[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 12 (Wednesday, February 4, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE DAY'S EVENTS

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we will be closing very shortly but I want 
to make a couple of remarks on the events of the day. The highlight of 
the day for me personally was the joint session we had earlier today 
with the presentation by President Aznar of Spain. His address to 
Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives very much 
captured the essence of what makes Spain and the United States of 
America strong allies and friends in the much broader defense of 
liberty.
  For much longer than many other nations and most other nations, Spain 
has been a part of United States history and indeed we have been a part 
of Spain's history. As we look back over the time, that history has 
been one full of discovery for both sides. It has been an experience 
rich in harmony and discord.
  I was able to talk to the President before as we reviewed that 
history and after his speech today. It has been a history that has been 
characterized by wars fought against each other and wars fought 
alongside each other.
  We have had the opportunity to celebrate together the creation of new 
democracies. We have celebrated together the defense of existing 
democracies, of old democracies. Together, as we look back over the 
last several years, we have faced the gravest threats to the security 
of free people, and through that togetherness and that partnership we 
have prevailed, advanced, and progressed.
  In our hour of need, our response to the acts of terrorism, September 
11, 2001, acts that the President referred to--he referred to that day 
as a terrible day, reflecting, as he did today, that the principles 
that were attacked that day were the principles Spain had and the 
United States had, both countries have, and those very principles and 
values were attacked. I believe he used the words ``brutally 
attacked.'' In our hour of need, the Spanish people showed us a 
solidarity, a friendship, and a compassion that very much were the 
medicine for the soul of our Nation.
  Spain--and the President reflects this--has very much been our ally 
in every sense of the word. It was wonderful for us to be able to 
welcome him today and to listen to his comments in the Halls of the 
Capitol of the United States of America.
  For me and many others, in the course of the day, as business has 
progressed on the floor, we have been centered on the response to the 
ricin attack in the Dirksen Building now a little over 48 hours ago. I 
am happy to report that everybody is doing fine. A few hours ago I made 
an announcement that the postal system and that people in the postal 
system, both inside our buildings and inside our grounds, but also 
outside, are doing fine, which is very good news. I say that because it 
is important to realize that this agent ricin is a deadly agent. It is 
a life-threatening agent and, through exposure, could have hurt many 
people.
  As I said earlier but want to reinforce, we are making great progress 
in the collection of mail and in examining the Senate office buildings. 
Officials have moved aggressively. They have moved in an almost 
symphonic fashion to respond to this insult. As I previously announced, 
the Russell Office Building will open tomorrow at noon, the Hart Office 
Building will open Friday at 9 a.m., and the Dirksen Office Building, 
Monday at 7 a.m. Staff have been patient. Staff have been 
understanding. Staff have adapted to this terrible incident, working at 
home and working wherever they can find a space, sometimes in the 
hallways. I do want to thank my colleagues and the staff for responding 
in this fashion.

  I have previously mentioned that every time I go through the list in 
my own mind, I leave people out, but all the various people who are 
working together through the Sergeant at Arms' Office, the Office of 
the Secretary of the Senate, especially the Capitol Police, the U.S. 
Marines who are here with us, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Department of Homeland 
Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, the various law 
enforcement agencies that have responded, the postal workers, the 
postal system across the United States of America in what has truly 
been remarkable when we think of what we have gone through, with 
anthrax 2\1/2\ years ago and a number of other incidents.
  Looking back over the 200-year history of this wonderful celebrated 
building, probably the most celebrated building in the world, the place 
has been burned down essentially, has been attacked, has been assaulted 
again and again, but the institution itself, just like the people who 
are here, who are working here every day, has responded with a 
resiliency that is truly remarkable. There is a toughness and an 
ability to bounce right back.
  We have not missed a step in terms of conducting the Nation's 
business in spite of the really tragic occurrence of the last several 
days.
  I will close on this particular issue, again talking about my own 
staff who responded so admirably. I have my own staff who are in the 
mailroom, and when they see something is not quite right, they use 
procedures that they have been trained in and that we have all focused 
on very much in terms of our procedures. They immediately responded 
appropriately and handled that operation in an appropriate way with 
evaluation of the room, notification of the appropriate personnel, and 
the appropriate response. Without that, people could have been hurt and 
could have died.
  It is nice to be able to see that and commend the people working in 
such an environment. Unfortunately, these are the realities we have 
seen, anthrax 2\1/2\ years ago, ricin today, Capitol Police officers 
assaulted in this building and killed not too long ago. The resiliency 
is truly remarkable in this great institution.

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