[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 114 (Wednesday, September 11, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S8507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
______
SENSE OF THE CONGRESS ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE TERRORIST ATTACKS
LAUNCHED AGAINST THE UNITED STATES
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate
receives from the House H. Con. Res. 464, a concurrent resolution
regarding the anniversary of the terrorist attack, the preamble and the
concurrent resolution be agreed to; that any statements thereon be
printed in the Record; and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the
table, provided that it is identical to the resolution that I ask be
printed in the Record following the granting of this request.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (H. Con. Res. 464), with its preamble, reads as
follows:
H. Con. Res. 464
Whereas on September 11, 2001, while Americans were
attending to their daily routines, 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 the valor of the passengers and crew on the fourth
aircraft prevented it from also being used as a weapon
against America;
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, making these attacks the deadliest terrorist
attacks ever launched against the United States;
Whereas when the gravest moments came, many regular
Americans, relying on courage, instinct, and grace, rushed
toward the flaming buildings in order to rescue or toward
terrorist-controlled cockpits in order to resist;
Whereas by targeting symbols of American strength and
success, these attacks clearly were intended to assail the
principles, values, and freedoms of the United States and the
American people, intimidate the Nation, and weaken the
national resolve;
Whereas while the States of New York, Virginia, and
Pennsylvania bore the brunt of the terrorist attacks, every
State and Territory and all Americans were affected and
mourned these tragic losses;
Whereas Americans reached out to help strangers who had
lost loved ones, colleagues, and their businesses;
Whereas local, State, and Federal leaders set aside
differences and worked together to provide for those who were
attacked and to protect those who remained;
Whereas Americans continue to repair damage to buildings
and the economy, while relishing the freedoms they enjoy as
Americans;
Whereas on September 14, 2001, in Public Law 107-40,
Congress authorized the use of ``all necessary and
appropriate force'' against those responsible for the
terrorist attacks;
Whereas the United States Armed Forces subsequently moved
swiftly against Al Qaeda and the Taliban regime in
Afghanistan, whom the President and Congress had identified
as enemies of America;
Whereas, in so doing, brave servicemen and women left
family and friends in order to defend the Nation;
Whereas a year later, many servicemen and women remain
abroad, shielding the Nation from further terrorist attacks;
Whereas, while the passage of a year has not softened the
memory of the American people, resolved their grief, or
restored lost loved ones, it has shown that Americans will
not bow to terrorists;
Whereas the Congress has passed, and the President has
signed, numerous laws providing additional resources for the
overseas effort against terrorism, as well as additional
tools for Federal, State, and local law enforcement and
judicial systems to protect Americans at home; and
Whereas the Government reexamined the need for domestic
security and the Congress is currently considering
legislation to create a Department of Homeland Security with
the specific mission of preventing further attacks.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, what we saw happen to our country 1 year
ago today will be forever etched in our memories. Several of our
colleagues have taken time here on the floor today to reflect on that
horrible day.
Though our Nation was wounded deeply that day, we learned a great
deal about ourselves--and that has made our country stronger. The
courage of the first responders, the valor of the passengers on flight
93, the strength of the families of the victims, the character of our
armed forces, and the generosity of Americans from each and every State
in the Union have shown to terrorists, and to the world, that America
is strong and will not bow to terror.
H. Con. Res. 464 is a small tribute to each of these heroes. It
spells out, in broad bipartisan fashion, Congress's memory for lost
loved ones, our deep admiration for the families of these innocent
victims, our respect for the work of our first responders and armed
forces, and our resolve to find and bring to justice those responsible
for the attacks.
That resolve was made clear on September 14, 2001, when we
overwhelmingly passed S.J. Res. 23. In that resolution, we granted the
President the authority to pursue the nations, people or organizations
who perpetrated the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United
States in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism
against the United States by such nations, people, or organizations.
With today's resolution, we look back at the horror and the hope we
saw on a day we will never forget. There may come a day when we must
again look ahead to threats to our Nation that lie on or beyond the
horizon. I am confident that when that time comes, Congress will again
act in a bipartisan fashion to take the steps needed to keep America
strong, and Americans safe.
But today, as we walk the path from remembrance to recovery, this
resolution says what we all know in our hearts: We will never forget.
____________________