[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 125 (Monday, September 30, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1694-E1695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              COMMEMORATING ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11TH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 26, 2002

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in recognition of the one year 
anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
  Last September, the lives of all Americans were forever changed. 
Loved ones have been lost, and the grief we feel is as sharp now as it 
was one year ago. There is an emptiness in families, in offices, in 
communities, where sons and daughters, husbands and wives, parents, 
siblings and friends once were.
  Our country has changed. We have focused intently on the task of 
ensuring our homeland security--a term seldom heard before this past 
year. We have invested billions of dollars in securing our ports and 
borders, water and food, and airways. We have enhanced the strength of 
our military and intelligence capacities, undertaking an unprecedented 
campaign to end the threat of international terrorism. We have a new 
appreciation for the hard work of our men and women in uniform--whether 
they are soldiers, police officers, emergency medical technicians, or 
firefighters.
  We joined together with the President, the Governor, and former Mayor 
Giuliani in passing an emergency spending bill which provided $21 
billion to fund the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade 
Center site and cleanup in lower Manhattan. This funding has also 
helped alleviate some of the economic ramifications of the terrorist 
attacks, provide counseling to New York schoolchildren affected by 9/
11, and it is now being used to modernize the transportation systems 
that were devastated by the towers' collapse. The

[[Page E1695]]

wounds remain, but our community has shown extraordinary courage in 
dealing with the challenges before us. We will never forget, but we 
will recover.
  Shattering as this ordeal has been, the fundamental character of 
America has remained the same. And for this we should all be proud. We 
are still a strong and diverse nation, focused on the pleasures and 
challenges of everyday life, caught up in the struggle to provide good 
homes for our children, achieve meaning in our lives, and leave this 
world a better place after we've gone. We still believe in the 
importance of our democratic ideals--the foundation on which our 
country was built, and continues to thrive.
  As a nation, we have joined together to provide support for our 
neighbors, friends, coworkers and fellow Americans. As I have traveled 
around New York, I have seen remarkable displays of the resilience of 
the American spirit as we have worked in the recovery effort, giving 
from both our hearts and our wallets. The tragedy of September 11th was 
once unimaginable as were the courage and empathy that were displayed 
that terrible day. Now, it is this strength and this concern for our 
fellow citizens that redefine us as Americans.
  This is what gives us hope. And this is what gives us confidence 
that, despite the dangers of the world and the challenges our country 
faces, we will prevail in perpetuating the values we hold dear. I am 
humbled and honored to stand before you today in remembrance of the 
tragedy of September 11th and the heroism and patriotism of New Yorkers 
and all Americans over the past year.

                          ____________________