[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 111 (Thursday, September 8, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H7774-H7777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RELATING TO THE TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES ON 
                           SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

  Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 427) relating to the terrorist attacks against the 
United States on September 11, 2001.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 427

       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 four 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 four years after September 11, 2001, the United 
     States is fighting a Global War on Terrorism to protect 
     America and her friends and allies;
       Whereas recent deadly attacks in London, Madrid, and Sharm 
     el-Sheik, Egypt, remind all Americans that the forces of evil 
     that attacked the Nation four years ago remain committed to 
     terrorist attacks against free peoples;
       Whereas because of the skill and bravery of the members of 
     the United States Armed Forces and due to the constant 
     vigilance of our Nation's first responders, the United States 
     homeland has not been successfully attacked by terrorist 
     forces during the four years since September 11, 2001; and
       Whereas while the passage of four years has not softened 
     the memory of the American people, resolved their grief, or 
     restored lost loved ones, it has shown that Americans will 
     not bow to terrorists: 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 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Iowa (Mr. Leach) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach).


                             General Leave

  Mr. LEACH. Mr. 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 Iowa?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, our deliberations today have focused, and rightly so, on 
the catastrophe that has befallen the people of the gulf coast and our 
efforts and, indeed, the world's efforts, to ameliorate their 
situation. We should, however, pause and take note of a somber 
anniversary, the fourth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 
2001, which will occur this weekend.
  I appreciate the fact that the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman 
Hyde) and the gentleman from California (Ranking Member Lantos) have 
worked out a text to recognize this anniversary which incorporated 
language from the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle), and that 
the House leadership has encouraged us to bring it to the floor in a 
timely manner.
  One year ago, we were involved in the middle stages of the efforts to 
pass the intelligence reform legislation recommended by the 9/11 
Commission. Now we must oversee the implementation of that law and 
determine what additional improvements to our government's structures 
or substantive policies need to be made.
  The resolution before us recalls the events of nearly 4 years ago, 
notes that the attacks were intended to assail our principles, values, 
and freedoms, and weaken our national resolve. It recalls

[[Page H7775]]

our worldwide efforts against terrorism and notes that those who have 
attacked us in New York, at the Pentagon, and in the skies over 
Pennsylvania have continued their efforts in London, Madrid, and Sharm 
el-Sheik, although they have thus far been prevented from successfully 
again carrying their fight to our homeland.
  It is time to again extend our sympathies to the families and the 
victims, to salute those who placed themselves in harm's way, often at 
the risk of their lives, and to honor those who are involved in the 
struggle against terror. We state that this struggle is not a struggle 
against any people or faith. We assert that we will continue to do 
whatever is necessary to identify, intercept, and disrupt terrorists 
and their activities, and that we will neither forget the sacrifices of 
September 11 nor ever yield to terrorists and their ideologies.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago, as our Nation came to recognize the 
magnitude of the struggle we were starting in earnest against the 
enemies of tolerance and progress, we had the most sobering and moving 
debate that I witnessed on the floor of this Chamber in the quarter 
century I have had the privilege of serving as a Member. That debate 
resounds even today, as Congress continues to muster the resources and 
to rally our compatriots to carry on in the ongoing war on terrorism.

                              {time}  1400

  With this fourth anniversary of the terrorist mass murder of 
September 11, we honor the victims, we honor the heroes, and we 
contemplate the lessons. We are still engaged in the global battle 
against terrorism. We have made progress, but we are a long way from 
victory.
  Indeed, this point has been brought home to us and to civilized 
people everywhere yet again these past few months. On July 7, suicide 
bombers attacked the London subway and bus system, killing 52 people 
and injuring scores more. Two weeks later, another attempt on London's 
public transportation system created panic. And just 2 days after that, 
more than 80 people were killed in a series of terrorist attacks at the 
Egyptian resort town of Sharm al-Sheikh, not far from the Egyptian 
resort where over 30 people were killed a few months earlier in a 
similar terrorist bombing. And let us not forget that Israel, our only 
democratic ally in the Middle East, has been a longtime victim of 
terrorist attacks; and it continues to be the target of extremist 
Islamic violence.
  Our hearts go out to the families of the victims who continue to be 
senselessly maimed and slaughtered in such vicious attacks of global 
terrorism.
  And so the struggle goes on. We may differ about specific tactics, 
but I think all Americans agree on at least one broad goal: we must do 
all we can to assure that terrorists do not acquire weapons of mass 
destruction, particularly nuclear weapons. As we know from the events 4 
years ago, they would not hesitate to use such horrendous weapons 
against us or against the innocent people of any other country on this 
globe.
  To prevent that unthinkable atrocity, the United States must do all 
it can to prevent state sponsors of terrorism from acquiring weapons of 
mass destruction. We have achieved a remarkable success in convincing 
the Government of Libya to voluntarily abandon its pursuit of such 
weapons, but the threat that Iran and North Korea may acquire nuclear 
weapons is one of the most serious issues facing our Nation.
  Teheran's ayatollahs have consistently supported terrorist groups 
that have shown no reluctance to use every weapon available to them in 
order to create mayhem in their fanatical zeal to destroy those 
standing in their way. Nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran could end 
up in the hands of terrorists.
  At the same time, we must find innovative ways to carry on this 
global struggle against terrorism so that it becomes not a war in a 
conventional sense, but a united worldwide effort to eliminate the 
conditions that give rise to terrorism.
  This is as much a battle of ideas as a battle against armies. The 
extremists and their protectors fear the freedom that we cherish. They 
seek to destroy it wherever it thrives. The war on terrorism is a 
common struggle among all democracies to preserve democracy itself, and 
we can only achieve true victory in this epic struggle when we bring 
democracy to all the corners of the globe. This means encouraging 
democracy and respect for human rights in places where they have not 
taken root, and where terrorists breed in the darkest corners of Egypt 
and Saudi Arabia, and many other places throughout the world.
  Mr. Speaker, the struggle against terrorism goes on, 4 years after 
our Nation awakened to the urgency of this fight. But let us ensure 
that the soul searching and resilience that marked our deliberations in 
September 2001 do not merely echo in this Chamber today. Let the debate 
instead be amplified and our convictions deepened as we recommit to the 
fight against fanatical Islamic terrorists capable of perpetrating such 
an atrocity.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen).
  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, September 6 of 2002, 
before a commemorative joint meeting of Congress at Federal Hall in New 
York City, the then poet laureate of the United States, Billy Collins, 
dedicated the following poem to the victims and survivors of the 
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The poem was called ``The 
Names,'' and I would like to read it:
  ``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 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 
the 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 yield 4 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that we remember 9/11, 
the victims, the aftermath of 9/11 and the policies which have been put 
in place as a result of that day of great tragedy. It is also 
appropriate that our remembering not be selective so as to preclude 
America from taking a path of truth and reconciliation.
  Immediately after the attacks upon our Nation, all across the world 
people responded in solidarity with America,

[[Page H7776]]

much as we are seeing at this moment in response to the unfortunate 
disaster of Hurricane Katrina. The world is always ready to embrace 
America and to share in our highest aspirations.
  Unfortunately, sadly, decisions were made by some in the 
administration to use 9/11 as an opportunity to advance a longstanding 
ideological desire, with financial incentives to invade Iraq and 
overthrow its government.
  Whenever we remember 9/11, and we should, we must also remember that 
some in the administration used 9/11 as an excuse to wage an illegal 
war against a nation that did not attack us, that had nothing to do 
with 9/11, that did not have the capability or the intention of 
attacking us, and that had no weapons of mass destruction.
  9/11 could never be justified, nor should any attack upon this Nation 
ever be justified. But I think America lost a moment after 9/11 to come 
together as a national community in search of ways that we could take 
new directions to meet an emerging challenge of terrorism with new 
strategies, new initiatives, because we are learning the limitations of 
trying to solve our difficulties through armed force.
  9/11 was a tragedy, and it was compounded by the war in and against 
Iraq. That war has separated us from many of our friends in the 
international community. It has drained our resources. It has cost us 
the lives of over 1,900 American servicemen, servicewomen, and has cost 
the lives of countless Iraqis who are innocent.
  We need to heal our Nation. We need to come together as Americans so 
that we can assert our commonalities, our common interests in the 
general welfare of our countrymen and countrywomen. But in order to do 
that, we need to go back through that tunnel of 9/11, and the only way 
we can do that is to be guided by truth.
  We still need to heal the Nation, but we will not be able to do it 
with arms. We can only do it by seeking the truth. And I contend that 
at this moment, when we stand united to pass this resolution, that we 
should also highly resolve that violence is not going to be the means 
that we use in the future to solve the differences that we have with 
nations.
  Next week, Members of this House will come together to introduce 
legislation to create a Cabinet-level Department of Peace and 
Nonviolence, which recognizes that the path of peace can be active, can 
be firm, can have resolve, and can help us achieve a new world.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago, our Nation suffered the worst 
attack in our history, and Americans were forever transformed. What 
happened on September 11 was not simply an attack against America, it 
was an assault on our democracy. In the immediate aftermath, we saw 
Americans overcome grief and devastation to demonstrate that the values 
that unite us are greater and more enduring than anything that divides 
us.
  That is what we do again today. This week, we come together in the 
spirit of unity and accord to memorialize the people lost and the 
families shattered on 9/11, in public ceremonies and private 
remembrances. I hope that it offers a small sense of comfort to those 
who lost loved ones and those who were injured in the attacks, that so 
many people in our country and throughout the world remember their loss 
and their suffering and continue to pray for them.
  But the best memorial we can offer to the victims of 9/11 is not 
words, but deeds. We must bring a laser-like focus to our 
responsibility to make America safer. The threat that we did not 
recognize clearly enough 4 years ago confronts us still. The need to be 
prepared, as Hurricane Katrina so clearly showed, is one of our most 
critical responsibilities.
  Four years after the attacks, Americans have to ask: has enough 
progress been made? The answer, sadly, is no. Security at our ports, on 
commercial airliners, on our transit systems, and along our borders has 
not been a priority. Our first responders still do not have the ability 
to communicate quickly and effectively.
  September 11 is hallowed ground, and the actions of this Congress 
must be guided by that recognition. Our debates, our votes, our laws, 
must be worthy of the sacrifice that was made on that day. And so, in 
the name of the victims, we pledge again today: united as a country, we 
will seek to keep alive the indomitable American spirit that was 
displayed on September 11, and keep Americans safe from harm.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, the tragedy of September 11, 2001 has been 
seared in our Nation's consciousness forever. On this fourth 
anniversary of the attack on our Nation, I want to take this 
opportunity to remember the brave men and women who lost their lives at 
the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in a deserted field in the 
Pennsylvania countryside. That day, 3,000 Americans died at the hands 
of terrorists who would see our country destroyed. These fellow 
citizens were casualties in our Nation's continuing effort to maintain 
liberty, safety, and freedom for all Americans.
  While we suffered a grievous loss that day, we must remember that we 
are a strong and determined Nation that will defeat those who would 
harm us. We join together to make it clear to the world that our Nation 
is united and resolved to defend our freedom against any enemy.
  Today, we stop to remember those who perished on 9/11 and to remember 
their families with a special prayer. We also pause to reflect on the 
heroism of the firefighters, police officers and city officials who 
died in the line of duty trying to save others. Each of us is 
personally affected by September 11. While we might not know anyone 
personally who died, we still grieve for them. And we hold the members 
of their families close to our hearts.
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition of H. Res. 427.
  I cannot vote for a resolution supporting a ``global war on 
terrorism'' because there is no such thing. The only war the United 
States is engaged in is the misguided Iraq War. To support a resolution 
simply so President Bush can continue to carry out actions in the name 
of this false global war of terrorism only encourages this 
Administration to lead this country into additional unnecessary 
military actions.
  Instead of honoring the victims of 9/11 and their families, this 
resolution only encourages the President to sacrifice more American 
lives for wars that have nothing to do with terrorism or the events of 
that tragic day.
  When the House leadership presents a resolution that truly honors the 
victims of 9/11, I will vote for it. Until that happens, I urge my 
fellow Members of Congress to vote against this resolution and others 
that endorse President Bush's misguided foreign policies.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 
fourth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and to 
remember those who lost their lives that day, especially the residents 
of Connecticut and of my district.
  As each year passes, it becomes even more important for us to 
remember the victims who died on September 11, 2001 and honor those who 
continue to serve as the Nation's first lines of defense against acts 
of terrorism and disaster. Their memory should keep us vigilant against 
threats and thankful for the many blessings we have as citizens of this 
Nation.
  We thank the selfless firefighters, police officers, and emergency 
medical workers who confronted chaos and terror 4 years ago and lost 
their lives trying to save their fellow Americans in New York, 
Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon. This reminder is all too vivid in the 
wake of the recent tragedy on the Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane 
Katrina. Some of the very same first responders who assisted in the 
time following the terrorist attacks are down in Louisiana, 
Mississippi, and Alabama helping those families rebuild their lives. We 
owe them our eternal gratitude for their service and compassion.
  However, as we have seen in the Gulf Coast states, we still have much 
work to do to respond to threats, both from terrorists and nature. We 
must focus our resources as a nation to ensure that first responders 
can act rapidly and communicate seemlessly with Federal, State, and 
local officials.
  Terrorists still remain a threat to our Nation and other free and 
democratic societies. We were all shocked and saddened by the bombings 
in London on July 7, 2005. The images we saw in London that day were 
all too familiar to the images we will never forget from 4 years ago. 
Our deepest sympathies went out to our friends in Great Britain who 
have stood so strongly by the United States in our war on terror. These 
bombings and the memories of September 11 further strengthen our 
convictions to defeat terror throughout the world.
  As Congress works to reauthorize the PATRIOT Act, our immediate 
response to the terrorist events that stunned our Nation, we must learn 
from the subsequent 4 years that have passed. 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.
  As we pause to reflect this September 11 and remember those whose 
lives were lost that day, let us also remember the things that make our 
Nation great: our freedom, our liberty and our democracy. These 
memories will give us the will to be better citizens and build a 
stronger nation.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, today we remember the victims of one 
tragedy as we work to help the survivors of another.

[[Page H7777]]

  In my district and in the State of New Jersey, we know the experience 
of tragedy personally and the sympathy of those in New Jersey extends 
at the deepest level to those who lived through Hurricane Katrina.
  Four years ago on September 11th, 700 of our friends and neighbors 
from my state of New Jersey never returned home from work and never 
returned to their families. The smoking ruins of the Twin Towers were 
visible for my entire district to see and many of the police and 
emergency response people that responded so heroically to the attacks 
were from New Jersey.
  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.
  That is why I committed that very day to taking every action to make 
sure that our Nation and her citizens never have to go through what we 
did on that terrible day four years ago. And since we know the enemy 
seeks to attack again, I have worked to ensure that our country is as 
prepared as we can be for a future attack and ready to respond once it 
does occur.
  That is also why I support this resolution as an expression of my 
deepest sympathy to families and friends of the thousands of victims of 
that fateful day.
  I 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, almost 
1,900 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.
  For me personally, I cannot walk outside into a crystal, clear, 
cloudless blue sky in September like we have today without remembering 
the very same sky on that tragic day in September. I cannot walk 
outside remembering the contrast between the beauty of that sky and the 
terror which came from it.
  To those who survived and to the families who lost their loved ones, 
I know that four years has not taken away the pain.
  To those who survived and to the families, I know that you will have 
to live with the consequences of that tragedy for the rest of your 
lives.
  To those who survived and to the families, I say that we will never 
forget those innocent people who were murdered in cold blood and that 
we honor you for your courage, your will to survive, and for the 
strength you have shared with our Nation.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bass). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 427.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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