[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 21, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H2803-H2806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PAYING TRIBUTE TO WORKERS IN NEW YORK CITY FOR RESCUE, RECOVERY, AND
CLEAN-UP EFFORTS AT SITE OF WORLD TRADE CENTER
Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 424) paying tribute to the workers in New York City
for their rescue, recovery, and clean-up efforts at the site of the
World Trade Center.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 424
Whereas on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four
civilian aircraft, crashing two of them into the towers of
the World Trade Center in New York City;
Whereas these attacks were by far the deadliest terrorist
attacks ever launched against the United States, claiming the
lives of more than 3,000 innocent people;
Whereas in the aftermath of the attacks, without showing
any hesitation, public safety officers, steel workers,
electricians, construction workers, and thousands of skilled
workers and volunteers spent endless days and nights, many
without sleep for over 36 hours, risking their own lives to
assist in the search for and rescue of anyone that might have
survived the devastation at the site of the World Trade
Center, which has come to be known as ``Ground Zero'';
Whereas the resolve of our nation was strengthened by the
courage of the thousands of brave rescue and recovery workers
who used their own hands in the hours and days after
September 11th to this day to remove rubble from the site to
locate those trapped and buried beneath the debris of the
World Trade Center;
Whereas these workers inspired the American people with
their extraordinary bravery and heroism, often risking their
own life and limb to help find the remains of those who
perished on September 11th;
Whereas many rescue and recovery workers were not just
searching for a stranger but rather their lost son, daughter,
aunt, uncle, brother, sister, husband, wife, mother, father,
lifelong friend, or co-worker; each of these workers were
helping to clear the debris just hoping to come across any
one of their loved ones;
Whereas people, not only in New York but across the nation,
worked to supply Ground Zero workers with such things as food
and water, clothing, and medical supplies, surmounted
numerous challenges and difficulties in securing and
distributing these goods, and made it happen within hours and
continuing still today, never once looked at how difficult it
might be to get supplies, but rather went out and did
whatever it took to ensure that the needs for those supplies
were met;
Whereas local businesses, churches, and citizens opened
their doors to police, fire, and other workers with places to
sleep, eat, or even simply pray;
Whereas the selflessness displayed by the rescue and
recovery workers helped unify our nation, bringing together
good people to demonstrate to the forces of terror that good
would triumph over evil;
Whereas all involved in the efforts at Ground Zero were
working unselfishly beyond the point of exhaustion without
regard for food, water, or sleep, simply to save and recover
anyone and everyone possible; and
Whereas the recovery effort will conclude after more than
nine months of hard work, removing over 1.6 million tons of
debris while at the same time taking great care to collect
all victims' remains, thereby allowing more than 1,000
families to lay their loved ones to rest: Now, therefore, be
it
[[Page H2804]]
Resolved, That the House of Representatives pays tribute to
the workers in New York City for their rescue, recovery, and
clean-up efforts at the site of the World Trade Center, which
was destroyed by the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Ose) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose).
General Leave
Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on House Resolution 424.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Fossella) be permitted to control the time on House
Concurrent Resolution 424.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New
York.
Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume,
and I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs.
Maloney), and I join, I think, with the entire country to introduce a
House resolution to pay tribute to the hundreds, if not thousands, of
workers who have responded to the World Trade Center since that fateful
day on September 11.
As a Nation, we need not be reminded, but in a way we always need to
be reminded, of what happened that day; of the loss of life, of those
who lost loved ones, aunts, uncles, sons, daughters who were lost,
fathers, mothers. We know the tragedy, and it will forever be written
of. But out of that tragedy really came a resilience and strength in
this country, and some of that was demonstrated by the workers who
reported immediately to ground zero and have been there almost every
day since.
Believe it or not, Mr. Speaker, the recovery and ultimate
redevelopment of the World Trade Center, which just a few months ago
was thought to be almost impossible, will be coming to a close. In just
the next few short days there will be a ceremony in New York City to
honor and to pay tribute to those who have responded.
For someone who was there on September 11, I can tell my colleagues
that the dedication and the commitment of these individuals has been
unbelievable. But with all that, all the work that they have done, the
1.6 million tons of debris, some of it, sadly, tragically, containing
the remains of those who perished in the Trade Center, a lot of it
ending up on Staten Island, so it hits close to home for all of us, I
cannot tell you how proud we should be of them. They responded. They
give their time, sometimes working 16, 18, 20 hours a day, many of them
looking for their loved ones.
You can just read the papers. Take the time necessary and see of
those fathers who responded day in and day out hoping to find their
sons, or those hoping to find a sister or a wife. Perhaps as we look
back, this will be one of the darkest, if not the darkest, spot in
American history. But if we look for a silver lining to it, it is the
fundamental belief that there were those who responded heroically, with
honor, with a sense of purpose to rebuild this country.
When we were attacked on September 11 at the Trade Center, we began
the process of rebuilding almost immediately, all with the sense of
honor to those who lost their life.
I can only tell my colleagues, as someone who lost almost 300 people
from the district that I am very privileged to represent, and I think I
can speak for a lot of those families, that each one of those
individuals who have been at the Trade Center, Ground Zero as it has
become known, we say thank you.
{time} 2045
I think the entire Congress of this country has said thank you.
Everybody across this country has responded wonderfully, Members on
both sides. All 50 States have offered their advice, guidance, support,
financial, emotional, spiritual, and it is not underappreciated. But
this is the way we formally say thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume. I am very pleased to join with the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Fossella) in support of this very important resolution. I also
would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues in Congress
for their support of New York, for voting for the $20 billion to help
us restore our site, and for all of their support that continues each
day in this Congress for our constituents and for our city.
I rise in support of this important resolution in praise of the
workers at Ground Zero. After many months of around-the-clock work, the
clearing of debris from the attacks on the World Trade Center has
neared completion. The cleanup efforts in response to the attacks on
the World Trade Center involved unprecedented, selfless acts of heroism
by thousands of men and women from the construction and building trades
who worked in an extremely dangerous atmosphere as they cleared the
disaster site. In total they have cleared more than 1.6 million tons of
debris in 8 months.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, volunteers from the
construction unions, iron and steelworkers and many others, toiled
alongside firefighters and police officers and volunteers digging
tunnels and gaining access to victims by operating cranes, burning
steel, driving trucks, and moving debris by hand as part of the famous
Bucket Brigade. Over the many months, the workers completed the cleanup
of Ground Zero in an atmosphere which was filled with danger and in the
midst of still burning fires and deadly debris. They completed their
work ahead of schedule and with safety as an ultimate concern. I think
that it is remarkable that they toiled in such dangerous conditions,
yet there was not one serious injury of the volunteers and the
construction workers who worked at the site.
Despite these dangerous conditions, the contracting firms themselves
began the rescue and cleanup of the site without any government
guarantee that they would be compensated for legal liability that they
might incur during the cleanup. Nevertheless, the workers of Ground
Zero and the contracting companies embraced this unprecedented and
perilous challenge. Their actions personified the enduring
determination to get New York back on its feet and to restore Lower
Manhattan's majesty.
Throughout this heartbreaking cleanup, they worked tirelessly, many
times away from their families for days. Of all of the things that I
remember the most about Ground Zero, having gone there that night and
the next day on September 12 and many other days, was the absolute
silence at the site, the hushed silence at the site which lasted for
many days after the bombing. It reflected an appreciation for the
magnitude of the horror and the fact that they were working on the
surface of a mass grave.
I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the Tully Construction
Company who at my request preserved a segment of the ruins to be
transformed into a national monument at an appropriate time in the
future. We all remember the images of steel fragments from the towers
that plunged upright into the pavement like arrows into the hearts of
all New Yorkers, and I would say all citizens of America, and nearby
fire trucks that were partially submerged and ruined in the rubble.
Thanks to the care and respect that workers have demonstrated in
dismantling and removing the wreckage, these images will be preserved
in honor of those who were lost, and in remembrance of a black Tuesday
that this Nation must never forget. The scores of companies,
organizations and union members who have cooperated in clearing the
site with extraordinary speed, efficiency and safety include, but are
not limited to, a special team of the New York City Office of Emergency
Management and the New York City Department of Design and Construction;
with main contractors Turner
[[Page H2805]]
Construction, Plaza Construction, Bovis Construction, Amec Construction
and Tully Construction; and dozens of subcontractors, including
Thornton-Tomasette Engineering, LZA Engineering, New York Crane, Bay
Crane, Cranes Inc., Slattery Association, Grace Industries, Big Apple
Demolition, Regional Scaffolding & Hoisting, Atlantic-Heydt
Scaffolding, York Scaffolding, Weeks Marine and Bechtel Corp.
Mr. Speaker, many Members of Congress and the Senate have gone to
Ground Zero. They have seen the devastation but also resilience and
redemption in the work that is being done there. I know I speak for
this entire body in expressing our country's deep appreciation for the
risks taken and sacrifices made by the unsung heroes at Ground Zero who
have reminded us what the American spirit is all about.
We will be having a ceremony soon that will mark the completion of
the cleanup. I join my colleagues tonight in honoring all that
participated, the police, the fire, the emergency medical, the
volunteers and the construction trades who toiled selflessly to help
our city and this country.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for really
articulating, I think, the sentiments of many. As we saw those
firefighters rush in or the police officers, the Port Authority police
officers or the construction trades, the ironworkers, the steelworkers,
the carpenters, as she has indicated, selflessly, without fear for
their own life in an attempt to help others, they have been there since
day one. There is no question that this was a terrible, terrible
moment. There is no question that so many lives were lost and that we
need to honor them every day. There is also no question that we need to
pay tribute as so many Americans really have come to Ground Zero to pay
their respects, to really offer a helping hand to the good people of
New York, New York City. This is one way really Congress just does it
formally.
To the local businesses that had opened their doors to those
volunteers to sleep on cots or on the floor, to have a meal, or to get
something to drink or just simply to sit and pray, we say thank you to
them. I thank my colleagues on both sides for being so supportive of
New York financially, in helping us to rebuild, and also paying honor
to those at the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island where so much of
this, of the trade center, is sent on a daily basis and continues to be
sent on a daily basis, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have hundreds
of professionals and volunteers going through with the utmost delicacy
and utmost respect for the human beings that were lost on that fateful
day. They should be honored as well.
But tonight we pay tribute to those at the trade center. As we have
indicated, there will be a ceremony and they will know that the United
States House of Representatives says thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I join my colleagues in thanking the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Fossella). We have stood in this well practically every day to thank
our colleagues for their support, for their aid, for their friendship,
for their concern. We can never say thank you enough for being there
for New Yorkers in our time of greatest need. We appreciate so much the
actions of this body. We appreciate the honorable work of all that were
involved in the cleanup and in saving lives.
Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution
offered by my friend and colleague from Staten Island, Vito Fossella,
in honor of all of the people who served at Ground Zero, whether
looking for survivors to aid, helping to locate remains that would
allow a family some closure, or rebuilding our City.
After September 11, the terrorists responsible thought they could
scare America into submission, but the faces of the people working at
Ground Zero--the public safety officers, the volunteers, the
contractors, clean-up crews and union members--everyone there proved
them wrong. In the face of the worst of humanity, New York displayed
the best of humanity. America witnessed the bravery of its people that
day as thousands of people rushed to the scene to help find survivors.
Not just our brave firefighters, police and emergency medical
technicians who were working that day, but office workers, students,
construction workers, vendors, tourists and off-duty public safety
officers.
There were so many but I would like to highlight one, Michael
Weinberg of Maspeth, Queens. He was a 34-year-old firefighter who was
off duty on September 11 and engaging in his passion--golf. It was on
the course that he first learned of the news at the World Trade Center.
Concerned for the people in the building, including his older sister
Patricia, he rushed to his station house where he joined Fire
Department Chaplain Rev. Mychal Judge and Capt. Daniel Brethel to go to
the Towers. As the towers collapsed, all three perished in the building
trying to aid victims.
His sister, who did escape safely from the Tower, remembered him with
the simple but telling phrase ``He loved to help people.'' This was a
phrase used to describe so many people that day.
Our City was overwhelmed with offers of support from all over the
Country, from people like Michael Weinberg who loved to help other
people. Such as the welders who came to Manhattan from all over the
area--not just the City or the State but all over; they jumped in their
trucks to help at Ground Zero. Police and Fire fighters had to be
convinced to take time off--even just a few minutes--from the rescue
and recovery efforts; people who had been working for several days
straight whether on duty or not. So many people rushed to the scene to
join our firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians, court
officers and Port Authority Police among so many already there to help.
Many of us remember the horribly tragic sight of seeing families
waving pictures of missing loved ones on posters, or photos of the
missing on telephone polls and windows in the City. What we didn't see
were the people who tried to help find these people--we salute them
today.
Blood banks had lines going for blocks from those citizens who
couldn't go down to Ground Zero and help, but felt the need to
contribute to the effort. People opened their wallets for the Twin
Towers Fund and other relief charities for the families.
But this sense of volunteerism did not end after a few days--workers
toiled day and night at Ground Zero--and still do. The fires at the
World Trade Center could not be completely extinguished until December,
with firefighters battling them daily; with police combing the
wreckage; and with construction workers starting the clean-up and
rebuilding process. They worked in some of the most horrible conditions
known to humans--conditions that are unfathomable to all those except
the few who were down there.
It was these workers that voiced the initial anger in the attacks and
the pride in our nation shortly after that day when President Bush
visited Ground Zero. People like that construction workers at Ground
Zero, who shouted that he could not hear the President. At which the
President responded with the memorable and inspirational line that
while he may not be heard by all of those at Ground Zero, the people at
Ground Zero were being heard by him, by the American people and soon by
the terrorists that knocked those buildings down.
We honor their work today--work that took them into the most gruesome
place imaginable. They are the people who make our country work and
have helped us restore our sense of being--and showed the world what it
is to be an American.
But while we salute our workers at Ground Zero, we must also work to
remember their courage and their work everyday. The crowds that saluted
and cheered our firefighters, are no longer there, but our respect and
admiration for them must continue--both through encouraging words and
also through support and assistance. All of the people who went to
Ground Zero and worked there are a true inspiration for all of us.
This is a timely resolution and I am pleased it will coincide with
the events being held next week, by Mayor Bloomberg to honor those at
Ground Zero who worked to clean up the rubble and helped repair a
broken City. They have removed almost 2 million tons of debris in less
time then expected. They worked for us and we owe them a debt of
gratitude. While the terrorists may have broken buildings we will never
be a broken people.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 424.
The question was taken.
[[Page H2806]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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