is voluntary. It 
will be a private session. Nobody from outside the House, the Senate, 
or the administration, other than the two Chaplains, will participate. 
There will be no media present. It is a private, closed session. It 
will take place in the Rotunda.

  It will take place between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on December 4. I hope 
people will mark it on their calendars. This can be a special time 
given the nature of what has happened in our country, this year in 
particular, with the events of September 11, with the anthrax scares, 
and with the plane that went down this week out of New York. We have 
had a lot of trial and trauma in this Nation. It has called upon us to 
unify and pull together. We need to continually do that.
  This will be an effort for us to do just that--to reconcile with one 
another, to reconcile with our Creator. I think it is an important 
model for us to show to the Nation. I hope people can participate in 
that as well.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.

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