[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 106 (Thursday, September 9, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H6906-H6921]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   EXPRESSING SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON ANNIVERSARY OF TERRORIST ATTACKS 
          LAUNCHED AGAINST UNITED STATES ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

  Mr. HYDE. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the previous order of the House, 
I call up the resolution (H. Res. 757) expressing the sense of the 
House of Representatives on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks 
launched against the United States on September 11, 2001, and ask for 
its immediate consideration in the House.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The Clerk will report the 
title of the resolution.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of House Resolution 757 is as follows:

                              H. Res. 757

       Whereas on September 11, 2001, while Americans were 
     attending to their daily routines, terrorists hijacked 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., and a fourth was prevented 
     from also being used as a weapon against America by brave 
     passengers who placed their country above their own lives;
       Whereas three years later the country continues to, and 
     shall forever, mourn the tragic loss of life at the hands of 
     terrorist attackers;
       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 three years after September 11, 2001, the United 
     States is fighting a Global War on Terrorism to protect 
     America and her friends and allies;
       Whereas since the United States was attacked, it has led an 
     international military coalition in the destruction of two 
     terrorist regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq while using 
     diplomacy and sanctions in cooperation with Great Britain and 
     the international community to lead a third terrorist regime 
     in Libya away from its weapons of mass destruction;
       Whereas the United States is reorganizing itself in order 
     to more effectively wage the Global War on Terrorism by 
     transforming the Department of Defense, sharpening the 
     Federal Bureau of Investigation's counterterrorism focus, 
     strengthening the authority of the Director of Central 
     Intelligence to coordinate national intelligence activities, 
     and creating a Department of Homeland Security;
       Whereas of the senior al-Qaida leaders, operational 
     managers, and key facilitators that the United States 
     Government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds of such 
     individuals have been taken into custody or killed;
       Whereas just as significant, with the help of its allies, 
     the United States has disrupted individuals and organizations 
     that facilitate terrorism--movers of money, people, messages, 
     and supplies--who have acted as the glue binding the global 
     al-Qaida network together;
       Whereas Pakistan has taken into custody more than 500 
     members of al-Qaida and the Taliban regime, including Khalid 
     Sheik Mohammed and Ramzi bin al Shibh, conspirators in the 
     September 11, 2001, attacks, and Kahallad Ba'Attash, an 
     individual involved in the planning of the attack on the USS 
     COLE in 2000;
       Whereas Jordan continues its strong counterterrorism 
     efforts, arresting two individuals with links to al-Qaida who 
     admitted responsibility for the October 2002 murder in Amman, 
     Jordan, of Lawrence Foley, a United States Agency for 
     International Development Foreign Service Officer;
       Whereas in June 2002, Morocco took into custody al-Qaida 
     operatives plotting to attack United States Navy ships and 
     ships of other member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in the Strait of Gibraltar;
       Whereas the United States and its allies in Southeast Asia 
     have made significant advances against the regional terrorist 
     organization Jemaah Islamiyah, which was responsible for the 
     attack in Bali, Indonesia, in October 2003 that killed more 
     than 200 people;
       Whereas Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, 
     and other countries in Southeast Asia have taken into custody 
     leaders and operatives of local al-Qaida-affiliated terrorist 
     organizations and members of al-Qaida traveling through such 
     countries;
       Whereas the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, 
     and other countries have disrupted cells of the al-Qaida 
     terrorist organization and are vigorously pursuing other 
     leads relating to terrorist activity;
       Whereas following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the 
     United States Government initiated innovative programs, such 
     as the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program 
     and the Container Security Initiative, to extend our borders 
     overseas and to secure and screen cargo before it is placed 
     on ships destined for United States ports of entry;
       Whereas the Department of Homeland Security implemented the 
     US-VISIT border security screening system in December 2003 at 
     all air and sea ports of entry, requiring that nonimmigrant 
     visa holders entering the United States be fingerprinted and 
     screened through various criminal and terrorist databases 
     before entry into the United States, and this system will be 
     expanded to land ports of entry in accordance with 
     congressional deadlines;
       Whereas since September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard has 
     conducted more than 124,000 port security patrols, 13,000 air 
     patrols, boarded more than 92,000 vessels, interdicted over 
     14,000 individuals attempting to enter

[[Page H6907]]

     the United States illegally, and created and maintained more 
     than 90 Maritime Security Zones;
       Whereas following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the 
     Terrorist Threat Integration Center was established, which 
     now fuses, for the first time in United States history, 
     terrorist-related information, foreign and domestic, 
     available to the United States Government for systematic 
     analysis and dissemination to prevent or disrupt terrorist 
     attacks on the United States;
       Whereas following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the 
     Terrorist Screening Center, a multi-agency partnership, was 
     established to integrate the dozens of separate terrorist 
     databases that existed before September 11th into a single 
     terrorist watch list for use by Federal, State, and local law 
     enforcement, intelligence, and border security personnel;
       Whereas following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the 
     United States Government has ensured the hardening of cockpit 
     doors on airplanes and greatly expanded the use of armed 
     Federal air marshals to prevent and deter future hijackings 
     that could turn commercial planes into weapons of mass 
     destruction;
       Whereas having recognized the need to prevent terrorist 
     organizations from using their resources, the Federal Bureau 
     of Investigation has worked closely with the Department of 
     the Treasury to target 62 terrorist organizations and freeze 
     $125,000,000 in assets of such organizations worldwide used 
     to fund terrorist activities;
       Whereas to date United States Armed Forces and Coalition 
     forces have killed or captured 43 of the 55 most wanted 
     criminals of the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, including 
     Saddam Hussein himself;
       Whereas the al-Zarqawi terror network used Baghdad as a 
     base of operations to coordinate the movement of people, 
     money, and supplies; and
       Whereas thousands of families have lost loved ones in the 
     defense of freedom and liberty against the tyranny of terror: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) extends again its deepest sympathies to the thousands 
     of innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
     attacks, their families, friends, and loved ones;
       (2) honors the heroic actions and the sacrifices of United 
     States military and civilian personnel and their families who 
     have sacrificed much, including their lives and health, in 
     defense of their country in the Global War on Terrorism;
       (3) honors the heroic actions of first responders, law 
     enforcement personnel, State and local officials, volunteers, 
     and others who aided the innocent victims and, in so doing, 
     bravely risked their own lives and long-term health;
       (4) expresses thanks and gratitude to the foreign leaders 
     and citizens of all nations who have assisted and continue to 
     stand in solidarity with the United States against terrorism 
     in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
     attacks;
       (5) discourages, in the strongest possible terms, any 
     effort to confuse the Global War on Terrorism with a war on 
     any people or any faith;
       (6) reaffirms its commitment to the Global War on Terrorism 
     and to providing the United States Armed Forces with the 
     resources and support to wage it effectively and safely;
       (7) vows that it will continue to take whatever actions 
     necessary to identify, intercept, and disrupt terrorists and 
     their activities; and
       (8) reaffirms that the American people will never forget 
     the sacrifices made on September 11, 2001, and will never bow 
     to terrorist demands.

  Mr. HYDE. Madam Speaker, on this important resolution, I ask 
unanimous consent that the text of the resolution be read by the Clerk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the text of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
Wednesday, September 8, 2004, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) 
and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each will control 30 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois. (Mr. Hyde).


                             General Leave

  Mr. HYDE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HYDE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Today we gather in the House of Representatives to consider a 
resolution commemorating the anniversary of the terrorist acts launched 
against the United States on September 11, 2001. September 11 was a 
brilliant, sunlit, late summer morning in New York and Washington. 
Suddenly, death came raining down from the skies. Three thousand died 
because of the wicked acts of evil men who callously used innocent 
American citizens as their weapons.
  The war against terrorism, which is the war for civilization itself, 
has come home to America.

                              {time}  1030

  Now, 3 years after the fact, all thoughts are drawn to that day. Time 
may not be an invincible healer, but it does soften and mercifully 
distance us from many of our sharpest pains and fears; and by 
transforming private remembrance into a more quiet and interior 
experience, it gives the public forms of remembrance greater depth and 
meaning, elevating these above mere ritual. I am certain that all 
Americans alive that infamous day will give reverance to this 
anniversary for as long as they shall live.
  We remember today those fellow citizens and the innocents of all 
Nations who died September 11. We mourn with their families and extend 
to them once again our profound sympathy.
  We remember with awe and gratitude the passengers of the fourth 
plane, the plane intended for the White House or the Capitol, who 
sacrificed their own lives to prevent the terrorists from achieving 
their evil goal.
  We remember with profound respect the police, the firefighters and 
other emergency workers who charged into burning buildings, often at 
the cost of their own lives, in acts of selflessness and bravery before 
which we can only bow our heads.
  We honor today the men and women of our Armed Forces who have taken 
the war against terrorism to the fever swamps where terrorism is bred, 
and who in doing so have given a new birth of freedom to long-oppressed 
peoples.
  We remember in sorrow and prayer those brave men and women who have 
made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country. Their names 
will not be forgotten. The just cause for which they paid the final 
price will not fail.
  Freedom and decency will, with God's grace, prevail over wickedness 
and wanton killing.
  Today, a day for remembrance is a day for prayer. In silence, let us 
commend to the merciful hands of God those innocents whose lives were 
stolen from them 3 years ago Saturday and those men and women of our 
Armed Forces and those of our allies who go into harm's way and risk 
their lives for freedom's sake.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, let me first pay tribute to my distinguished friend 
and colleague from Illinois for the leadership he has provided to our 
committee and to this House on international matters in the last 3 
years.
  Madam Speaker, I also want to identify myself with the tribute of the 
gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) to members of our Armed Forces, 
first responders and their families. So much has been said about 
September 11 and the subsequent battle against global terrorism that 
the legislation before us allotted an hour of discussion can only be 
viewed as a symbolic gesture.
  But once the solemn commemorations are done, the only meaningful 
memorial that we in Congress can create is to seriously continue our 
commitment to carry on the global war against terrorism.
  We need to understand that this is indeed a global war, and our 
hearts go out to the mothers and fathers of the children in southern 
Russia who just a few days ago were senselessly slaughtered in another 
act of global terrorism.
  We have commitments to keep, Madam Speaker. We need to put into 
effect the recommendations made by the bipartisan commission 
investigating the 9/11 attacks. We must find innovative ways to carry 
out this global struggle against terrorism so that it becomes not a war 
in the conventional sense but a united worldwide effort to eliminate 
the conditions that give rise to terrorism, a global effort to sustain 
peace in all its many aspects.

[[Page H6908]]

  Where will this effort take us next? We may differ about specific 
tactics, but I think all Americans agree on at least one broad goal: 
the United States must do all it can to prevent state sponsors of 
terrorism from acquiring weapons of mass destruction, particularly 
nuclear weapons.
  Fortunately, Madam Speaker, we have already established at least one 
model for how to reach that goal peacefully. I refer, of course, to the 
new situation in Libya, a case study of the effectiveness of 
multilateral sanctions and diplomacy, sustained over decades by both 
Republican and Democratic administrations.
  Under U.S. and British leadership, the international community, 
acting through the United Nations, enforced wide-ranging sanctions 
against Libya that created pressure on its leadership. Eventually, 
Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi recognized reality and relented. This 
year he has taken the unprecedented steps to relinquish his country's 
nuclear weapons materials and programs, yielding valuable information 
about the extent of trade in these dangerous substances and among those 
who seek to harm the United States.
  Qaddafi has rejected weapons of mass destruction once and for all, 
and he will reap the benefits in improved political, economic, 
educational, and cultural ties with the United States and the West. 
None of us would have guessed this development just a year ago.
  We must waste no time, Madam Speaker, in applying similar measures to 
Iran, which has shown it will stop at nothing in order to become a 
nuclear power. The United States has long had sanctions in place on 
Iran; but now that Iran's nuclear intentions are clear and transparent, 
we must lead a campaign for full-scale international sanctions on 
Iran's fanatic regime.
  Experts predict that Iran will have a nuclear bomb within 2 years; 
and with its development of long-range missiles, Iran will threaten our 
friends and allies across the globe. In order to avoid that nightmarish 
scenario, the international community must act decisively and quickly, 
starting with the meeting next week of the board of the International 
Atomic Energy Agency.
  Madam Speaker, I call on that board to refer the issue of Iran's 
violations of its agreements to the United Nations Security Council for 
the purpose of imposing multilateral sanctions on Iran until it ends 
its nuclear program once and for all. With its vast reserves of oil and 
gas, Iran has no need for what it falsely insists are peaceful uses of 
nuclear energy.
  Madam Speaker, in 1996, this body passed the Iran-Libya Sanctions 
Act, known as ILSA; and it renewed that act 3 years ago in 2001. Our 
actions mark a deeper truth. At the time, Iran and Libya were both 
energy-rich states, sponsors of terrorism, viciously anti-Western and 
both committed to the development of weapons of mass destruction. Now 
their paths have diverged dramatically.
  Three weeks ago, I made my second trip to Libya and had my second 
meeting with leader Qaddafi. He told me of an encounter he had sometime 
ago with an Arab leader who wanted Libya to supply him with nuclear 
weapons. Qaddafi said he told that Arab leader that if he gave him such 
weapons, he could not use them, because the retaliation would be so 
awesome; and when he said this, he said, I also realized that devoting 
billions of our resources to developing weapons of mass destruction is 
pointless, and I am giving you all my weapons of mass destruction.
  With this story, Colonel Qaddafi laid out the rationale for his 
decision last December to give up Libya's programs of weapons of mass 
destruction. As a consequence, U.S. commercial sanctions no longer 
apply to Libya. The Iran-Libya Sanctions Act is now the Iran Sanctions 
Act.
  Iran has not yet adopted Libya's wise course. Its single-minded 
pursuit of nuclear weapons calls for an equally determined response 
from the international community. The IAEA meeting next week will be a 
test of both international will and the skill of our leadership.
  In the post-9/11 age, letting fundamentalist extremists acquire 
nuclear arms makes no sense whatsoever. We should be no more relaxed 
about a nuclear armed Iran than we would about a nuclear armed 
Hezbollah or al Qaeda.
  Mr. Speaker, as Aristotle observed, we make war that we may live in 
peace. But the effort that so many have called the war on terrorism 
must involve warfare only as the very last resort.
  The case of Libya demonstrates that skillful, multilateral diplomacy 
can avoid the horror of war and can point us in a direction which is 
peaceful and constructive for the United States and for the rest of the 
world.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for 
yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, most Americans can tell you precisely where they were 
and what they were doing 3 years ago when the grim news broke that the 
terrorists had crashed commercial jet liners into both towers of the 
World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in a field in Pennsylvania. 
Sadly, approximately 3,000 innocent people were savagely murdered, 
including 697 from my own State of New Jersey, with 60 families in my 
congressional district feeling the pain directly.
  The extraordinary courage of the victims like Todd Beamer and Captain 
Chip Burlingame and so many others who sacrificed their lives in an 
attempt to thwart the terrorists' plots and plans, as well as the first 
responders who bravely ran into burning buildings, deserve the highest 
honor and respect a Nation can bestow. Sadly, some 374 first responders 
died going into skyscrapers as they were engulfed in flames. They died 
trying to save those who were victimized by the 9/11 attackers.
  Last week, President Bush very eloquently summed up America's heart 
and spirit when reflecting on 9/11. President Bush said, ``I have seen 
the character of a great Nation, decent and idealistic and strong.'' 
President Bush went on to say, ``The world saw that spirit 3 miles from 
here,'' he was speaking at the Garden, ``when the people of this city 
faced peril together and lifted a flag over the ruins and defied the 
enemy with their courage. My fellow Americans, for as long as our 
country stands, people will look to the resurrection of New York City 
and they will say here buildings fell and here a Nation rose.''
  9/11, Mr. Speaker, was America's wake-up call that transnational 
terrorism, especially from the likes of al Qaeda, is willing and able 
and determined to murder us in a massive way. Much, however, has been 
done by the President and by the Congress to mitigate that threat in 
the 3 years since 9/11.
  We now know that the President, working with our coalition partners, 
has captured and destroyed many of the al Qaeda operatives, and the 
Taliban has been crushed, and we have now entered into a close 
collaboration with partners like Pakistan and the United Kingdom.

                              {time}  1405

  Much has been done to assist the victims' families, but no 
assistance, as we all know, can ever remotely replace their staggering 
loss. Still, when all is said and done, the victims' compensation fund, 
while not perfect, will have provided close to $7 billion to the 
surviving families. We also know that the Federal government has 
provided about $26.7 billion thus far, which has been awarded to 
enhance the abilities of State and local governments and first 
responders to prevent, prepare for, and respond to acts of terrorism 
and other emergencies.
  Much has been done to reform our defenses, including the creation of 
the Department of Homeland Security, no small feat, particularly in 
this town, to do such a massive reorganization. And the Terrorist 
Threat Integration Center now has the left hand talking with the right 
hand so that intelligence is properly shared. We are all on the same 
page.
  For its part, the 9/11 Commission, a commission created by the 
families of 9/11, declared that ``we are safer,'' but they also pointed 
out that we are ``not safe''. Over the course of the August district 
work period, some 26 hearings were held to respond to and to try to 
figure out what a new comprehensive

[[Page H6909]]

reform bill should look like, and I want to thank the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Hyde), chairman of the Committee on International 
Relations, for the two outstanding full committee hearings he put 
together. We are now poised to act on those recommendations, and in 
some cases, we may opt to exceed the 9/11 blueprint.
  Finally, let us all remember, if this is an extremely difficult week 
for us, the sense of collective violation pales compared to the pain of 
the families who lost their loved ones, their wives and husbands, their 
children, their brothers, their sisters. For them, this is the toughest 
week and September 11th--the saddest day. This is a day of remembrance, 
a week of remembrance, and our prayers and our hearts go out to the 
victims' families and friends, because they have lost so much and have 
stood up so bravely in the years since.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to my dear 
friend and distinguished colleague, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. 
Maloney), and it is so appropriate that our next speaker be a 
Representative from New York.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos) for yielding me this time and for his leadership on this and so 
many other issues. I rise in strong support of this resolution.
  As we remember the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 
September 11, we must not forget the heroes and heroines who selflessly 
gave of themselves responding to Ground Zero, but who now need our 
help.
  Yesterday the Subcommittee on National Security of the Committee on 
Government Reform held a hearing on the persistent health effects of 9/
11. We heard about the 380 firefighters who have had to end their 
careers due to illnesses and injuries, as well as the persistent 
respiratory problems among many other responders.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a new medical condition as a result of 9/11 
known as the World Trade Center cough. We learned from the GAO that 3 
years after 9/11 basic questions still have not been answered. We know 
that thousands are sick, but we do not know the exact number. There are 
at least six different monitoring or health tracking programs, but 
there is no coordination among them, and not a single Federal program 
provides health care to those who responded and who need it now. There 
is a clear need for leadership, but we learned that not a single person 
in the Federal Government is in charge.
  Quite simply, the heroes of 9/11 deserve better. This was an act of 
war. Our heroes and responders should be treated like veterans. At the 
very least, they should be provided with adequate health care as a 
result of their injuries. This is the reason why I have introduced H.R. 
4059, the Remember 9/11 Health Act. This legislation provides for 
treatment, coordination, research, and long-term monitoring.
  As we remember 9/11, let us not forget that there are heroes out 
there that still need our help. Our first responders were there for us. 
We need to be there for them with the very least in providing adequate 
health benefits to those who need it.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).
  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman of the 
Committee on International Relations, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Hyde), along with ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos), for introducing this bipartisan resolution as we approach the 
third anniversary of September 11.
  Every American remembers where they were that fateful morning of 
September 11, 2001. That day, we realized that the world had 
fundamentally changed. We were introduced to a faceless enemy that 
wants to destroy our very way of life.
  Today we have the solemn privilege of honoring and remembering not 
only those innocent Americans who lost their lives in these horrific 
acts, but also those whose loved ones were so violently taken from 
them.
  Since that tragic day, America has responded with determination. Al 
Qaeda is on the run. Two-thirds of its known leaders have been killed 
or captured, and a brutal dictator with terrorist ties and a proven 
appetite for weapons of mass destruction sits in an Iraqi jail. We have 
worked in cooperation with our allies to take the fight to the 
terrorists. We have worked aggressively to make our homeland more 
secure. But we must do more.
  On this third observance of the September 11 terrorist attacks, let 
us keep in mind that the freedom that we as Americans have come to 
enjoy is a precious thing that can never be taken for granted. The 
world is a dangerous place, with dark forces that are actively seeking 
to deny us our cherished liberty.
  We take heart in the noble and courageous example that has been set 
by the men and women of our Armed Forces fighting terrorists and the 
dictators that harbor them around the globe so we do not have to fight 
them on our streets and in our cities.
  As we go about our daily lives, let us never forget those innocent 
Americans who were killed that September morning and those who 
sacrificed their lives in the hopes of saving others.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen).
  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
this time, and I thank the chairman for introducing this resolution. I 
stand in strong support of it.
  On Friday, September 6, 2002, we had a special session of Congress in 
Federal Hall in New York City, and the poet laureate of the United 
States, Billy Collins, read this moving poem, entitled ``The Names.''
  Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night. A soft rain stole 
in, unhelped by any breeze, and when I saw the silver glaze on the 
windows, I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened, Then Baxter 
and Calabro, Davis and Eberling, names falling into place as droplets 
fell through the dark. Names printed on the ceiling of the night. Names 
slipping around a watery bend. Twenty-six willows on the banks of a 
stream. In the morning, I walked out barefoot among thousands of 
flowers heavy with dew like the eyes of tears, and each had a name, 
Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal, then Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and 
Jenkins. Names written in the air and stitched into the cloth of the 
day. A name under a photograph taped to a mailbox. Monogram on a torn 
shirt, I see you spelled out on storefront windows and on the bright 
unfurled awnings of this city. I say the syllables as I turn a corner, 
Kelly and Lee, Medina, Nardella, and O'Connor. When I peer into the 
woods, I see a thick tangle where letters are hidden as in a puzzle 
concocted for children. Parker and Quigley in the twigs of an ash, 
Rizzo, Schubert, Torres, and Upton, secrets in the boughs of an ancient 
maple. Names written in the pale sky. Names rising in the updraft amid 
buildings. Names silent in stone or cried out behind a door. Names 
blown over the earth and out to sea. In the evening, weakening light, 
the last swallows. A boy on a lake lifts his oars. A woman by a window 
puts a match to a candle, and the names are outlined on the rose 
clouds, Vanacore and Wallace, let X stand, if it can, for the ones 
unfound. Then Young and Ziminsky, the final jolt of Z. Names etched on 
the head of a pin. One name spanning a bridge, another undergoing a 
tunnel. A blue name needled into the skin. Names of citizens, workers, 
mothers and fathers, the bright-eyed daughter, the quick son. Alphabet 
of names in a green field. Names in the small tracks of birds. Names 
lifted from a hat or balanced on the tip of the tongue. Names wheeled 
into the dim warehouse of memory. So many names, there is barely room 
on the walls of the heart.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to my good 
friend and distinguished colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Jackson-Lee).
  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank both my 
distinguished colleagues, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) and 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), for giving us the 
opportunity to be able to rise today and to salute those ever brave, 
ever courageous and ever prayerful. It is wonderful that we live in a 
Nation that even in tragedy we can still pray and still commemorate and

[[Page H6910]]

celebrate, albeit the tragedy of 9/11, the strength and the valor of 9/
11 as well.
  My deepest sympathy to those who lost loved ones and had loved ones 
maimed and are still tending to their pain and their loss. Might I pay 
a special tribute to the families of the 9/11 victims. I salute you for 
your persistence in directing this Nation to the truth in the final 
results of the 9/11 Commission report. I ask and beg this Congress to 
act immediately upon those recommendations. But if it had not been for 
those valiant families, in their pain, who decided not do go away but 
to stand strong, we would not be the country we are today.
  Might I add my appreciation, of course, for the young men and women 
on the front lines and say that when it was time to defend this 
Nation's honor, I stood and supported the war on terror. But let my 
vote not stand today, as I vote unanimously or enthusiastically for 
this resolution, that I connect any idea of the war on terror to the 
war in Iraq. And although I stood against it, I stand solidly with 
those men and women, National Guardsmen, reservists, and other enlisted 
men and women in the United States military, who are now fighting for 
us.
  Why do we come to the floor to honor and to recognize this day and 
acknowledge those who lost their lives? Because I do stand with this 
Nation in our resolve to fight terror, and we will stand united to do 
so. In fact, I would ask that we unite singularly on the war on terror 
as we promote the civil liberties and civil rights of this Nation, and, 
yes, as we work collaboratively with our allies.
  I also rise to thank our friends, Pakistan, who has risen to support 
us and stand alongside of us; our own long-standing friend, the 
Democratic State of India, who has continued to fight with us in the 
war on terror; our friends in Africa and the Mideast and South and 
Central America, who stand with us against the war on terror.
  So I would say that it is time for America, in its honoring of its 
dead, to respect them for their loss, the tragic loss, to salute those 
families who remain in pain, and to salute those families who have lost 
their loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan. They will be forever in our 
prayers, and we will be indebted to them, for they gave the ultimate 
sacrifice. And that means today, as we stand united voting on this 
resolution, we are standing to pay tribute to them for being ever 
brave, ever courageous and ever prayerful.
  We also acknowledge that we come to this resolution with differing 
opinions. Although we may not have supported a war in Iraq, we support 
all of those who stood for our freedom.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella).

                              {time}  1100

  Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support and commend both the chairman 
and the ranking member for bringing this resolution to the floor. I 
think all Americans, indeed all free-loving people, come together again 
on the third anniversary of that dreadful day, forever to be known as 
9/11, or September 11, to pay tribute to the victims who died, so many 
heroically, and all of them innocently, on that fateful day.
  I cannot help but think that on September 11 people around the world 
will take a moment to remember what that day was all about, and I 
cannot help but think about what was happening 3 years ago today. Three 
years ago today, a bunch of individuals who were barbaric in nature put 
together the plan, the final touches that would lead ultimately to the 
death of almost 3,000 innocent people and how they scurried about the 
country, here, the United States of America, once thought to be not 
possible. In fact when they built the World Trade Center, no one ever 
contemplated an attack on our own soil; but that is what happened.
  These barbarians, after reaping the fruits of what America had to 
offer, decided to take those planes and use those planes as missiles 
and kill innocent people just going about their lives, too many of whom 
I had the privilege to represent in Staten Island and Brooklyn. Chances 
are they were getting up to send their kids to school, got on the bus, 
took the Staten Island ferry, and walked up to the Trade Center, never 
to return. As we join today, there are still many families who have not 
recovered from that day, and perhaps some never will; but our hearts 
and prayers hope that they find the strength to move on.
  We can never erase the lives of the likes of guys like Marty Egan who 
was not working in Manhattan that day but jumped on a fire engine and 
ran into the Trade Center to try to help. His wife, Diane, and kids 
live in Great Hills in Staten Island, and they try to go on; but I know 
it will never be the same.
  There were people like Stephen Siller, a fireman who was supposed to 
meet his brothers to play golf, said there is an emergency, I have to 
go into Manhattan, and ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to help 
his fellow firefighters and try to save innocent people. Stephen never 
saw his brothers again, not to mention the hundreds, if not thousands, 
of others who went about their lives as they should have that day. All 
this while those barbarians contrived and plotted, as terrorist 
barbarians do, to take the life of innocent people. Let us not forget 
what these terrorist barbarians are apt to do. Just last week look at 
what happened in Russia where the ultimate acts of barbary took place 
and innocent children were blown up. That is what we are up against.
  As we honor those who lost their lives on September 11 and give 
thanks to the families who have suffered every day since, let us not 
forget what we are up against. Let us not forget that freedom is under 
attack still. Let us not forget there are individuals around this globe 
who still want to see the destruction of the United States of America.
  I commend the 9/11 report to every American to read so they can get 
some insight into what these individuals, these terrorists have coming, 
that is, they do not want to see us be free. They would rather take 
innocent life after innocent life after innocent life until they get 
their way.
  I hope and pray that Republicans and Democrats long ago understood 
that we need to unite in a vigilant and a constant and a steadfast way 
to root out those evil ones wherever they may be. They may be here, 
they may be in the caves in Afghanistan, they may be in spots around 
the globe; and we do not even know the names of the towns or cities or 
villages they are in. If we can stay together and leave the ridiculous 
rhetoric aside and join with our young men and women who wear our 
Nation's uniform to support our Commander in Chief when he makes that 
claim that we are under attack, if we can somehow put our partisan 
differences aside and unite and stay fast for our great country, and if 
anything, to remember those victims who perished on September 11, 2001.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).
  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I want to once again thank our distinguished 
chairman, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), for his leadership 
not only on this debate today but over the last several years as we 
have all come together to fight this war against international 
terrorism. I also want to thank the very distinguished gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos). Having served on the Committee on 
International Relations for the last 10 years, I have had an 
opportunity to observe firsthand the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos). Although we do not agree on everything, hearing him speak in 
the committee is like attending a seminar because of the insight and 
knowledge he has.
  Even though this institution sometimes people would say reeks with 
partisanship, that particular committee under the leadership of the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Lantos) is an example of true bipartisanship and doing what is 
right for the country. I thank these gentlemen for their hard work on 
the Committee on International Relations.
  We are here as Members of Congress to honor those who lost their 
lives on that terrible day and the families that have had to suffer 
through this terrible tragedy. There were so many heroes in New York 
and also here in Washington, D.C. because the Pentagon as well was 
struck and many lives were taken there, but also in that field in 
Pennsylvania where the fourth plane went down and those passengers on 
that

[[Page H6911]]

plane had the opportunity to talk with their loved ones because they 
had cell phones.
  Prior to this incident, whenever there had been a hijacking in this 
country, and thank God we have not had one for many years in this 
country, but when there was one, most people assumed they would want to 
have prisoners released in some other community or something of that 
nature. No one really anticipated that planes would be flown into 
buildings, but they talked to their loved ones and they found out what 
was happening and what happened with the first three planes, so they 
were determined that would not happen again. Because they were willing 
to give up their lives in trying to take back that plane, this building 
that we are in today, the United States Capitol Building, or the 
building down the street, the White House, stands, whereas they might 
well have been destroyed and many lives been taken had they not been 
willing to sacrifice their lives.
  But I have always felt those passengers, those innocent passengers on 
those other three planes would have done the same thing had they been 
aware of what was happening, but no one could have known. We want to 
continue to acknowledge the heroes that went into those twin towers on 
that fateful morning and tried to save other people's lives. There are 
so many Americans that showed what this country is all about; and we 
know that we are, after all, the target of these terrorist groups 
because of what we stand for.
  We are that city on the hill that Ronald Reagan referred to, and we 
must always remember that we must be in this battle against 
international terrorism for the long term because they ultimately 
attack us for what we stand for, and that is freedom. Not only freedom 
for Americans in this country, but freedom for people all around the 
world who do not at this time live in freedom; but when we prevail in 
this war against international terrorism, there are many people around 
the globe that will have the same freedoms that we have in this 
country.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Hinchey).
  Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos) for giving me the opportunity to speak on this resolution.
  I know that most, if not all, Members who have spoken on the 
resolution have spoken in a positive way; but I feel it is necessary to 
point out some aspects of the whereas clauses in this resolution that 
do not stand up to scrutiny and in fact are false.
  The resolution says that the war in Iraq is a responsible and 
necessary response to the attack on our country of September 11. I 
think that this resolution in saying that, which is blatantly false, 
does a disservice to our country, and does a disservice particularly to 
all of the victims of the attack of September 11. The war in Iraq had 
nothing to do with the attack of September 11. We know that from our 
own study of this issue.
  Anyone in this body who has read the Senate Intelligence Committee 
report, 511 pages, knows very well that that report debunks the notion 
that the war in Iraq is a necessary response to the attack of September 
11. The Senate Intelligence Committee report makes it clear that Iraq 
had nothing to do with the attack of September 11; and that in 
addition, Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. There was no 
connection between Iraq and al Qaeda, no connection between Osama bin 
Laden and Saddam Hussein. The Senate Intelligence Committee report says 
so precisely and clearly.
  Furthermore, the independent commission known as the 9/11 Commission 
which studied this issue also very closely and very carefully in a 
bipartisan way came to precisely the same conclusion, that there was no 
connection between the attack of September 11 and the war in Iraq, and 
that the President has taken us to war in Iraq without any foundation 
whatsoever.
  So this resolution in its whereas clauses presents information as if 
they were facts, but they are clearly not facts. They are wrong; they 
are misstatements of the facts.
  The resolution goes on to say, for example, that the international 
military coalition is very active here and engaged in this activity, 
but the fact of the matter is that this international coalition is 
falling apart. Six nations have already withdrawn. Honduras, the 
Dominican Republic, Spain, the Philippines, Norway and Nicaragua have 
already left a coalition that in the first place was not very large. 
Poland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand are planning to withdraw.
  So the statement in this resolution, particularly in the whereas 
clauses, and I wish I had more time because there is a whole host of 
things that need to be addressed here, the whereas clauses stipulate 
things which are blatantly untrue. This resolution is unfortunate.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution would have been much better if the 
people who put it on the floor here had not decided to bring us a 
political document. We ought to be commemorating the event of September 
11, 2001. We ought to be thinking of it in a solemn, honest, and 
sincere way. We ought to have uppermost in our minds the people who 
were killed in that attack, more than 3,000 of them; but we ought to do 
it in a way that does honor to their sacrifice, not in a way that 
dissembles, not in a way that presents information that is not factual, 
not in a way that is dishonest in our presentation.

                              {time}  1115

  Unfortunately, that is what this resolution does in its whereas 
clauses. The resolved clauses I think is fine, but in the whereas 
clauses it stipulates things that are false and untrue.
  Why do we have a political document like this on the floor? Why do we 
have a document that is not clear, not honest, not sincere, not in 
keeping with the sacrifice made by those people? That is what we ought 
to have, but unfortunately we do not have.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I will only briefly comment on the remarks made by the last speaker. 
He can tell the newly free inhabitants of Afghanistan, of Iraq and of 
Libya that this has not been a worthwhile effort. There is a direct 
connection between the war in Iraq and the bombing of September 11. Our 
response to that bombing of September 11 was Iraq based on the best 
information available.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Hyde and 
Ranking Member Lantos for submitting this resolution and bringing it 
forward. I would like to thank both of them for their leadership on 
foreign policy issues, particularly as it relates to our response to 
September 11, 2001. While some here would choose to politicize what I 
think is an appropriate and somber resolution expressing sorrow for the 
loss of September 11 and expressing appreciation for all those who 
responded, our police and firefighters and other first responders, our 
brave men and women in our Armed Forces and our leadership in the White 
House, in the Congress and in the administrative branch of our country 
to address one of the most serious threats we have ever had, I for one 
commend the vast majority of Members of this body who will not attempt 
to try to politicize what I think is a very finely drawn resolution 
both in the whereas clauses and in the resolved clauses.
  I have just returned from New York City from a great convention. I 
have been to New York several times since September 11. Each time I see 
that great city rising further and further from the devastation that so 
many of its citizens suffered and the city itself suffered on September 
11, 2001. I was so proud to see the police officers and the 
firefighters and other first responders taking such great pride in 
their city as they made all of us who were visitors feel so secure 
during that important convention. And so I think this resolution is so 
appropriate for that reason alone, to say thank you to those in New 
York who rose to the occasion on September 11, 2001 and have been 
rising ever since.
  I also know that my own State of Virginia suffered grievous loss with 
the attack on the Pentagon. Each week as I drive home to my 
congressional district, I drive by the Pentagon and I think of that 
attack. I think of the brave men and women who were killed that day and 
the many, many more

[[Page H6912]]

who have so bravely risen to the occasion of leading our country in 
response, in Afghanistan; yes, in Iraq and elsewhere around the world 
to make Americans more secure and safer than they were on that fateful 
day 3 years ago.
  This loss was tragic, but America has shown a resolve and a 
resilience and a courage that is remarkable for any nation on Earth, 
but it is the hallmark of this country that we have done time and time 
again for generations, standing up for freedom, standing up for hope 
for the future.
  I thank the leadership, and I thank the gentleman from Illinois and 
the gentleman from California for their leadership on this resolution 
which I urge my colleagues to adopt.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to my good 
neighbor and distinguished colleague, the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Lee).
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time and for his leadership on the Committee on International Relations 
in working on so many issues in a bipartisan fashion. I just want to 
also say thank you to our chairman, the gentleman from Illinois, and 
rise today to respectfully disagree with this resolution in terms of 
the content of it and talk a little bit about for a minute the intent.
  First, I think we should during this period remember the victims and 
the families and all of those who died during the horrific attack of 9/
11. We express our sorrow for these families, for New York, for 
Virginia, for those on Flight 93. My former chief of staff, his cousin 
was on Flight 93. These individuals were heroes, and they saved many 
lives. So today we must remember them, and we must talk also and 
remember the fact that we need to fully fund our first responders and 
those who came to the rescue of so many. We need to provide the funding 
for homeland security, and we need to move forward to address a real 
war on terror.
  I might remind this body that the 
9/11 Commission, bipartisan Commission, the 9/11 Commission, reported 
that there was no connection between 9/11 and Iraq. This resolution 
really puts all that together and forces a vote for Members of Congress 
who believe in the 9/11 Commission that there was no connection. This 
resolution says that there was a connection between 9/11 and Iraq. 
There was no connection, as the 9/11 Commission mentioned, between al 
Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.
  Again, why are we putting forth a resolution that convolutes the 
issue? We know that the war on terror has been botched. We know that in 
Iraq over 1,000 of our young men and women have died, and we know that 
al Qaeda is still strong, and we know that America is not any safer.
  And so, Mr. Speaker, I think today we need to be honest with the 
American people, and we need to remember those who gave their lives, 
who were so viciously killed, in a resolution that does just that. This 
resolution does not do that. This resolution promotes a policy of 
connecting the war on terror with the war against Iraq, a perspective 
and a distortion of fact that the 
9/11 Commission indicated was not real, and I think we do a real 
disservice to the people of our country and to the world community by 
not being truthful during this very somber moment.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, on 9/11, thousands of American citizens 
were slaughtered before our eyes. It was the worst case of an attack on 
Americans, people say, since Pearl Harbor. No, this was far worse than 
Pearl Harbor because all of these Americans who were slaughtered, and 
it was a slaughter, all of them were noncombatants. This was not only 
the worst case of an attack on the United States of America, it was the 
worst terrorist attack, I believe, in history, at least in modern 
history. It is something we can never forget. If we do, we will do so 
at our peril.
  I believe perhaps some of the things that brought on this attack were 
the fact that we had forgotten some of the lessons of the past. I think 
it has been admirable since 9/11 that we have had the bipartisan 
commitment to standing strong in the face of this what I consider to be 
a barbaric challenge to civilization.
  We call this the war on terror. I do not call it the war on terror. I 
call it the war on those people who made war on us that began on 9/11, 
and that war is a war on those people who believe in radical Islam, not 
Muslims in general, but those people who believe in radical Islam, and 
I will define that radical Islam as being a belief that people have a 
right because of their faith in God to murder innocent people and 
commit acts of violence on people of other faiths.
  Today we need to stand united with all those people in the world, 
including those moderate Muslims throughout the world who disassociate 
themselves from this type of brutality and this type of philosophy that 
leads to the 
9/11s and the slaughter of innocent people. Today more than ever as 
this resolution does, it proclaims that we will stand together as 
Americans, and we will stand together with all people of the world who 
believe in these decent values that I talk about today.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to another 
distinguished colleague from New York (Mr. Engel).
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and distinguished colleague 
for yielding time to me, and I rise in strong support of the 
resolution. Being a New Yorker, no one feels the pain of September 11 
more than we do. I happen to have been in New York on that fateful day, 
and my life will never be the same, and I know the life of so many 
millions of Americans will never be the same.
  I think this is a time for Congress to come together and to 
commemorate the struggle, to talk about September 11, to talk about 
what it means in all of our lives and to really bring the country 
together. September 11 was an incident that will forever remain in our 
lives. For me, it showed that the war on terrorism is a war that needs 
the participation of all Americans. It does not matter whether you are 
a Democrat or a Republican or an Independent, or black or white or 
brown, or from the North or the South or the East or the West. We are 
all Americans, and this is quite appropriate for Congress to come 
together.
  There may be people who may disagree on a sentence or two here and 
there in this resolution, but basically I believe that we all ought to 
stick together and talk about September 11 and expressing the sense of 
the House of Representatives on the anniversary of the terrorist 
attacks.
  I just want to say as a New Yorker, every time I look at Manhattan, 
it even chokes me up to begin to talk about it and look at the skyline 
of New York and see that the Twin Towers are no longer there. It leaves 
a hole in my heart, and that, of course, only pales by the fact that 
3,000 people lost their lives, and countless others were injured. We 
can see based on what is happening in Russia and every other place, in 
Israel and every other place in the world, that terrorism is 
everybody's fight. It is our fight as Americans. It is the fight of all 
decent people. We have to stand together.
  I rise in strong support of this resolution and ask my colleagues to 
vote for it so that we as a Congress can be united in the fight against 
terror.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, before yielding back my time, let me just 
say that while in this election season there is a cacophony of voices 
which might give the impression of deep divisions, in fact the American 
people are united in their determination not only to wage a war on 
terrorism, but to win that war on global terrorism wherever it appears.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  I just want to respond to a couple of the previous speakers who have 
injected the honesty of this resolution into question. You can disagree 
with somebody's point of view, as we often do, but questioning their 
honesty or their work product as dishonest I do not think has a place 
in this House. When it comes to the war in Iraq, you can say that by 
mentioning it in the resolution, and all it says is, whereas, since the 
U.S. was attacked, it led an international military coalition in the 
destruction of two terrorist regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq. I do not 
know what is dishonest about that, but you

[[Page H6913]]

can think it is if you wish. The fact is the war in Iraq was a response 
to the 9/11 assault, kamikaze, suicide bombers that killed over 3,000 
people.

                              {time}  1130

  There had been a surfeit of U.N. resolutions, I think 14 or 15. It 
was the considered opinion of every single government in the West that 
had an intelligence service that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass 
destruction. He had them before, he had the programs, and he used them. 
Therefore, having been assaulted, having been blind-sided by the 
aircraft, al Qaeda ran into the World Trade Center, we were not going 
to sit there and let it happen again. And based on the best 
intelligence, we responded to the sucker punch, blind-siding atrocities 
in the World Trade Center by moving into Iraq after getting another 
resolution demanding that he open up to inspection his weapons 
programs.
  One can call that dishonest if they want. I call it leadership. And I 
am sorry that issue got into this resolution because we are 
commemorating heroines and heroes in one of the great tragedies in all 
of history, namely what happened September 11.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. DeLay).
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this 
time. I appreciate his comments and his leadership in bringing this 
resolution to the floor, and I appreciate the bipartisan way he has 
done it, and appreciate the support of the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Lantos).
  And I really want to associate myself with the gentleman from 
California's (Mr. Lantos) final remarks that no matter what we hear on 
this floor, Americans are united in this war and are united in how we 
approach the national security of this Nation. But I also want to say 
especially to those soldiers on the ground in harm's way, those young 
men and women that are fighting all over the world, most particularly 
in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to the families of those that have 
sacrificed their loved ones that the remarks made by those opposed to 
this resolution reflect a very small, tiny, tiny minority in this 
country. We are united in this country in support of those troops, and, 
most importantly, they need to understand that what they are doing is 
right, what they are dying for is right, and we greatly appreciate 
their sacrifice.
  Mr. Speaker, by the way, the vote on this resolution will prove me 
right, that they are a very tiny minority.
  Mr. Speaker, 3 years on, it is hard to believe so much time has 
passed, for September 11, 2001, still resonates in our hearts and minds 
as if it were yesterday. Yet at the same time, the panging memories of 
that day call out to us across the ages: 8:47 a.m. when the first plane 
hit; 10:05 a.m. when the South Tower collapsed; the look on the 
President's face when he heard the news; the image of firefighters 
carrying the lifeless body of their chaplain; Mayor Giuliani, mask in 
hand, covered in ashy debris; the blood and the rubble; the attack on 
the Pentagon; the rumors, the panic, the fear, the desperate search for 
survivors; the defiant raising of the flag at Ground Zero; Flight 93, 
Todd Beamer, ``Let's roll.''
  ``Roll'' we have, Mr. Speaker, from that day to this on land, on sea, 
and in the air. Our enemies have been named and their sponsors warned, 
and America has risen. The cause of human freedom has stood anew 
athwart the forces of oppression and cruelty and violence.
  History and Providence have called out again for the free people of 
Earth to stand against evil, and the citizens of this Republic have 
kept their charge.
  On September, 11, 2001, America stared evil in the face, and though 
our eyes filled with tears, we did not blink. We did not fear ``though 
the Earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the seas, 
though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging.'' 
We did not fear because we knew, even as the fires smoldered beneath 
the rubble, that we would stand, that we would fight, and that we would 
be heard.
  We mourned that day the deaths of 3,000 of our countrymen at the 
hands of terror, and we mourn today more than 1,000 more whose lives 
have been taken by the same. We honor their courage, and we honor their 
sacrifice, and we give thanks and praise to our Creator that such men 
and women lived.
  Three years on the recovery continues. The Pentagon has been 
repaired. The fields of Pennsylvania have been cleared, and Ground Zero 
has begun its resurrection. Unforgotten names have been read and 
reread, flags flown, and wounds reopened and healed once again. 
Memorials great and small have been planned and dedicated.
  But, Mr. Speaker, monuments to freedom are never made of marble, but 
of action. Heroes like the 9/11 Lost, the firefighters and passengers, 
the cops and rescue workers, the moms and dads, are truly honored not 
by words, but by deeds.
  The resolution before us today, Mr. Speaker, enumerates those deeds 
and the progress of the global struggle they have served. Three years 
on and the world has changed. Terrorist networks across the globe have 
been disrupted, and two-thirds of al Qaeda's leaders, managers, and 
facilitators have been arrested or killed. Terrorist regimes have been 
ended in Afghanistan and Iraq, ended by the finest coalition of states 
and soldiers ever assembled. The threat of that coalition led another 
terrorist regime in Libya to end its pursuit of weapons of mass 
destruction. Terrorists the world over are on the run, unable to 
organize, plan, or reconstitute their pre-9/11 training and operations. 
The war against terrorism, which was waged since at least the first 
World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and probably long before, was joined 
on September 11, 2001, and in the 3 years since, the tide of that 
conflict has turned.
  The United States has committed itself to the proposition that the 
security of our Nation and the ultimate survival of civilization depend 
on the aggressive prosecution of this war everywhere at all times until 
this war is won. There will be no negotiated settlement in this 
conflict, no signatures on a piece of parchment. Drums will continue to 
beat, and blood, much as we may not wish it, will continue to be shed. 
But, Mr. Speaker, struggle is the only honorable course before us.
  The murderers of 9/11 are the enemies of all that is good and true in 
this world. And even through our tears this week, we still see clearly 
the justice and necessity of our cause. The ideology of our enemies, a 
violent corruption of their religion, and the cult of death that they 
worship have no place in civilized society, whether of the East or 
West, and it is now the policy of our Nation and our allies to repel 
this evil so that generations hence may be free from days like those 
that we live now.
  It is said that 9/11 was ``our Pearl Harbor.'' It was also said that 
``Pearl Harbor'' was ``our parents' Alamo'' and that the Alamo was 
``Texas's Valley Forge.'' We fight today, Mr. Speaker, so that our 
children and our grandchildren decades from now need not come to the 
well of this House and remember a horrible day of their own as ``our 9/
11.''
  Three years on, Mr. Speaker, and we fight everywhere and anywhere we 
must. For the soldiers in Baghdad, their faces marred with sand and 
sweat and blood, they are fighting the same evil and upholding the same 
virtues as the Special Forces in Tora Bora and the guards at 
Guantanamo, fighting the same evil and upholding the same virtues as 
the men aboard Flight 93 and the firefighters in the South Tower and 
the rescue workers at the Pentagon. It is one and the same conflict. It 
is one and the same conflict, in which one and the same courage will 
purchase for this Nation one and the same victory.
  Support this resolution before us, my colleagues, and reaffirm our 
commitment to remember those that we lost and those that they left 
behind, those who protected us and those who died trying, those who 
remember and those that we cannot forget, who it was that started this 
war and who it will be that wins it, so that every September 11 from 
now until the end of the age, free men of the world can look to this 
Nation, the last, best hope on Earth, and know that when evil struck 
and the earth trembled beneath us, here America rose, here freedom 
stood.
  Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, almost 3 years ago, President Bush came to 
this Chamber and promised the American people that he would lead 
America in a war against the terrorists who attacked us on September 
11th.

[[Page H6914]]

  We did not choose this war. But now that we are in it, we have no 
choice but to win it.
  Later today, we will pay our respects to those who lost their lives 
in those deadly attacks in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
  And as we pay our respects to those who died on that fateful day, we 
will also pay tribute to those who have died defending freedom in Iraq 
and Afghanistan.
  This war is not over, but we are winning. And our soldiers have not 
died in vain. The Taliban has been crushed. Saddam Hussein is in jail. 
And Osama Bin Laden is on the run.
  Last week, the brutal murder of innocent children in Russia served as 
a grim reminder about the nature of this enemy.
  The terrorists will not play by the rules of basic decency. And we 
have no choice but to stop them before they strike again.
  My deepest condolences go out to the Russian people. The American 
people understand your grief and feel your deep sense of loss.
  And as we remember our own losses in this global war in terror, we 
share your resolve to bring the terrorists to justice.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, 
though I wish it did not contain several of the so-called ``findings''.
  On Saturday, we face the third anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In my 
district alone, we lost 122 people on that tragic day. I can't tell you 
how many memorial services I attended for people in my own district, 
nor describe in words the sympathy and sorrow I felt for family members 
who lost loved ones from all over the country.
  So, I will support this resolution as an expression of my deepest 
sympathies to families and friends of the thousands of victims of that 
fateful day.
  I will support it as an expression of our Nation's gratitude and 
pride in our men and women in uniform who have performed with 
brilliance and valor in the war on terror and Operation Iraqi Freedom. 
To date, 1,005 Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice in support of 
our country in Iraq, while many others have done so around the world in 
the fight against terror.
  This should be a time to bring together, to consult, to be unanimous. 
Instead, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have chosen to 
use this resolution to speak about the handling of the war in Iraq. The 
resolution glosses over the intelligence failures and serious 
misstatements and flip-flops by the Bush Administration concerning the 
reason for going to war in Iraq.
  One of the findings in the resolution states ``. . . it has led an 
international military coalition in the destruction of two terrorist 
regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq . . .'' Mr. Speaker, it appears the 
Republicans are trying to provide cover for one of the Bush 
Administration's main justifications for the war in Iraq. How many 
times has Vice President Cheney and other top administration officials 
asserted that there were extensive ties between Hussein's government 
and Osama bin Laden's terrorist network? In fact, earlier this year, 
the Vice President said evidence of a link was ``overwhelming.''
  However, the September 11 Commission found in its report that there 
is no ``collaborative relationship'' between Iraq and al Qaeda.
  The resolution also lists some changes that have been made since the 
horrible attacks against our Nation on 9/11. While these initial steps 
have been taken, the September 11 Commission Report has provided 41 
specific recommendations that radically reshape our Nation's 
intelligence community. The Commission made it perfectly clear these 
changes must occur immediately to protect our Nation and our citizens 
now and in the future from any further attack.
  It is shameful that the Republicans are using a crucial resolution 
that could express our collective sentiment as we did after September 
11, and instead seek partisan gain out of what should be a national 
embrace.
  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago, 
cowardly terrorists attacked America. Today, in the building that 
symbolizes America's freedom, we remember those who died on that 
fateful day. The memory of their loss will forever guide our mission to 
protect America from terror.
  Terrorism continues to plague our world, but it can not and it will 
not deter us from our mission to spread liberty and defend freedom.
  I commend President Bush for his unwavering commitment to the 
security of the United States. The sacrifices that our brave men and 
women in uniform have made in pursuit of the security of our Nation 
will never be forgotten. And it is because of their dedication that two 
formerly oppressed nations are free and that our homeland is more 
secure.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 
third anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and to 
remember those who lose their lives that day, especially the residents 
of Connecticut and of my district.
  We should take time on each anniversary of September 11, 2001 to 
honor the dead, their families and those who continue to serve as the 
nation's first lines of defense against acts of terrorism and 
disasters. We will not forget the selfless firefighters, police 
officers and emergency medical workers who confronted chaos and terror 
that day and lost their lives as they gave everything to save others. 
We owe a debt of gratitude that can never be fully repaid to the first 
responders and members of our military who continue to work each day 
protecting our communities and our nation. No matter how many years 
pass, our memories and our grief will not fade, nor will our 
determination to defeat terror throughout the world and attack its root 
causes. We must focus the incredible resources of this nation on 
capturing Osama bin Laden and destroying his al Qaeda network that are 
responsible for the events of that day. We would also be well served by 
implementing the recommendation made by the September 11th Commission 
to help prevent future attacks.
  The nation will remain defiant in the face of terror and threats and 
must never waiver from the things that make us great: our freedom, our 
liberty and our democracy. To curtail the freedoms of Americans in the 
name of fighting our enemies would be a disservice to the memory of 
September 11 and every American who has given their life or put 
themselves in harm's way to defend this Nation and its people.
  The profound outrage and indescribable sadness all Americans felt 
that day is now part of the soul of the Nation. Nothing can change what 
happened in New York, Pennsylvania or at the Pentagon, but we owe it to 
those who died to be the good citizens and to build a stronger Nation 
in their memory.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, this Saturday marks 3 years since the 
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2004.
  Three years ago terrorists launched an attack on the United States in 
the most cowardly manner. They attempted to break American resolve and 
to stifle our Nation's spirit. They did not succeed. The terrorist 
attacks sparked a renewed patriotism in Americans. Three years later we 
resolve never to let another attack like September 11th happen again.
  The anniversary of 9/11 is a solemn reminder that we must do all that 
we can as members of Congress to prevent another terrorist attack on 
American soil, or anywhere else in the world. We must act immediately 
to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 commission. We must focus 
our efforts on disbanding Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. We must 
always remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and in honor of 
those lives do everything in our power to prevent terrorists from 
striking America again.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the victims and remember the 
families of those who were killed in the horrible tragedy that occurred 
3 years ago this coming Saturday, September 11th. We will always mourn 
the tragic loss of life and never forget the sacrifices made that day. 
Likewise, we will always support our troops and their well being.
  Unfortunately, the resolution before us today goes far beyond paying 
tribute to the victims of 9/11. The resolution falsely reaffirms a 
connection between the attacks of 9/11 and the war in Iraq. These 
connections simply never existed and repeating this falsehood again and 
again will never make it true. The President's own 9/11 bipartisan 
commission has reported that there was no connection between Iraq and 
the 9/11 attacks. This resolution does a disservice to the American 
people.
  The administration's preemptive, virtually unilateral war in Iraq has 
made us and indeed the world a less secure place. I cannot ignore the 
fact that over 1,000 American lives have been lost. Nor, can I 
disregard the significance of the 7,000 members of our Armed Forces 
that have been wounded including the untold thousands of Iraqi lives 
and the lives of other international non-combatants.
  For these reasons, I am unable to support this resolution.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay respect to the 
memory of those who lost their lives 3 years ago this September 11th.
  Our country has still not recovered from this terrible tragedy, and 
people in the World Trade Center Buildings and the Pentagon, those 
aboard United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, and the brave men and women 
who lost their lives in the line of duty that day will forever be 
remembered for their bravery and sacrifice.
  It was 3 years ago that these terrible attacks occurred and awakened 
this Nation to the hatred these terrorists have for the principles of 
freedom and for our great country.
  Three years and two wars later, however, there is still much to be 
done to protect the people of this Nation and ensure something like the 
9/11 attacks never takes place again.
  It is still too easy for terrorists to cross our borders; our 
homeland security professional lack vital information they need to 
protect us; and our Nation's first responders still lack the training 
and equipment they need to prepare for, or respond to, a terrorist 
attack.

[[Page H6915]]

  My hometown and the district I represent in Houston, is one of the 
most at-risk areas in the Nation.
  Of all the possible targets in our area, including Houston's large 
metropolitan population, NASA's Johnson Space Center, and the Texas 
Medical Center, the Port of Houston and Houston's petrochemical complex 
remain one of the most susceptible due primarily to lack of Federal 
funding for our protection.
  Based on Coast Guard estimates, port owners and operators are still 
short by over $400 million to implement port security plan upgrades, 
such as surveillance cameras.
  The U.S. is home to more than 66,000 chemical production and storage 
facilities spread out amount our cities, towns, and rural areas.
  According to the EPA, 7,000 of these facilities pose a risk to 10,000 
or more people, however, the Department of Homeland Security has 
visited fewer than 100 facilities.
  These facilities and surrounding communities deserve Federal support 
if we must increase their protection for national security.
  These are necessary and vital steps we must take to protect our 
homeland, yet so many of these have gone unfunded while we have spent 
over $200 billion in Iraq despite no clear connection between the 
former Iraqi government and the terrorists that target America.
  Three years after we were forced into this war on terror, we must 
assess what we have done and what we must do to protect our Nation.
  We must go after the terrorists where they live and train, with all 
countries that share our values and our desire to root out terrorism.
  Mr. Speaker, on a day when we are remembering those that lost their 
lives in the 9/11 attacks, we must make every effort to protect the 
people of this country so that we never have to mourn another attack on 
U.S. soil.
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the victims of the 
attacks on American on September 11, 2001, and to celebrate the way 
Americans worked together to rise up from the ashes of the wreckage. In 
the 3 years since our soil was attacked, the service of America's Armed 
Forces, the scores of volunteers and first responders who have helped 
the victims and their families, and the many ordinary people who help 
out in times of tragedy and grief proved through their actions the true 
greatness of America.
  There is a new reality in our world. America continues to strengthen 
its ability to defend itself against all types of enemies. But while we 
strengthen our defenses we must not forget that which makes America 
great and allows her to flourish--our civil liberties.
  The United States must be both a leader and a partner in the world in 
order to stop senseless acts of violence. Diplomatic words and peaceful 
actions show an alternative to the use of force; I hope that both can 
ultimately lead to a world free from terror.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the 
people of the 4th Congressional District to remember the thousands of 
American lives lost on September 11, 2001.
  Although 3 years has passed, I continue to remember all the people in 
the towers, at the Pentagon, and on United Flight 93. I would 
especially like to recognize the people from Long Island who were 
killed. Also in my thoughts are the families who live everyday with the 
terrible loss of their loved ones.
  I commend all of the firefighters, police, and health care workers 
who were helping on the front lines. I would also like to thank the 
thousands of Long Islanders who mobilized to do what they could to 
help. Finally, as a representative from New York, my constituents and I 
appreciate the generosity extended to us by the rest of the country 
during a time of such terrible grief.
  While September 11 was a shocking day for all Americans, the Nation 
united in an extraordinary fashion to take action against the tragedy 
inflicted upon us. Today we must unite once more to implement the 
suggestions made by the 9/11 Commission Report, which I fully endorse. 
I believe that the 9/11 Commission should be extended so that it can 
fully support and monitor the bipartisan enacting of its 
recommendations until most have been made into law. I will continue to 
work to ensure that the commission's report is implemented quickly and 
with proper congressional oversight. We owe it to the thousands of 
victims' families to respond quickly and effectively to this terrible 
disaster.
  We now know we were not as safe as we could have been on September 
11. We need to find Osama bin Laden and finish the job we began in 
Afghanistan. We need to make sweeping changes to the Department of 
Homeland Security and ensure funding is increased for law enforcement 
agencies to handle new security threats. We must realize that state and 
local budgets are already stretched too thin and allocate federal 
funding to tighten security.
  In keeping with the tremendous spirit of the Nation during the weeks 
following 9/11, I encourage everyone to do something this September 11 
that shows the world what it means to be an American. You can donate 
blood, write a letter to someone in the military, or volunteer at a 
women's shelter. Make the anniversary about more than just remembering 
those we lost.
  Mr. WEXLER. Mr. Speaker, while I strongly believe Congress should pay 
tribute to the victims of 9/11 and honor our brave troops and first-
responders for their valiant service to America, this resolution 
unequivocally exploits the victims of 9/11 for narrow political 
purposes and perpetuates erroneous claims connecting 9/11 to the war in 
Iraq.
  The bi-partisan 9/11 Commission declared--in no uncertain terms--that 
there was no connection between 9/11, al Qaeda and Iraq. For those who 
support this resolution, I must ask--is Congress disputing the findings 
of the 9/11 Commission? Does Congress believe al Qaeda operated in Iraq 
prior to the U.S. invasion? And is Congress pleased with the 
insufficient coalition assembled by President Bush that has led America 
to carry an overwhelming economic and military burden in Iraq? The 
facts show that these claims are distortions at best, blatant lies and 
manipulations at worst, and the American people deserve the truth.
  The truth is that America took its eye off the ball in Afghanistan, 
allowing terrorists such as Osama bin Laden to reconstitute their 
forces and operate freely. By transferring our military resources from 
Afghanistan to Iraq--when Iraq posed no imminent threat and had no 
weapons of mass destruction--this Administration failed the American 
people and weakened our efforts in the war against terror.
  The truth is that al Qaeda was not operating in Iraq prior to the 
U.S. invasion, and they have created an increasingly dangerous network 
in this war-torn country since. Despite the Bush Administration's 
claims of successfully combating terror in Iraq, the reality on the 
ground stands in stark contradiction. We have withdrawn our forces from 
four cities in Iraq in which terror has flourished. And despite White 
House claims, officials in the U.S. military have announced that it 
cannot eliminate these sanctuaries of terror. As we mark the loss of 
over 1,000 innocent lives in Iraq, Congress should not be celebrating 
our alleged success in Iraq; we should instead examine our failures.
  This resolution is transparent, empty political propaganda at its 
worst, and is unconscionable that the drafters of this resolution would 
egregiously politicize the memory of 9/11.
  Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, on this third year since the tragic 
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, I think it is appropriate for 
Americans to reflect on what we have learned since that fateful day, 
what we have done to make our homeland safer, and what we as a nation 
should do to secure our safety in the future.
  Our Nation, and indeed the world, has learned that terrorism is a 
global epidemic that crosses all political lines and moral boundaries. 
Most recently, the terror attacks in Beslan, Russia prove that no 
country and no person is immune from the cowardice and tragedy of 
terrorism.
  In these 3 years we have learned that U.S. leadership is necessary 
and working to stifle terrorists bent on killing, disrupting, and 
destroying our way of life. Afghanistan was the home base of Osama bin 
Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network, but now the terror camps are 
closed, democracy is rising, and the American people are safer. 
Pakistan was a safe transit point for terrorists on missions of murder. 
Now their government is working with the United States to find 
terrorists in remote regions of Pakistan. Saudi Arabia is tracking down 
terrorists operating there. Libya has given up its nuclear-processing 
equipment.
  Before America took action, Saddam Hussein's Iraq was a threat--he 
was a threat to us; he was a threat to the free world; he was a threat 
to the Middle East; and he was a threat to his own people. He is no 
longer a threat, and the American people are safer. We removed a 
declared enemy of America who had the capability of producing weapons 
of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein had that capability, and he could 
have passed that capability to terrorists bent on acquiring them. After 
September 11, that is a risk we cannot afford to take. America must 
confront threats before they fully materialize--before it's too late.
  These international actions have made our domestic borders more 
secure.
  The United States has also used the 3 years since 9/11 to better 
equip our Nation's first responders. Police, firefighters, emergency 
medical technicians, and local government officials now have the tools, 
knowledge, and training to prevent or react to a terrorist attack. 
Congress created the Homeland Security Department to coordinate efforts 
to secure our borders, our air, and our seaports. The department 
monitors for potential threats coming from nontraditional sources aimed 
at our cities and our national infrastructure.
  These three years of accomplishments include something especially 
important to my

[[Page H6916]]

hometown of Jacksonville. As one of the busiest seaports on the east 
coast, port security is critical to securing the homeland from foreign-
bred tools of terror. Recognizing that cargo containers could bring 
dangerous items of an explosive, biological, or even nuclear danger, 
the Container Security Initiative is an initiative to protect the 
global trading system and the trade lanes between international ports 
and the United States. Under this program, a team of Customs and Border 
Protection officers is deployed to work with host nation counterparts 
to target all containers that pose a potential threat to our Nation.

  It is clear a lot of progress has been made in the global war against 
terrorism. It is equally clear we have more to do.
  In addition to building on the lessons of 9/11, improving our 
homeland security, and eradicating terrorist organizations, I believe 
America's charge going forward is to continue to lead by example. Our 
Nation must welcome with open arms our allies who join this fight. Our 
Nation must continue to export democracy to any burgeoning nation 
willing to embrace its principles. We ought to let our policies and 
principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness shine 
brightly over the grim allure of the hollow creeds of terrorists.
  Looking forward, threats to this country in terms of terrorism are 
not going to come from rival global powers. They are going to come from 
the smaller emerging countries, smaller failing countries. Those are 
countries where they lack education, they lack the rule of law, they 
lack personal freedom; and those are countries where terrorism can 
flourish, where terrorism can fester, where terrorists can find 
sanctuary. If we want to deal with those kinds of threats, it seems to 
me we can prevent that from happening by encouraging policies like the 
rule of law, human rights, and civil liberties. We can encourage 
countries through targeted and goal-based foreign aid that will prevent 
terrorists from taking root in unstable countries.
  This September 11, I know many Americans will pay tribute to those 
lost 3 years ago. I add my voice to that tribute and say that I am 
proud of America, I am proud of Americans, I am proud of our troops 
here and abroad, and I am proud of our Commander in Chief. This day let 
us pray for those still hurting from the tragic losses of September 11, 
2001, and let us as a nation continue working toward those goals that 
will prevent this tragedy from ever visiting us again.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, this weekend we pause to remember 
the third anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on 
the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. We pause to recollect the full 
meaning of the lives lost--nearly 3,000 Americans and foreign 
nationals. Our compatriots were not just casualty figures. They were 
mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters. They 
were best friends and good neighborhoods. They were lovers and loved 
ones. They were employers and employees. Their best contributions were 
still ahead of them.
  We pause to recall the first responders who rescued thousands from 
the twin towers. We recall with amazement their bravery as they went 
into the towering infernos. And we recall that had it not been for 
heroic action of passengers abroad Flight 93, al Qaeda's terrorists 
might have crashed that airliner into the White House or the Capitol 
Building instead of a field in rural Pennsylvania.
  On this third anniversary of 9/11, we also pause to reaffirm our 
determination to triumph over fear. We reaffirm our determination to 
foster tolerance in our land and in the world, to build respect for all 
faiths, and to promote the collaborative action of people and 
governments across the globe, to mobilize for mutual development rather 
the civilizational destruction advocated by Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, 
and other adherents of radical Islamist fundamentalism.
  On this day and this occasion, our thoughts turn to the survivors of 
9/11 and the families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks. It is 
impossible to calculate their enduring pain. Yet, we are inspired by 
how these families have turned their tragedy into effective action. 
Their dedication to the memory of loves ones lost led to the creation 
of the 9/11 commission, which in turn led to a set of recommendations 
for intelligence and homeland security reform that if implemented could 
better protect our nation, make us for secure, and positioned to share 
peace and prosperity with the world.
  As a country, we must be as determined as the 9/11 families. We must 
be as determined now as we were on 9/11 to bring to justice the 
perpetrators of this colossal assault on human decency. But, mindful of 
all that has transpired since then--on the one hand a just but 
unfinished war in Afghanistan, on the other hand a disastrous diversion 
and unparalleled miscalculation in Iraq--we must proceed in meeting the 
al Qaeda challenge with wise leadership, with patience and persistence, 
with global allies, with sound plans, with focused effort.
  Most of all, we must proceed together as Americans. We must reclaim 
the unity of purpose that gripped all of us on 9/11. I remember well 
utter destruction that took place on that beautiful September morning. 
But, I remember even better how every New Yorker, every American--
Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, 
Asians, and Arabs, Jews, gentiles, and Muslims, rich and poor--came 
together as one.
  We must reclaim that spirit and that purpose. We must overcome those 
among us who have distracted us by using our suffering as a nation for 
narrow and selfish political gain or have diverted resources, 
personnel, time, and energy from the struggle against Osama bin Laden 
and al Qaeda. We must regain the momentum and solidarity befitting a 
great people and a great nation focused on accomplishing great deeds of 
remembrance for the victims of 9/11.
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 757, is a resolution to mark the 
anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11. Although I voted 
in support of this resolution, I do have some reservations about the 
statements it contains.
  Specifically, the resolution and the Bush administration's assertion 
that Iraq is the ``central front'' in the war on terror--while 
previously wrong--has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
  What have the administration's tactics amounted to? We now see 
terrorists in Baghdad--where none were before. We now see Iraq is a 
symbol for terrorist recruitment--where no symbol existed before.
  Congress and the American people trusted the President when he said 
we needed to go to war in Iraq. It is clear that trust was misplaced.
  As a result, what we have to show from trusting President Bush and 
his administration is 1,000 American lives lost, close to 7,000 of our 
men and women wounded. We have a military stretched so thin it is 
practically to its breaking point. We are spending billions of taxpayer 
dollars each month that we could be using to fix critical gaping 
homeland security vulnerabilities here at home or for counterterrorism 
operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere. And this Administration has 
destroyed our international credibility--even with many of our closest 
allies.
  We know the President's justifications for going to war in Iraq have 
proven to be false--even experts within the administration have stated 
that Saddam Hussein did not possess weapons of mass destruction. The 
independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission unequivocally found that Iraq 
had no ties to the 9/11 attacks and there was no collaborative 
relationship between Hussein's regime and al Qaeda.
  The American people deserve the truth. The truth is not that we 
entered into war in Iraq because Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of 
mass destruction or on the basis of terrorism. The truth is that this 
administration used September 11 as an excuse to enter into a war in 
Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein--and has, in the process, created a 
rallying cry and call to arms for terrorists around the world as a 
result.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 757, marking 
the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United 
States.
  Three years after this attack, our Nation continues to honor and 
remember all of those who died that day, and the families and loved 
ones who they left behind. On that September day, the lives of innocent 
Americans were lost. But on that day, and nearly everyday since then, 
our Nation has gained something extraordinary out of that loss: a new 
and deeper appreciation of the countless acts of courage, sacrifice, 
and patriotism that resulted from September 11.
  These acts began right after the terrorists struck our Nation. First 
responders in New York City, and at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania 
risked their lives to try and aid those who were injured. They worked 
for days to help those who needed medical attention, as police officers 
and firefighters did their work to extinguish the flames and provide a 
sense of order. In the years after September 11, first responders and 
other members of our law enforcement community--including the Capitol 
Police--have had a great burden placed on them as America remains on 
alert for terrorist acts. These acts of sacrifice on September 11 in 
helping to keep our Nation safe in the wake of that day's attacks have 
earned the admiration and thanks of all of our citizens.
  Thirty people from my district died on September 11. We grieve for 
their loss, and we grieve still because, as Queen Elizabeth explained 
after September 11, ``grief is the price we pay for love.'' Out of this 
grief, though, our neighborhoods, the communities of my district, and 
communities throughout the Nation have drawn closer together, united in 
a sense of remembrance for those who left us on September 11, and 
determined that those who seek to harm us in our own land will not 
triumph.

[[Page H6917]]

  It is these communities who have sent their sons and daughters to 
give their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq, and wherever in the world 
terrorists uneasily rest their heads. My district knows first hand the 
cost of this sacrifice. Johnny Micheal Spann--a CIA officer and the 
first American killed in Afghanistan--was from my district. And while 
we grieve for this loss, we take inspiration from the sacrifices made 
by Mr. Spann, and the many other acts of sacrifice made by those like 
him who are serving our country in and out of uniform, overseas and at 
home.
  This resolution marks a dark day in our Nation's history. Out of this 
darkness came a thousand points of light in the many personal acts of 
heroism and bravery that our fellow countrymen and women have engaged 
in since September 11. As we continue to remember the terrorist attacks 
on September 11, we also are inspired by those who sacrifice day after 
day to keep us safe, some in ways that are well known, other in ways 
that we will never know about.
  Our Nation continues to make progress in the war against those who 
harmed us and seek to harm us again. And while we do, a grateful 
country remembers its dead, and celebrates the lives of those who toil 
to keep us free.
  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are 
with the families and friends of the nearly 3,000 heroic Americans who 
perished on September 11, 2001. We can honor their memory by ensuring 
every effort is taken to prevent such atrocities from occurring again 
on our soil.
  Since September 11, 2001, we have learned much, and Congress has much 
to do to defend our democratic way of life and protect our homeland. We 
have committed our military might to combat terrorism in our world: 
More than 1,000 of our troops have now given their lives in Iraq for 
this cause.
  In the days immediately following the 9/11 attacks, Congress put 
partisan politics aside and came together to find answers and implement 
change. In an event reminiscent of the first Congress, the House and 
Senate convened in New York's Federal Hall for a Special Session of 
Congress one year after the terrorist attacks, sending a strong message 
to the world that as Americans we stand together in our fight against 
terrorism. That bipartisan spirit carried on through the extraordinary 
work of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission. The commissioners submitted to 
the American people a comprehensive assessment of what went wrong 
leading up to September 11, and what we can do to prevent future 
terrorist attacks on our homeland. Now that the 9/11 Commission has 
done its work, we in Congress must do ours. I support the Commission's 
recommendations, and am a cosponsor of the bipartisan ``9/11 Commission 
Report Implementation Act,'' H.R. 5040.
  I have listened and learned from meetings with first responders in 
Missouri's Fifth District, and have worked on the Homeland Security 
Committee in Congress to secure the resources they need to do their 
jobs. Our everyday heroes, our police, fire, ambulance and medical 
personnel must have the training, supplies, materials and equipment 
necessary to protect our communities. They are the main line of defense 
against terrorism at home. Because of their commitment we are more 
secure and better prepared than we were 3 years ago.
  I urge my colleagues to maintain our bipartisan spirit and embrace 
the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. The 9/11 Commission Report 
is an excellent roadmap for implementing these changes--we must act and 
pass H.R. 5040. In the words of President Kennedy, ``There are risks 
and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long 
range risks and costs of inaction.''
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I am forced to rise in opposition to this 
legislation, I do so despite my desire to commemorate the horrific 
attacks on September 11, 2001 and again express my sympathy to the 
families of the victims. But don't be fooled by the label. This 
legislation is no mere commemoration of the events of September 11, 
2001. Rather, it is page after page of Congressional self-
congratulation. It is page after page of praise for policies that have 
made us no safer from terrorist attack, but that have certainly made us 
much less free at home. Does it not strike anyone else as a bit 
unseemly for Congress to be congratulating itself on this solemn 
occasion?
  This legislation is an endorsement of the policy of restricting 
freedoms at home that I have consistently opposed, including praise for 
the creation of the bloated and impotent Department of Homeland 
Security, the liberty-killing PATRIOT Act, and many other futile 
measures. It praises the notoriously ineffective air marshal program 
while avoiding altogether one of the most important lessons of the 
September 11, 2001 tragedy; The entire disaster could have been avoided 
with just one gun in the hands of each of the pilots. Four guns could 
have prevented September 11, 2001, but we are no closer to arming 
pilots than we were on September 10, 2001. Shortly after the attacks, I 
introduced a bill to allow pilots to be armed. Eventually, a version of 
that bill was passed, but pilots are still not armed. I also introduced 
several other bills to deal with the attacks of 9/11, protect us 
against future attacks, and do so without sacrificing our liberty.
  What this legislation does not do is address some of the real causes 
of the hatred that lead others to wish to harm us. Why should we bother 
to understand the motivations of madmen and murderers? It is not to 
sympathize with them or their cause. It is to ensure our self-
preservation. Those who oppose us and who have attacked us have made it 
very clear: They oppose our foreign policy of interventionism and 
meddling, and they oppose our one-sided approach to the Middle East. 
Therefore, mitigating the anger against us could be as simple as 
returning to the foreign policy recommended by our forefathers. We 
should not be stationing hundreds of thousands of our troops in more 
than 100 foreign countries, guarding their borders while our own remain 
open to terrorist infiltration. We should not be meddling in the 
internal affairs of foreign countries, nor should we be involving 
ourselves in foreign conflicts that have nothing to do with the United 
States. We should not be sending hundreds of billions of taxpayer 
dollars overseas to ``build nations'' and ``export democracy'' at the 
barrel of a gun.
  Many of my colleagues like to repeat the mantra that ``freedom is 
under attack'' in the United States. Well, they are right. Freedom is 
under attack in the United States, but not only from foreign 
terrorists. Freedom is under attack from a government that rushes to 
pass legislation like the PATRIOT Act, that guts civil liberties in the 
United States. Freedom is under attack from those who are rushing to 
create a national biometric identification card and internal check-
points, which will force innocent Americans to prove to government 
authorities that they are not terrorists. Freedom is under attack from 
a government that is spending itself into bankruptcy at an 
unprecedented pace. Freedom is under attack from a foreign policy that 
generates millions of enemies across the globe.

  This legislation praises the number of Coast Guard boardings as one 
example of success, but we should not take a false sense of security 
from boardings. Rather, we should claim victories only if we have 
stopped another planned attack. Both shippers and recreational users of 
the gulf ports I represent have expressed concern about our new Federal 
policies and practices.
  If we fail to heed the real lessons of September 11, 2001, we may 
well be condemned to see such tragedies repeated again in our land. It 
unfortunately seems that this is exactly what we are doing.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, as we approach the 3-year anniversary of the 
brutal terrorist attacks on our Nation, it is important that we 
remember those who lost their lives and the loved ones they left behind 
to face a world that is forever changed.
  The senseless acts of violence that awoke us 3 years ago, have 
gripped our thoughts and have given us a new appreciation for the 
freedoms we cherish. This weekend, as we mourn the loss of those who 
perished in the attacks, we should also celebrate their lives and look 
back on how each symbolized, in their own unique way, the unrelenting 
American spirit which binds us all to that clear September day.
  Like the rest of our Nation, my home State of Delaware experienced a 
great deal of tragedy on September 11, 2001. Bobby Fangman, Matthew 
Flocco, Jon Grabowski, Robert Jordan, John Murray, Davis ``Deeg'' Sezna 
Jr., and Rich Stewart, all fellow Delawareans, were taken during the 
attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In addition, Val 
Silver Ellis, Peter Frank, Michael San Phillip, Lincoln Quappe, Kevin 
Smith, Bill Tieste, Rodney Wotton and many others left loved ones 
behind in our State.
  As a Nation, we have experienced the unthinkable and emerged again 
with determination and purpose. Yet, as we reflect on the past 3 years, 
there remains an enormous amount left to be done. Now is the time for 
us to come together in the heroic spirit of the citizens, firefighters, 
police officers, and emergency personnel who stood tall in the face of 
destruction. Congress must keep the memories of all the September 11th 
victims in mind as we do everything in our power to prevent something 
like this from ever happening again.
  As we struggle to make progress in this momentous task, it is 
imperative that we remain focused and work together to reform our 
intelligence community and shore up the security of our homeland to 
protect all Americans. We have the power in Congress to implement 
change, but we must ensure that change is both meaningful and 
effective. One of the most important lessons that the victims of this 
tragedy can teach us is that every life is precious and that every 
action we take to improve our security could save lives in places like 
Delaware and across America.
  Mr. Speaker, it is our duty to honor those who were lost by making 
sure their loved ones

[[Page H6918]]

remain safe from fear and intimidation. We must keep their memories 
with us as we fight to protect our freedoms.
  Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, 3 years have passed since terrorists 
declared war on the United States by launching 4 horrific attacks on 
our homeland, murdering nearly 3,000 persons. Our Nation, under the 
leadership of a determined President and a united Congress, quickly 
summoned the courage to not only bring the terrorists to justice, but 
to make it tougher for them to attack us again.
  The collective national loss we felt on September 11, 2001 is no less 
painful today. How can any American alive and old enough to grasp the 
tragedy as it unfolded 3 years ago ever forget the rapid fall of the 
World Trade Center towers, the smoke billowing out of the Pentagon, or 
the 4 civilian jetliners that were deliberately brought to their 
destruction?
  In that solemn hour, our President rightly resolved to take the fight 
to the terrorists and not to stop until justice prevailed. Here we are, 
3 years later and still very much in the war on terror. What is 
remarkable to me is not that America is still waging the battle to keep 
our communities safe from future terrorist attack, but that some 
politicians actually question our motives and even appear willing to 
lower our guard if given the chance. Such shortsightedness on their 
part is not only naive, but downright dangerous.
  9/11 was not only an attack on America, but upon the free people of 
the world. In the months that followed, President Bush declared that 
terrorists and the countries that sponsored them would be considered 
our enemies and we would take military action against them if 
necessary. After the brutal Taliban regime of Afghanistan refused to 
turn over their Al Qaeda guests and close their training camps, the 
United States forced them from power and made Afghanistan an ally 
against terrorism.
  Iraq's Saddam Hussein did not believe the United States was serious 
about holding his government accountable for its weapons deception and 
support of terrorism. He was wrong. He was also swept from power and 
his nation's capability to aid terrorism has been halted. Pakistan and 
Libya are also cooperating with the United States in ending the risk of 
weapons of mass destruction falling into terrorist hands.
  Today, American troops remain in Afghanistan and Iraq where there is 
still work to be done before the new governments of these nations can 
assume total control of their own security. We are also on guard here 
at home, tightening security to reduce the likelihood that terrorists 
can again attack innocent civilians. For sure, terrorists have tried to 
conduct more attacks since 9/11, only to be stopped by measures already 
in place. More can and will be done to improve our homeland security.
  The terrible events of 9/11 changed our world. Despite some 
politicians' refusal to accept it, these acts of terrorism were a 
declaration of war against our society by those who fear nothing but 
brute force. If we want our children to enjoy a safer life, we must be 
committed to stand up to terrorists and stop them before they can 
attack us. If we do otherwise, we will surely invite future 9/11s.
  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 
757, ``expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the 
anniversary of the terrorist attacks launched against the United States 
on September 11, 2001.''
  The terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11th 
were monstrous and cowardly acts that will be forever etched in our 
national memory. In remembrance of that tragic day, I wish to express 
my condolences, and the condolences of a mournful Nation, to all those 
who suffered losses. Today, America again honors the courage and 
bravery of those who willingly risked their lives to save others, and 
recognizes those dedicated men and women in service now, defending 
worldwide peace and security.
  In the 3 years since the terrible acts of September 11th, the United 
States has taken various steps toward preventing another attack on our 
country. Immediately following September 11th, our country began 
fighting a global war on terrorism to protect America and our friends 
and allies. In addition, Congress has created a Department of Homeland 
Security and reorganized several intelligence departments. All of these 
steps were taken to make America safer.
  As a member of Congress, one of my top priorities is protecting the 
citizens I represent, and if there is any issue that should lead to 
crossing party lines, it is protecting our Nation.
  Recently, the bipartisan September 11th Commission finalized its 
report with 41 recommendations that they feel would not only make 
America safer, but would make the world safer. I am proud to be an 
original cosponsor of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission Report 
Implementation Act. This bill would enact into law the 9/11 
Commission's 41 recommendations.
  On this solemn day, I again stand up to recognize our brave men and 
women that tragically lost their lives on that fateful day in September 
of 2001. I wish to show my deepest appreciation to our military men and 
women fighting terrorism around the world. The opportunity is upon us 
to make serious and thoughtful change and to ensure that another 
tragedy does not befall our Nation.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, today I extend my ``deepest sympathies to 
the thousands of innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
attacks, their families, friends, and loved ones.''
  There is no doubt that I honor ``the heroic actions and the sacrifice 
of United States military and civilian personnel and their families who 
have sacrificed much, including their lives and health, in defense of 
their country in the Global War on Terrorism.''
  ``I [honor] the heroic actions of first responders, law enforcement 
personnel, State and local officials, volunteers, and others who aided 
the innocent victims and, in so doing, bravely risked their own lives 
and long-term health.''
  I express ``thanks and gratitude to the foreign leaders and citizens 
of all Nations who have assisted and continue to stand in solidarity 
with the United States against terrorism in the aftermath of the 
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.''
  There is no question that I ``[discourage], in the strongest possible 
terms, any effort to confuse the Global War on Terrorism with a war on 
any people or any faith.''
  Today I reaffirm our ``commitment to the Global War on Terrorism and 
to providing the United States Armed Forces with the resources and 
support to wage it effectively and safely.''
  As we all have done in this Congress over the last 3 years, I also 
``vow that we will continue to take whatever actions necessary to 
identify, intercept, and disrupt terrorists and their activities.''
  And, today I also ``reaffirm that the American people will never 
forget the sacrifices made on September 11, 2001, and will never bow to 
terrorists.''
  Yes, I strongly agree with these provisions of the 9/11 resolution 
passed by this House today. However, I do not agree with other 
provisions that distort the facts and, in some cases, are simply false. 
Therefore, I cannot vote for this resolution.
  The Bush Administration has not ``[strengthened] the authority of the 
Director of Central Intelligence to coordinate national intelligence 
activities.'' In fact, Congress is currently embroiled in that debate 
prompted by the 9/11 Commission Report, not by the Bush Administration.
  Yes, the Administration has finally ``initiated . . . the Container 
Security Initiative, to extend our borders overseas and to secure and 
screen cargo before it is placed on ships destined for United States 
ports of entry.'' However, initiation of a program is a far cry from 
fully administering the program and contributing to our homeland 
security. The Container Security Initiative is, so far, a failure.

  The resolution gives us the false impression that the US-VISIT border 
security screening system is fully operational and ensuring our 
homeland security. Yet, the Administration has not even connected US-
VISIT port of entry systems to a central database that can handle 
immediate screenings upon entry.
  Yes, as the 9/11 resolution states, ``a multi-agency partnership, was 
established to integrate the dozens of separate terrorist databases'' 
after 9/11. However, 3 years later, we still have multiple watch lists. 
The FBI's Terrorist Screening Center (TSC)--designed to be the central 
repository for terrorist-related watch list information--is still not 
complete and linked electronically to all law enforcement agencies. The 
DHS's Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) competes with at 
least 2 other Federal networks that are designed to share homeland 
security information between Federal, State and local officials. State 
and local officials still lack basic Federal security clearances needed 
to do their jobs. What has the Administration been doing for 3 years?
  9/11 is truly a day of solace, a day to remember the victims of 9/11, 
a day to give thanks to those who have sacrificed so much to keep this 
country safe, and a day to reaffirm our commitment to the war on 
terror. This is also a time to honor those we lost on that terrible day 
and those we have lost in the fight against terrorism since.
  The real way to honor those we lost would have been to do a competent 
job of preventing terrorism from succeeding again. But saying we have 
taken action is not the same thing as actually taking action. The 
representations about our successes in this resolution are mostly 
false. We should not lie to the American people about this.
  The last thing this day should represent is praise for what really 
are failures of the Bush Administration to secure our homeland.
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of the victims of 
September 11th and their families. We remember these Americans today 
and commend the bravery and courage of all those who came to their aid 
that day--many of whom selflessly gave their lives. We

[[Page H6919]]

will never forget their sacrifice and heroism. As a Nation, we are 
unified in our commitment to each other.
  We ought to stand together now just as we stood together on September 
11, 2001, and the days after in solemn remembrance. That is why I am 
disappointed to see Republicans politicizing this horrific day with 
this partisan resolution, which I cannot in good conscience support.
  I fully support our troops. I am committed to defending our Nation 
against terrorism. I will not, however, endorse the Administration's 
foreign policy, which I strongly oppose. The effort to use the attacks 
of September 11th to legitimize the war against Iraq or the future, 
indiscriminate use of military force at any cost is wrong.
  We must see September 11th as a reminder of what our Nation stands 
for--as was eloquently demonstrated by so many Americans on that 
horrible day. We must rededicate our Nation to compassionately 
fulfilling our ideals while recognizing our responsibility to lead the 
world by example, rather than by force.
  It is from this dark day that America must resolve to pursue peace, 
cooperation and understanding throughout the world. We must be 
committed to upholding democracy and human rights while working to 
improve the material conditions of people around the globe. Working for 
a safer, more humane world is our best defense against terrorists and 
our best hope for a more secure America.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong and 
solemn support of this resolution, which marks the anniversary of the 
most deadly terrorist attack in history. September 11, 2001 is a day 
none of us will ever forget.
  We continue to mourn, along with the loved ones of the departed, the 
loss of nearly 3,000 innocent lives. We celebrate the spirit of 
selflessness that led so many brave firefighters, police officers and 
other emergency personnel to risk--and in some cases, lose--their lives 
trying to save others. And we remain in awe of the passengers of Flight 
193, who took the defense of our homeland into their own hands and 
sacrificed their own lives in the process.
  The tragic events of that day have spurred this Nation to a new sense 
of purpose, a recognition of the need to fight terrorism head-on and to 
lead an international coalition to spread the powerful ideals of 
freedom and democracy to corners of the world that have for too long 
struggled in the shadows of totalitarianism.
  We have turned the darkness of terrorism into the light of 
opportunity--our greatest challenge has become our greatest strength. I 
urge passage of H. Res. 757.
  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record my friend 
Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee's Open Letter of September 10, 2004 to the 
Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States.
  President George H.W. Bush named Jhoon Rhee the 721st ``Point of 
Light'' for his voluntary work to help others and served as a member of 
the White House Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 
until June 2004.
  His letter is as follows:

       Dear President Bush:
       On the tragic event of September 11, 2001, I wish to thank 
     you for your efforts to defend our Nation and our freedom. 
     All Americans should join in prayer for you as you certainly 
     have one of the most challenging jobs in the world.
       God bless the Forces of Might for Right, the soldiers, 
     sailors, airmen, Marines, and National Guard who serve in 
     harm's way, far away from their loved ones, to safeguard and 
     defend us. God bless the policemen, firemen, border patrol 
     officers, emergency first responders, and all those who work 
     here at home to safeguard and protect our Nation.
       The martial arts community joins you in thanking all of 
     those who serve and protect us as a Nation and a people. The 
     terrorists assaulted our country on 9/11, but they didn't 
     destroy our spirit.
       Mr. President, your seal of office shows an eagle grasping 
     both the arrows of war and the olive branch of peace. We in 
     the martial arts have always taught these twin precepts. We 
     believe, and practice, that it is best to be prepared and 
     capable to defend yourself, while seeking the path of peace 
     and love.
       In remembrance of the terrible tragedies surrounding the 
     date of 9/11, the martial arts community is taking action on 
     the philosophies of peace and respect. Our plan is to both 
     help heal our old wounds and turn around the ongoing battle 
     to maintain the positive spirit of America. Beginning today, 
     as every day is a new beginning, American martial artists 
     have declared 9/11 to be ``Acts of Kindness Day,'' and will 
     go forth doing Acts of Kindness on 9/11--and year-round--to 
     demonstrate to the world the American spiritual tradition. 
     This year's goal among America's martial artists is to 
     perform one million acts of kindness between September 11 and 
     October 11, 2004.
       More on our ``Acts of Kindness'' initiative, launched by 
     martial arts teachers Tom Callos, Fariborz Azhakh, Ken 
     Carlson and myself, can be found at www.911aok.com.
 We would like to ask you sir, as President of the United 
     States, to declare 9/11 to be an annual Acts of Kindness Day, 
     urging all Americans to perform unselfish acts to help 
     others, to answer hatred and terror with kindness and love. 
     That is the American spiritual tradition we are proud of and, 
     we think, the ultimate way to offer tribute to the men, 
     women, and children who perished that day. We ask you to help 
     us carry this message from the martial arts community to all 
     Americans and to the world. Thank you. God bless you.
  Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, events on September 11, 2001, changed 
America forever. Nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives, including 366 
police and fire fighters who rushed into the burning Twin Towers.
  In the aftermath of those terrible hours and days, we emerged from 
our shock and grief with the knowledge that life in our country would 
never be the same. The heroes of 9-11--the passengers aboard United 
Flight 93, first-responders, doctors, nurses, search and rescue teams--
inspired us and gave us hope. Images of bravery soon replaced those of 
brutality.
  The terrorist threat is ongoing. The risk that we will be attacked 
again here at home is real. Our men and women in uniform are putting 
their lives on the line in the most dangerous parts of the world. More 
than 1,000 have paid the ultimate price. We honor their sacrifice and 
their commitment to duty.
  We have made progress in the fight against this insidious enemy. But 
we still have much to do. We must employ technology to protect our 
ports, our energy infrastructure, and our food supply. We must reform 
our intelligence-gathering program. We must continue to improve our 
ability to respond to an emergency. We must do it all without trampling 
on the civil liberties of our citizens, because we treasure our free 
and open society that terrorists seek to destroy.
  We pause today in solemn remembrance of that defining day and in 
honor of this great Nation.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that I and all of my 
colleagues in the House of Representatives share a profound sorrow and 
outrage about the tragedy of September 11th and extend our deepest 
sympathies to the families of the victims and our greatest gratitude 
for the heroism of the first-responders who risked their lives to save 
the lives of others. We all honor the sacrifice of those serving in 
uniform and the sacrifice of their families. I regret, though, that we 
do not have the opportunity today to a vote on a resolution that would 
express such worthy sentiments without advancing a partisan agenda.
  I join in supporting this resolution although I have serious 
reservations about certain provisions. I am particularly disappointed 
to see that the misguided invasion of Iraq is linked to the attacks of 
September 11th. The Administration's mismanagement of the Iraq war 
continues to divert attention and resources away from our efforts to 
capture Osama bin Laden, who launched the terrorist attacks of 
September 11th. It is particularly ironic that this language is offered 
the very week we mark the tragic loss of over 1,000 brave men and women 
in Iraq.
  I would also like to note my strong reservations about the reference 
to the US-VISIT program in this resolution. Although the Department of 
Homeland Security has described US-VISIT as ``an important new element 
in the global war against terrorism,'' a Senate Judiciary report 
concluded that ``implementing an automated entry/exit control system 
[such as US-VISIT] has absolutely nothing to do with . . . halting the 
entry of terrorists into the United States. An automated entry/exit 
control system will at best provide information only on those who have 
overstayed their visas.''
  US-VISIT is hurting businesses and families in McAllen, Pharr, and La 
Jolla and other communities along the U.S.-Mexico border by disrupting 
international trade. Under current DHS policies, Canadian visitors may 
stay up to 6 months and travel anywhere in the United States without 
obtaining any visa or enduring any immigration paperwork. In contrast, 
visitors from Mexico must go through an extensive process to obtain a 
B1/B2 laser visa (also known as a Border Crossing Card), which only 
allows a 30-day stay within a restricted zone close to the Mexican 
border. These restrictions make little national security sense given 
that the only known entries of terrorist across our land border have 
been from Canada, not Mexico.
  Unfortunately, given the disparity in treatment of visitors from our 
2 closest neighbors, Mexico and Canada, US-VISIT is more about stopping 
migration from Mexico than it is about national security.
  I am also concerned that the resolution does not express the 
importance of balancing the protection of our country from future 
terrorist attacks with the need to protect the civil liberties of our 
citizens. We must not sacrifice our democracy in a misguided attempt to 
save it.
  Those who lost loved ones on September 11th, those who came to their 
aid, and those who serve our country in uniform deserve our

[[Page H6920]]

recognition and support in a resolution unencumbered by a partisan 
agenda.
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 757. 
Three years have passed since a beautiful September day was shattered 
by terrorists who despised the thought of a Nation that allows its 
people the freedom to live and worship as they choose. I agree with 
President George W. Bush that ``the terrorists are offended not merely 
by our policies--they are offended by our existence as free Nations.''
  I looked back on some of the things we said in the days following the 
attacks of September 11, 2001. We said that these were acts of war. We 
said that we would get serious and win this war. And we said to those 
who commit these kinds of acts that we will find you and destroy you. 
And we vowed to remember what happened--always.
  America quickly got serious about fighting terrorism. While the 
enemies of freedom brought war to our shores 3 years ago, the American 
people and the American military are making progress in meeting this 
challenge. This war is being fought on multiple fronts: diplomatic, 
financial, investigative, homeland security, humanitarian, and 
militarily. We must continue to fight the war on terrorism because the 
terrorists will continue with their efforts. Their aim is to change the 
way of life of countries that love freedom, and their goals include the 
destruction of the civilized world and an end to American efforts to 
encourage democracy abroad.
  And while we continue to make great strides in the war on terror, we 
must never forget what happened. It's been 3 years, but the tragedy, 
the courage, and the determination we saw that day must serve as a 
reminder of our calling from that day forward. On Saturday morning, 
please take a moment to remember those who lost their lives that day, 
and remember those who continue to mourn loved ones who did not return 
home on September 11, 2001.
  May God continue to bless the United States of America.
  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, on this day, 3 years ago, our Nation 
utterly changed as tragedy struck in the streets of Lower Manhattan, 
the fields of Pennsylvania, and here in our Nation's capital.
  On this day, we also saw good rise in the face of evil and heroes 
rise in the face of danger.
  In Lower Manhattan, many of our brave first responders knew the risks 
they were taking, but were determined to do their job. Police officers 
and EMS officials calmly escorted workers out of burning buildings as 
firefighters raced up stairwells of these same buildings to rescue 
those trapped high above.
  When the day was over, and as we learned more about the tragic 
attacks, and loss of nearly 3,000 Americans, including 700 New 
Jerseyans, we witnessed neighbors and friends consoling one another and 
watched as Americans from all walks of life stood united--side-by-side, 
waving the stars and stripes, and lighting candles to honor those 
missing or lost.
  As America rebounded and recovered, our Nation--displaying the 
resiliency of its people--responded to these acts of terrorism with the 
might of our military.
  The war we continue to fight today began September 11, 2001. It began 
without provocation and without warning. It was not a war of our 
choosing but rather was made our priority. And we are fighting this war 
in Afaghanistan and Iraq today so that what happened on September 11 
does not happen in America again.
  So many of our heroes currently fighting terrorism across the globe 
put their lives on hold after 9/11 to join the National Guard, serve 
our country, and defend our freedom.
  We see the character and resolve of America in these brave young men 
and women. And especially in this post 9/11 era, we are grateful for 
their service and sacrifice.
  May God Bless those who continue to fight for and defend our freedom, 
and may God continue to bless America.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fossella). All time for debate has 
expired.
  Pursuant to the order of the House of Wednesday, September 9, 2004, 
the resolution is considered read for amendment, and the previous 
question is ordered on the resolution and on the preamble.
  The question is on the resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. HYDE. 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, this 15-
minute vote on adopting House Resolution 757 will be followed by a 
moment of silence and, without objection, 5-minute votes on the motion 
to instruct on H.R. 1308 and the motion to suspend the rules and pass 
Senate 2634, as amended.
  There was no objection.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 406, 
nays 16, not voting 12, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 431]

                               YEAS--406

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Akin
     Alexander
     Allen
     Andrews
     Baca
     Bachus
     Baird
     Baker
     Baldwin
     Barrett (SC)
     Bartlett (MD)
     Barton (TX)
     Bass
     Beauprez
     Becerra
     Bell
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blumenauer
     Blunt
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bonner
     Bono
     Boozman
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Bradley (NH)
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brown (OH)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown, Corrine
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Burgess
     Burns
     Burr
     Burton (IN)
     Butterfield
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp
     Cantor
     Capito
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardin
     Cardoza
     Carson (IN)
     Carson (OK)
     Carter
     Case
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chandler
     Chocola
     Clay
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Cole
     Collins
     Cooper
     Costello
     Cox
     Cramer
     Crane
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cubin
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Cunningham
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (TN)
     Davis, Jo Ann
     Davis, Tom
     Deal (GA)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     DeMint
     Deutsch
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Dooley (CA)
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Emanuel
     Emerson
     Engel
     English
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Everett
     Farr
     Fattah
     Feeney
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[[Page H6921]]



                                NAYS--16

     Conyers
     Frank (MA)
     Hastings (FL)
     Hinchey
     Honda
     Jackson (IL)
     Kucinich
     Lee
     Lofgren
     Markey
     McDermott
     Paul
     Schakowsky
     Stark
     Waters
     Woolsey

                             NOT VOTING--12

     Ballenger
     Cannon
     Goss
     Greenwood
     Mollohan
     Nethercutt
     Ryan (OH)
     Schrock
     Tauzin
     Toomey
     Wexler
     Young (AK)


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fossella) (during the vote). Members are 
advised there are 2 minutes remaining in this vote.

                              {time}  1208

  Mr. MARKEY and Mr. CONYERS changed their vote from ``yea'' to 
``nay.''
  Messrs. JEFFERSON, NEAL of Massachusetts, GEORGE MILLER of 
California, and MORAN of Virginia, and Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida 
changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the resolution was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________