Congressional Record, Volume 152 Issue 113 (Wednesday, September 13, 2006)

[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 113 (Wednesday, September 13, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H6461-H6498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

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

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, as the designee of the majority
leader and pursuant to H. Res. 996, I call up the resolution (H. Res.
994) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the fifth
anniversary of the terrorist attacks launched against the United States
on September 11, 2001, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows

H. Res. 994

Whereas on the morning of 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.;
Whereas the heroic actions of the passengers and crew
aboard United Flight 93 prevented it from being used as a
weapon against America and ultimately led the terrorists to
crash the aircraft into a rural field in Shanksville,
Pennsylvania, killing all those aboard;
Whereas nearly 3,000 innocent people were murdered in these
attacks;
Whereas the terrorist attacks were an act of war by al-
Qaeda, its leadership and affiliates against the United
States and the many peaceful, democratic nations of the
world;
Whereas by targeting symbols of American strength and
prosperity, the attacks were intended to assail the
principles, values and freedoms of the American people and to
intimidate the Nation and its allies;
Whereas when the gravest moments came that day, first
responders and many ordinary citizens, relying on courage,
instinct, and concern for their fellow man, rushed toward the
flaming buildings in order to rescue the victims of the
attacks;
Whereas in the days subsequent to the brutal attacks on the
Nation, the Government vowed never to be caught off guard
again, to take the fight to the terrorists, and to take
immediate measures to prepare and protect the Nation against
a new type of faceless, inhuman, and amorphous enemy
committed to the death and destruction of the American way of
life;
Whereas Congress passed, and the President signed, numerous
laws to assist victims, combat the forces of terrorism,
protect the Homeland and support the members of the Armed
Forces who defend American interests at home and abroad,
including the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and its 2006
reauthorization, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the
Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002,
the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, and the
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004;
Whereas the House of Representatives in the 109th Congress
passed the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal
Immigration Control Act of 2005, the SAFE Port Act of 2006,
and the 21st Century Emergency Communications Act of 2006;
Whereas terrorist attacks that have occurred since
September 11, 2001, in Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan,
Spain, the United Kingdom and elsewhere, remind all Americans
of the brutal intentions of the terrorists and the ever-
present threat they pose to the principles of freedom;
Whereas British authorities, in cooperation with United
States and Pakistani officials, recently disrupted an airline
terror plot to commit mass murder by blowing up civilian
aircraft bound for the United States;
Whereas Federal agencies, including those within the
Intelligence Community, the Department of Justice, and the
Department of Homeland Security, worked effectively with
American allies to investigate and disrupt the airline terror
plot and to implement appropriate security procedures in
response to the plot;
Whereas United States law enforcement and intelligence
agencies and allies of the United States around the world
have worked together to detect and disrupt terrorist networks
and numerous terror plots since September 11, 2001, including
a plan to attack targets on the west coast of the United
States using hijacked aircraft in 2002, a plan to attack
targets on the east coast of the United States using hijacked
civilian aircraft in 2003, a plan to blow up apartment
buildings in the United States in 2002, a plan to attack
urban targets in the United Kingdom using explosives in 2004,
a plan to attack Westerners in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2003, a
plan to attack Heathrow Airport using hijacked aircraft in
2003, a plan to conduct large-scale bombings in the United
Kingdom in 2004, a plan to attack ships in the Arabian Gulf
in 2002, a plan to attack ships in the Straits of Hormuz in
2002, a plan to attack a United States tourist site outside
the United States in 2003, a plan to attack Queen Alia
Airport in Jordan in 2006, a plan to attack high-profile
buildings in Ontario, Canada, in 2006, and a plan to attack
an El Al aircraft in 2006;
Whereas the Nation is indebted to the brave military,
intelligence, and law enforcement personnel serving in
Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere who are on the front lines
of the global war on terrorism;
Whereas the Nation is safer than it was on September 11,
2001, but more must always be done because the terrorist
threat is latently entrenched, nimble, resourceful, and
dedicated to the murder of Americans and the destruction of
freedom; and
Whereas the passage of five years has not diminished the
pain caused by the senseless loss of nearly 3,000 persons
killed on September 11, 2001: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of
Representatives that the House of Representatives--

[[Page H6462]]

(1) continues to recognize September 11 as a day to
remember and mourn those who lost their lives that fateful
day;
(2) encourages Americans to make September 11 a day of
national service;
(3) extends its deepest sympathies to the spouses,
children, mothers, fathers, and other loved ones of the
victims of September 11, 2001;
(4) honors the heroic actions of first responders, law
enforcement personnel, State and local officials, volunteers,
and others who aided the innocent victims and bravely risked
their own lives and health following the September 11, 2001
attacks;
(5) extends its deepest gratitude to military, intelligence
and law enforcement personnel serving both at home and abroad
in the global war on terrorism and for the sacrifices of
their families and loved ones;
(6) expresses its gratitude to all foreign nations and
their citizens who have assisted and continue to assist the
United States in the global war on terrorism;
(7) vows that it will remain vigilant in efforts to provide
the Federal Government with all the tools necessary to fight
and win the global war on terrorism; and
(8) reaffirms that the American people will never forget
the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and the loss of innocent
lives that day, will continue to fight the war on terrorism
in their memory, and will never succumb to the cause of the
terrorists.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kolbe). Pursuant to House Resolution
996, the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) and the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) each will control 2 hours.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.

General Leave

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 994.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 1
minute to the Speaker of the House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Hastert).
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, it was a day, September 11, 2001, of
unforgettable horror and unforgettable heroes. It was the day our
buildings fell, the day our people rose. The fear and anguish that we
felt that bright blue morning 5 years ago will never leave us, but the
courage and the iron resolve that carried us through the hours and days
that followed must also remain.
The war on terror, today being fought here in our homeland, and
around the world, must be won. Five years after 9/11, America is safer
and much more alert to the dangers that lurk in the darker corners of
our world.
Those dangers yet exist in Afghanistan and Iraq and Iran and Syria,
Lebanon and elsewhere. They call themselves al Qaeda and Hamas and
Hezbollah and many other names.
Mr. Speaker, their differences of names and nationality neither erase
nor even obscure the menacing ideology that binds them together as a
single indistinguishable enemy of freedom and justice and peace.
This ideology of evil seeks not simply to dominate, but to destroy
the will of all mankind, to control at the tip of a sword our very
thought, word and deed. Their ultimatum is simple: submit or die.
Beginning on the morning of September 11, 2001, aboard United Flight
93 in the skies over Pennsylvania, America decided to take a third
option. We decided to fight back. Despite the overwhelming odds,
despite circumstances that no other nation and no other military could
hope to overcome, our resolve has not broken.
In the 5 years since 9/11, our military and our intelligence services
have thwarted dozens of attacks, large and small. Their efforts have
saved countless lives. Along with our coalition partners, we have
overthrown dangerous dictatorships in Afghanistan and Iraq and started
to free people of those nations on a road to democracy.
These facts are all laid out in the resolution before us. But as
important as it is to recite what we have done, it is more important
for this House to assert what it intends to do.
Let me quote from it. The House of Representatives ``reaffirms that
the American people will never forget the tragedy of September 11,
2001, and the loss of innocent lives that day, and will continue to
fight the war on terrorism in their memory, and will never succumb to
the cause of the terrorists.''
To me, and I think to most Americans, after 5 years of security and
success, a lapse in our resolve is unthinkable. Victory is not yet
assured, and victory without resolve is impossible.
Adoption of this resolution today will be a signal to our Nation, to
our troops, to our allies around the world, and especially to our
enemies, that we will never forget and we will never surrender.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of all those whose lives were
affected by September 11, 2001. I rise in memory of those who lost
their lives that fateful day. I rise in support of the families and
friends who lost loved ones and exhibited courage and strength in the
face of adversity, and I rise in support of the firemen, police, EMTs,
soldiers and others who put lives at risk every day to protect our
Nation against terrorism.

{time} 1430

Five years ago, every town, small and large, was jolted by 9/11. In
the days and months that followed, Members of this very body vowed to
do whatever it took to ensure that an attack like 9/11 never repeated
itself. We joined hands and crossed party lines to stand up against an
enemy that did not see us as Democrats or Republicans, but only as
Americans. We made promises and swore that we would do everything we
could to secure America.
Five years later, we are still making promises and America is still
not as safe as it should be. And five years later, Mr. Speaker, the
bipartisanship we had after 9/11 is mostly gone.
Indeed, just yesterday, I was disappointed to read that my colleagues
across the aisle called Democrats ``clueless'' on national security.
Meanwhile, the House majority leader had the audacity to question
whether Democrats were ``more interested in safeguarding the rights of
accused terrorists than protecting Americans.''
All I can say is, shame on you all for putting politics and
partisanship above the security of our communities. Shame on you for
using the memory of 9/11 during a charged political season as a coverup
for Congress' do-nothing approach to homeland security.
There is nothing wrong with drafting a bipartisan resolution to honor
our Nation and respect the memory of 9/11, but there is something wrong
when this body takes upon itself to pat itself on the back about a few
past deeds when we have left the bulk of the work of homeland security
unfinished.
I ask anyone in this room to tell me whether this resolution gives
first responders effective interoperability so that they have the tools
and funding to talk to one another, or provide for a sufficient number
of Border Patrol or ICE agents as well as equipment and technology so
we don't have to tax an overworked National Guard to defend the border,
or whether or not this resolution provides adequate funding for
protecting our skies, our subways and our ports, or whether or not this
resolution reverses the ongoing trend of wasting homeland security
funds on bloated Beltway contractors that are making out with taxpayer
dollars while security is left along the wayside. I think not, Mr.
Speaker.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, ``What you don't do can be a destructive
force,'' and that is what I fear. What this Congress does not do today
will leave us less secure tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, last Friday I sent a letter to you urging that the House
act on a number of proposed homeland security measures that have been
offered in this Congress, some dating back as early as 2005. My letter
details 21 specific bills that have been written by Members of Congress
to protect our country and close security gaps plaguing our Nation's
rail and mass transit security, emergency communications, chemical
facilities security, cargo container security and much more. I have not
yet heard back on my letter. These bills deserve an up or down vote or
consideration as stand alone measures by this House.
The leaders of the 9/11 Commission said earlier this week that our
Nation is still not as safe or prepared as it can be because we have
failed to fulfill their ``most elementary'' recommendations. 9/11
Commission Chairman Kean

[[Page H6463]]

added that ``If everybody in Congress is for recommendations, what
happened? How come they're not passed?''
Mr. Speaker, Democrats have already offered to fulfill the
Commission's recommendations through these measures listed in my
letter. Now is the time for action.
That said, Mr. Speaker, I am aware that the Republican leadership may
push through a number of security measures in the House in the next 2
weeks to address certain vulnerabilities in an attempt to show that
this body cares about security. While I am happy that we are finally
seeing some action on some critical homeland security issues, I am
concerned that what will come before this body are shell bills that
claim to secure our Nation without allocating the funding, manpower or
technology necessary.
Indeed, debate is ongoing right now to include FEMA reorganization in
the Homeland Security appropriations bill, and my colleagues across the
aisle have said that they won't provide funding for improving
interoperability of first responder communication systems. Certainly we
all remember the failures of 9/11, when many first responders lost
their lives because communications didn't work. Yet my colleagues
across the aisle are refusing to include interoperability funding in
the proposed FEMA reorganization, because the White House doesn't want
it.
``Security on the cheap'' is no way to legislate our Nation's future.
Americans are tired of Congress giving itself accolades while the
Nation's business goes unfinished. America wants Congress to keep its
promises and give all our citizens a country as secure as it needs to
be.
Despite my Republican colleagues saying we Democrats don't have a
clue about how to make our country safer, here it is: Join us and pass
these 21 measures that provide real security to our Nation. Let's
finally listen to the true bipartisan experts on this issue, the 9/11
Commission, and move forward with legislation to implement the 9/11
Commission recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, 9/11, September 11, 2001, was a day unlike any in our
history. It was a day which saw the worst tragedy befall our Nation. It
was a day and the days thereafter which demonstrated the very best in
America, the heroism, the courage, the willingness to fight back, the
determination never again to allow ourselves to be attacked the way we
were on that day.
Since that time, Congress has achieved a lot. The purpose of this
resolution today was to show that we are not just going to lament what
happened on September 11, we are not just going to mourn what happened
on September 11, but we are going to lay the record out as to what has
been done and what should be done. And, quite frankly, as the prime
author of this resolution, we did not in any way attempt to make it
contentious.
For instance, I really wonder why at this stage on the fifth
anniversary of September 11 my friends in the opposition have chosen to
draw the line on this resolution, when 2 years ago, in a bipartisan
resolution which was overwhelmingly adopted, there were far more, if
you want to call them, partisan matters included. I don't consider them
partisan. But if they are applying the standard they are applying today
to the 2004 resolution, where it went through so many items, as the war
in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, Libya, port security, border security,
Terrorist Threat Information Center, going after financial assets, all
of those matters, very few of which are mentioned in our resolution
today.
But for some reason, I guess with election day less than 60 days
away, they have chosen to say what was nonpartisan 2 years ago is
extremely partisan today.
I regret that, because there is a lot that we still have to do as a
Congress, but there is much we achieved, and I believe it is important
for us not to just talk about the horror of September 11, but to
chronicle for history what we have done, what we intend to do and let
history be our judge.
That is why we included the PATRIOT Act, that is why we included the
Maritime Security Act, the intelligence reform and port security
legislation, because we do believe they are significant achievements by
Congress.
Now, maybe history will show it was not right to break down the wall
between the FBI and CIA, or it was not right to have to have
intelligence reform, but I am content and I think we have an obligation
to lay that out and let the American people decide and let history
decide.
If we wanted to make this partisan, we could have certainly put in
about the NSA electronic surveillance, which the overwhelming majority
of Americans support because they believe it makes common sense to
listen to the conversations of foreign terrorists. But because of the
controversy of that, it was not put in. Nor was the SWIFT Plan, which
was illegally disclosed by the New York Times. Did we include that in
our resolution, even though that has also been extraordinarily
effective?
As far as the issue of whether or not we are safer today than on
September 11, both the chairman and cochairman of the 9/11 Commission
say we are, the junior Senator from New York says we are, any number of
people say we are. We can debate that. But I think it is certainly fair
comment to put that in this 9/11 resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I will end on this before I finish my remarks. But I
just want to say no one has any monopoly on grief in this Chamber. I
lost well over 150 friends, neighbors and constituents on September 11,
2001. I spent all day Monday at cemeteries and commemorations and
meeting with families.
I think it is really wrong to somehow attack this resolution as our
attempt to be partisan. We could have found much more ways to be
partisan if we wanted to. It was an attempt to come together. For
whatever reason, the opposition has chosen to draw the line today on
the fifth anniversary, when they could have done it 2 years ago. For
whatever reason they decided now is the time. I think history will show
they are wrong.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I am proud at this time to
yield such time as he may consume to the chairman of the Democratic
Caucus, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn).
Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend Mr.
Thompson for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, 5 years after 9/11, we have still failed to capture or
kill Osama bin Laden. We have not destroyed al Qaeda. A new Pentagon
report shows that the situation in Iraq is worsening, with the number
of attacks against Americans and Iraqis climbing to the highest average
per week since the war began; 2,700 United States soldiers have died in
Iraq, over 20,000 have been wounded; and United States taxpayers have
paid more than $300 billion for the Iraq war. Yet we are spending 4
hours debating a partisan resolution about one of the most tragic days
in American history.
Mr. Speaker, now is not the time to divide the country. Slogans and
partisanship will not bring us victory. ``Stay the course'' and ``you
are either with us or against us'' are not military strategies.
Five years after 9/11, we must be clear: The war in Iraq has
distracted us from finding Osama bin Laden, dismantling al Qaeda and
fighting the war on terrorism. We must put the future of Iraq in the
hands of the Iraqis so we can focus on our primary goal, winning the
war on terrorism. We must end the stonewalling and pass the 9/11
Commission recommendations.
But the Republican leadership keeps fighting the wrong battles. They
announced yesterday a war against Democrats on security.
Mr. Speaker, our Nation is engaged in a war against a real and brutal
enemy who finds pleasure in taking innocent life and who works every
day to undermine the freedom and democracy we hold dear. I suggest the
Republican leadership focus its energy on fighting that enemy, not
their fellow Americans.
As this Nation faces the greatest challenge of our generation,
defeating terrorism, our leaders must preach strength and unity, not
partisanship and divisiveness.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 2 minutes
to

[[Page H6464]]

the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce).
Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the time.
Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago this week our Nation suffered an unspeakable
terrorist attack that resulted in the deaths of almost 3,000 Americans.
This resolution is to honor them.
No American will ever forget the horror of that day, but neither will
we forget what else we saw in the days that followed: The courage, the
generosity, the selflessness of ordinary Americans who raced in to help
in any way they possibly could.
One of those heroes lives in my own backyard. Sergeant Jason Thomas,
a former marine who upon learning of the hit on Tower 1, raced to
Ground Zero, donning his marine uniform which was in the trunk of his
car, to join the search for survivors.
His seemingly illogical instinct to race into that danger saved the
lives of two Port Authority police officers who were trapped beneath 20
feet of debris when the towers collapsed. Yet he asked for no notice,
no thanks, no praise. No one even knew of his bravery.
As remarkable as Sergeant Thomas' story is, it is just one of the
hundreds and thousands of stories of courage and compassion that came
out of that day. Mr. Speaker, the hijackers hoped to terrorize and
demoralize our Nation. Instead, they brought out the very best that is
in us.

{time} 1445

Inspired by the heroes of 9/11, today we reaffirm our commitment to
defending our liberty from every threat and combating the evil of
terrorism wherever it is found. And it is sad that there are so many
``shame on you's'' and finger-shakings going on. And I say shame on
those who continue the constant drumbeat to dampen this country's
spirit and to demoralize those men and women who are so bravely
defending us from the terror that could strike again.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 3
minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).
Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, there is no Democratic or Republican way
to honor America. Let's get that straight.
This legislation minimizes the hurt of the families of 9/11. I make
that contention. This is not acceptable. I don't say this as a
Democrat. I am proud of that fact. I say this as an American who
believes in God.
My friend, the gentleman from New York, is absolutely wrong when he
says this is the same legislation as 2 years ago. I can agree with all
of the ``resolves'' in this legislation, but when you look back into
the ``whereases,'' to be very specific, the legislation 2 years ago had
nothing in there about immigration when your party does not even agree
on a position nor does ours. Why do we put in such a politically
contentious issue when basically what we are saying here is we feel
your hurt, families, and we want you to know we honor this?
Today I harbor great disappointment. I really do. The possibility for
reaching true bipartisanship, which was done in the Senate, has been
thwarted. A long list of shameful acts on this floor continues. We
could have honored the lives lost during the terrorist attacks 5 years
ago by voting on a truly bipartisan bill. When there is an opportunity
for crass, in many ways cynical, politics in regard to security, these
gentlemen and ladies have taken it. For shame.
Placing a commendation for this immigration security bill that barely
passed the House last year within this resolution is from left field.
We all know that the bill we are lauding here is one of the most
divisive, mean-spirited pieces of legislation we have seen in recent
years. So it is the ``resolved'' in this resolution that we agree with,
but the ``whereases'' leave much to be desired. Inserting this in this
9/11 anniversary resolution is simply wrong. It is so typical of what
we have come to expect.
We should be concerned about what the 9/11 Commission Public
Discourse Project has given Congress for its efforts on homeland
security. We should try in a bipartisan fashion to correct the D's and
the F's, and many of us on both sides of the aisle have attempted to do
that. Maybe we could actually improve how we screen baggage and cargo.
Maybe we could address the vulnerabilities presented to our rail and
our mass transit problems. Maybe, just maybe, we should finally give
out grants to States and locals based on risk.
So I say, Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I think we could have done
better, particularly on this hurtful incident in our country's history.
And that is my point today.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I would remind the gentleman from New Jersey that the resolution he
voted for 2 years, the 9/11 commemoration resolution, specifically said
that Iraq was part of the war on terrorism, that the capture of Saddam
Hussein was part of the war against terrorism, all in the ``whereases''
clauses. It also cited the fact of port security achievements we had
made there. It mentioned the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, all
of which was there in that resolution 2 years ago, which for whatever
reason they did not object to then.
And I would say one of the reasons we didn't put the immigration bill
in the legislation 2 years ago, it was not passed until last year, and
the 9/11 Commission specifically stated that addressing border security
is a major element of homeland security
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California,
the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Lungren.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the
chairman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, like many, I was affected by 9/11. As a matter of fact,
that is the reason I decided to return to public service and sought an
opportunity to serve in this body after a 16-year absence. I have spent
a considerable amount of time with my colleagues on both sides of the
aisle attempting to fulfill my obligation in that regard. And I am
reminded, basically because of my service as attorney general of
California, that oftentimes we not only need to mark something that has
happened in the past but we need to also talk about the things that we
have effectively done to respond to whatever challenges occurred out of
that event, because if we do not, we fail to help lead the people, that
is, we fail to tell our constituents that those sacrifices that they
have made, the programs that they have enacted through us, have had
merit. Because if you do not do that, after a while those you seek to
represent have no sense that we are actually doing something effective.
So it seems to me very much appropriate, not shameful, that the
chairman of my committee would construct this resolution that not only
cites the tragedy of 9/11 but talks about the efforts we have made in
this Congress, with the executive branch, to respond to the challenges
that came out of that tragedy.
Earlier this year the House overwhelmingly passed the SAFE Port Act
on a bipartisan basis, 421-2. This act addresses port security defenses
within and beyond U.S. ports. As a matter of fact, as we are now
speaking, the United States Senate is dealing with that.
We have taken steps to prevent our own facilities from being used
against us as weapons of mass destruction and to protect our critical
infrastructure. A few months ago our committee passed legislation to
guard against terrorist attacks on our chemical facilities on a
bipartisan basis.
Finally, we have taken steps, as importantly, to respond to the
suggestion by the 9/11 Commission to do something about securing our
country by preventing terrorists and their weapons from being smuggled
across the borders. So that is the reason why, in fact, we have this
included in this resolution.
So, Mr. Speaker, rather than taking exception to this resolution, I
would hope that we would join together on a bipartisan basis to say
certainly the journey has not ended, but we have done a lot. And anyone
who stands here and says that we are not safer today than we were on 9/
11 either is tragically uninformed or is intentionally misinforming the
American people.
Yes, we have more to do. But we should look back on those things that
we have joined together to do successfully.

[[Page H6465]]

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) for a response.
Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, there is a difference between what the
Senate passed unanimously and what we are discussing today.
You will admit that.
And you did not mention the specific item that I mentioned and my
problem with the legislation ``whereases'' is on the immigration
legislation, which was passed last year. You know quite well it is a
contentious subject on your side as well as in the entire Congress.
I have mentioned nothing about the other things and have no problems
with the other things that you mentioned, but I think that is enough
for me to express myself, and I want to just correct the gentleman.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3\1/2\ minutes
to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey)
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, the Republican Party has taken an
opportunity to make a positive contribution to the commemoration of the
9/11 anniversary and turned it into a partisan ploy that divides our
country and this Congress. What a huge missed opportunity and
disservice to our Nation.
At the same time, they have undertaken a coordinated, cynical,
political campaign to impugn the patriotism of any Democrat who dares
to question, dares to criticize, dares to suggest that there may be a
better, safer way of protecting our country.
The Republicans include in this resolution legislation that divides
our country, not just Democrats and Republicans in Congress; but they
include in this resolution the Republican border security bill, the
PATRIOT Act, other bills that they know divide Democrats from
Republicans and Americans from other Americans.
If they want to go down the path, there are other issues that divide
Democrats from Republicans. Democrats want to implement all of the
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. They want to make sure that
every one of them is put on the books. The Republicans oppose
implementing all of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
In other areas they oppose having full security built around chemical
plants in the United States. There are nightclubs in New York City that
are harder to get into than chemical plants in our country.
Nuclear power plants, they oppose the hardening of the spent fuel
facilities next to nuclear power plants in our country. They nickel and
dime security for public transit. They refuse to support the
requirement that hazardous materials, where possible, are shipped
around densely populated areas instead of through them in our country.
In aviation they still oppose screening of the cargo which goes on to
passenger planes in our country. Each one of us has to take off our
shoes, has to put our bag through security, and then nearly 6 billion
pounds of cargo are placed under the feet of passengers on planes
across our country.
And then, unbelievably, rejecting the recommendation of the 9/11
Commission, knowing that al Qaeda puts at the top of their terrorist
target list putting a nuclear bomb on a cargo container in a ship and
bringing it into port in the United States, the Republicans object to
the requirement that all of these containers be screened in ports
overseas before they are ever allowed to leave for the United States.
They say it is too expensive. Well, the price we will pay in security
for the Republicans objecting to the screening for a nuclear bomb is
that when a nuclear bomb goes off in an American city, as Vice
President Cheney said, more deaths will occur than all the lives that
were lost in all the battles that the United States fought all the way
back to the Revolutionary War. They refuse to impose this mandate for
screening of nuclear bombs in cargo container ships. They want to
screen it after it gets to a port in the United States. By then it is
too late. The 9/11 Commission says screen for nuclear bombs as they are
being put into containers overseas before they take off for the ports
of the United States.
This resolution is just a complete and total undermining of the
solidarity which we should have on this occasion of the fifth
anniversary of that loss of life
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I would remind my friend from Massachusetts, or at least suggest to
him, that you don't have to agree with every word of every resolution
to vote for it.
For instance, the overwhelming majority of Democrats voted for the 9/
11 resolution 2 years ago, which specifically cited the war in Iraq as
being an effective part of the war against terrorism. It also cited the
arrest of Saddam Hussein and also cited the many accomplishments that
had been made by Congress, and they voted for that then. For some
reason they have now chosen to make this a very partisan issue.
Also, the gentleman said that Democrats have supported every
recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. In fact, 152 Democrats voted
against the REAL ID Act, which was supported by the 9/11 Commission.
And as far as the whole issue of the nuclear screening, even the
Washington Post said that is nothing but a grandstand.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
McCaul).

{time} 1500

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we stand here today not as
Republicans or Democrats, but united as Americans to remember the
events of September 11, as it should be.
I find this debate should not fall into election year politics. It is
fitting the resolution contains border security in it, as the 9/11
Commission recommended border security. It is an issue of national
security.
Five years ago this week, our generation was defined by the heroic
actions of the hundreds of first responders, brave Americans, and
innocent victims who gave their lives on 9/11. That day, 19 al Qaeda
hijackers murdered nearly 3,000 Americans. Those terrorists had a
simple cause, inflict the highest loss of life and the most damage they
could to our Nation. They may have succeeded in murdering thousands of
people going about their daily lives, but they failed miserably to
defeat the patriotic spirit of America and of freedom everywhere.
When we remember the events of September 11, we must also remember
the police officers and firefighters that responded to the attacks on
the World Trade Center and the Pentagon who went in to save lives but
gave their own lives in the process. We must remember the first
responders from every corner of our Nation who came to Ground Zero in
the days after to lend their strength, their skills, and their support.
And we must remember the innocent people, the husbands and wives, the
parents and children, and the entire families who were ripped apart
that fateful day that the Towers fell. We must always remember. We will
never forget and we will never surrender. That is our duty as
Americans, and that is our charge as patriots.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Rhode Island.
(Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to join my colleagues and
millions of Americans in mourning and honoring those who bravely lost
their lives on September 11, 5 years ago. Their memories must be
honored and they must not be forgotten, and we must ensure that they
did not die in vain. It is our job as elected officials to learn from
those vulnerabilities that terrorists were able to exploit to ensure
that similar tragedies never happen again.
Unfortunately, the resolution before us today places politics ahead
of honoring our fallen heroes, and it does nothing to ensure that our
Nation becomes safer. It is nothing but a divisive and partisan measure
that allows Republicans to pat themselves on the back and give them
peace of mind. Well, I refuse to be complacent. There is simply too
much that remains to be done to secure our homeland. We need to get
back on track in implementing the 9/11 Commission's recommendations.
Our borders, ports, and virtually every entry into our country remain
unsecured, and the 9/11 Public Discourse Project has given the
administration a D on their efforts to protect against weapons of mass
destruction.
Mr. Speaker, one of the worst case scenarios experts fear is that
terrorists

[[Page H6466]]

would be able to smuggle nuclear material across our borders or through
our ports. This is an unacceptable reality. As the lead Democrat on the
Subcommittee for the Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack, I
have called for the installation of radiation portal monitors at
designated ports of entry to screen all inbound cargo for radiological
and nuclear materials in and at our border crossings. Mr. Speaker, we
need to significantly strengthen our radiation detection technology,
and we need to do it now. Five years after the terrorists attacked our
country, we still lack the capability to identify exactly what comes
through our ports.
I urge my colleagues to refocus our efforts on implementing the
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, as this is truly the way to
honor the heroes who lost their lives on that devastating day 5 years
ago.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, again I would remind my friends on
the Democratic side that the resolution that the overwhelming majority
of them voted for 2 years ago, for instance, on the issue of port
security, in the whereas clauses specifically cited the innovative
programs which have done so much to make our ports more secure and to
screen cargo. And, again, we don't have to agree with every aspect of
every bill, but if it was good enough 2 years ago for them to cite it,
I don't know why it suddenly now becomes such an extreme partisan
issue.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut, who
I must say is an extremely strong and very independent voice and
advocate for Homeland Security
Mr. SHAYS. I thank my chairman of the Homeland Security Committee for
yielding to me, I thank him for his sincerity, I thank him for his good
work, and I thank him for reaching out to the other side of the aisle
on every occasion. I am sorry he is having to deal with the criticism
that he is now having to deal with. But this is close, I guess, to an
election time.
As chairman of the 9/11 Caucus and chairman of the National Security
Emerging Threats and International Relations Subcommittee, I rise to
salute and honor the 2,976 individuals who lost their lives on this
fateful day, 81 who were residents of the 17 towns I am privileged to
represent. I salute the first responders who did what first responders
do, run into danger while those they seek to protect run out. I salute
as well all who labored after the buildings imploded to first save
lives and then ultimately find the body parts of those who perished.
Many of these individuals, particularly those who labored on this
site during the first few weeks and months breathing highly toxic air,
now find their own lives at risk. May God bless them, may God bless
those who perished on September 11, and may God bless this great and
enduring county. I thank you very much
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentleman from Los Angeles (Mr. Becerra).
Mr. BECERRA. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 994 was our opportunity in this House
for the Members of the House of Representatives to speak, not as
Republicans, not as Democrats, not as conservatives or liberals, but as
proud Americans, one Nation commemorating the events of 9/11.
That is in fact what the 100 Members of the other body, the Senate,
did when they unanimously, 100 Members, passed their resolution
commemorating America's faith, its determination, and certainly our
response to the vicious attacks perpetrated on 9/11.
We could have demonstrated our faith in our country by acknowledging
the heroes, all of them, the men and women who gave their lives on 9/
11. We could have acknowledged the families who have suffered
tremendous loss. We could have acknowledged our law enforcement and
military personnel, our safety servicemembers, those who work every day
to protect us. Instead, cloaked within this resolution in this House is
language that is controversial, that is not supported by many Members
in this House, that indeed is not supported by many people in the
public, and it is cloaked within the words to commemorate the events
and the people that make us proud about how we responded on September
11, 2001.
Many believe in this country that we are not as safe as we should be.
Many of us believe that we have a right to be tough today as we respond
to those who wish to harm us. Many of us believe we must act smartly as
we respond to those who wish to harm us. But many of us believe we need
to have a great deal more hope that we can do things in a better way.
And, unfortunately, today we must report to the world, as did the 9/11
Commission that explored the events after 9/11 and our response, that
indeed today we have failed our people in responding adequately with
the government that we have with us today.
Five years after 9/11, the members of the 10-member bipartisan
Commission on 9/11 issued a report card on how the Federal Government
has responded to their recommendations. Their report card included five
Fs, 12 Ds, and two incompletes. It is irresponsible for this resolution
today to say the Nation is safer than it was on September 11, 2001,
when there is still so much work ahead of us and so much that is
preoccupying our time outside of our own domestic borders.
Our failures are critical. Today, only one in every 16 cargo
containers that come into all of our ports throughout our Nation are
ever inspected before they enter into our territories. Today in America
we talk about our broken immigration system, and yet today we stand
some 11 days before we are closing this 2-year legislative session
without having addressed comprehensive immigration reform the way the
American public has demanded, and today we know that there are some 10
to 20 million people who live in the shadows of America working every
day in this country, not able to come out because they don't have
documents to be here but still working, and we go on and do nothing to
address the fact that there are some 12 million people who live in our
shadows. We don't know what they are doing, we don't know how they are
doing. And today we have a resolution that doesn't treat all of these
different issues that are coming before us.
Mr. Speaker, we could do this much differently. If you talk to
America's troops in Iraq and throughout the world, they could give you
some answers of what we should be doing. If you talk to the American
families who suffered from 9/11, they could tell you what we could be
doing. I believe we should be not speaking politics, and I urge my
colleagues to let's move forward together bipartisanly to move forward
commemorations that really do have the support of all Americans.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I would just again remind my
friends on the other side that we are definitely safer than we were on
September 11. It is not just me saying that or the Republican majority
saying that. It is the chairman and cochairman of the 9/11 Commission,
people such as the junior Senator from New York who was saying that.
As far as our resolution, it certainly goes out of its way, and
appropriately so, to extend the deepest sympathies to all those who
lost their lives, to their family members and friends. It honors the
heroic actions of the first responders.
If we made a mistake in drafting this resolution, it was I guess
laboring under the misconception that the people on the other side
would adhere to the same standards and principles that we set for
ourselves 2 years ago when we adopted the 9/11 resolution at that time,
which again goes into far more detail than anything we mentioned at all
today.
And I would also mention to the gentleman from California who said
that we should speak to the families of those who lost relatives on
September 11. I spent Monday morning to night with those families, and
I can tell you, after speaking with them, I am more proud than ever to
have introduced and sponsored this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms.
Ginny Brown-Waite), a member of the committee.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman
of the committee who has worked very, very hard on these issues and
trying to put together bipartisan agreement on many of the issues that
come before our committee.

[[Page H6467]]

Five years later, the terrible events of September 11 are still fresh
in the minds of Americans. On the same day we saw heroism and sorrow of
so many, we saw the hatred and evil of a few. These events served as
notice to our Nation that we were not as secure as we had thought.
In response, our country has made substantial progress towards
securing our borders, infrastructure, and airlines. There is still a
ways to go, but we are safer today than we were on September 10.
Despite chaos surrounding the events of September 11, America showed
great, great strength. We witnessed an outpouring of goodwill,
patriotism, and togetherness all across the country. In the face of
such adversity, Americans came together under a unified front.
Republicans and Democrats worked side by side to address the critical
needs of those people devastated by terrorist attacks.
Listen up, America. Today, 5 years later, partisanship and political
bickering have replaced the solidarity the entire world once witnessed.

{time} 1515

This is the last thing that our country needs.
This past Monday, many of us were back in our districts attending
events relating to the tragic events of 9/11. There are many first
responders who previously, I admit, probably lived in the chairman's
district and other areas around New York City who have since moved to
Florida. Many of them retired after seeing the tragic events of 9/11,
after working hard, very, very hard at the site of the World Trade
Center. They moved to other States. Many of them also moved because
they lost loved ones in 9/11, and they could not be there. They just
could not be there every single day to see the hole where the World
Trade Center once was.
Those are the people who gave so much, who lost their family members,
that we should be consoling today, and certainly, this resolution does
exactly that.
Mr. Speaker, in these trying times it is important that we remember
that all Americans are in this fight against terrorism together. I ask
that my colleagues find it within themselves to put aside their
political differences and do what is best for the United States of
America, and that is to vote for this resolution.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she
may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey).
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, like many of my colleagues, I spent Monday commemorating
the horrific attacks on our Nation 5 years ago. It was a day to reflect
on the courage and the compassion demonstrated on September 11, 2001,
by police officers, firefighters, medical personnel and average,
ordinary citizens.
It was also a day to remember those who could not be saved and to say
a prayer for the families, especially the young children, who were left
behind.
But with this resolution, the Republican leadership has chosen to
exploit a national day of mourning to again justify the occupation of
Iraq, a disastrous policy and a failure that has led to untold death
and destruction, a policy which has been rejected by the American
people.
Again, the Republican leadership is trying to blur the distinction
between Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, even though it has been
well-established that one had nothing to do with the other.
The fact is, we never honored the memory of the victims of 9/11 by
finishing the job in Afghanistan. Bin Laden remains on the run, even
though we had him surrounded in Tora Bora nearly 5 years ago.
Far from some paragon of freedom, much of Afghanistan is still
dominated by Taliban rebels and warlords, with the opium trade
remaining the country's dominant economic force.
From 9/11 on, the President and the Republican leadership have used
that day of terror to run roughshod over the Constitution; wiretapping
American citizens without a warrant and setting up secret gulags around
the world.
This 5-year anniversary cried out for genuine bipartisan leadership
to comfort the Nation while acting intelligently, rather than
impulsively, in the face of new security threats.
To this day, however, the Republicans use 9/11 as a talking point to
make a dishonest argument.
It is shameful that some are taking one of the gravest moments in our
Nation's history to pursue their own political agendas. It is with
great sadness that I rise in opposition to this bill.
This Congress owes it to those who gave their lives on the hallowed
ground in New York, in Washington and in Pennsylvania to consider a
balanced bill, a bill which truly honors their memories.
How dare anyone try to capitalize on the heartbreaking events of
September 11.
Shame on this Congress if this bill passes and shame on those who let
politics get in the way of a solemn opportunity in order to honor the
very innocent victims of September 11.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I would just urge my friends on the other side to perhaps read the
resolution instead of just reading Democratic talking points.
The fact is there was nothing in this resolution at all that talks
about the war in Iraq other than to commend the soldiers who are
fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the overwhelming majority of
Democrats 2 years ago did vote for the resolution which said Iraq was
an integral part of the war against terrorism. Again, I wonder why this
disconnect between 2004 and 2006.
Also, the gentlewoman from California seems very concerned about the
fact that bin Laden has not been captured. Yet, the leader of her party
yesterday said that capturing bin Laden would have no impact on the
security of the United States.
Also, talking of the families, as far as the impact this would have
on the families, this resolution, I have talked to the families in my
district, the Boyle family, the Haskell family, the Cain family, the
Vigiano family, or the Howard family, or any of them, who I can assure
you strongly stand behind this resolution
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Price).
Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, it is truly fitting and proper that we pause to
recognize the fifth anniversary of the tragic and cowardly acts of 9/
11, and it is important for a number of reasons. It is important for
reasons of memory and of gratitude and of resolve.
For we must remember and celebrate the lives of those unmercifully
taken from us on 9/11. Their deaths must always bring focus to the
challenge and the enemy that our Nation faces. This is a real war. Not
recognizing that fact presents grave peril to our Nation. Yes, we must
remember.
We must also be forever grateful to those who ran toward danger to
help those in need, to be forever grateful to the heroes of Flight 93
whose collective action resulted in the first victory in what is truly
the war for the free world, and to be forever grateful to our fellow
citizens, men and women in our military, first responders, intelligence
communities and communities large and small across this Nation, who
courageously labor to keep us safe and free.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, we must resolve to recognize the gravity of the
challenge and the enemy that we face, and with unity as a Nation,
continually gather the will, the strength and the courage to defeat our
enemy at every single turn. This is not a war we desired. However, it
is a war in which we must prevail.
May we always remember, may we always give thanks, and may we always
be resolved so that generations of Americans yet born may know the
opportunity, the responsibility, the freedom and the liberty that we so
cherish.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to
yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Lantos) and for him to be the manager.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from
California will be recognized to control the remainder of the time of
the gentleman from Mississippi.
There was no objection.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett).

[[Page H6468]]

Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, from the day of America's
birth, our story in this country has been one of heroism. Our movies,
our literature, our music paint a colorful panorama of the dreams and
inspirations of the men and women who built our Nation up with their
own blood and sweat, ingenuity and spirit, courage and perseverance.
Ours is a rich and proud history.
The efforts and actions following the tragic events of September 11
have magnified our sense of heroism. The men and women who perished
that day have left an indelible mark on the American psyche. The men
and women who were helpless victims of the attacks and the brave first
responders who rushed into those burning buildings to save them have
redefined heroism.
This week, as we mark the fifth anniversary of their last day, we ask
God's continued blessing on their souls. We also ask that God continue
to shed grace on the families that were left behind. Those families who
stood watch by makeshift memorials to their children, their spouses,
their parents and the loved ones, they are also heroes. They were the
rock, the foundation upon which America rose to even greater heights
than ever before. And now we should come together to be their strength.
To those spouses and children who patiently awaited word that their
firefighter would emerge from the rubble, to those parents who
painfully watched those towering buildings crumble down knowing that
your child worked on one of those floors, you are strangers to us no
longer. You are family to us all.
September 11 was a day of great tragedy in America and to the world,
but in true American spirit it has become a day of great inspiration as
well. The lives that were lost shall not have been lost in vain. Let
them be what motivates us to live better, to dream bigger and to
believe in our own destiny.
Let the angels who carried all those who are lost to peace that
fateful day, who cried tears of pain for the lost here on Earth, they
also cry tears of joy for heaven's gain.
May we work together on this floor and this House so that someday no
child will have to ask again is my daddy coming home.
May God bless the victims of September 11, both those still with us
today and those who have moved to a better place. May God bless the men
and women fighting overseas, both here and abroad, and may God bless
the United States of America
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2001, terrorists murdered nearly 3,000
of our fellow Americans who were simply going about their everyday,
daily lives. Their goal: to attack our freedom and change our way of
life.
They believed America to be decadent and weak. They believed that we
would not forcefully respond. They believed that America would recoil
or retreat, and they could not have been more wrong.
That horrible day broke our hearts, but out of our collective broken
heart came everything that is great about this great Nation, America.
Police officers and firefighters ran into burning buildings, risking
their lives to save people they did not know. The passengers aboard
United Flight 93 who, knowing the intention of the terrorists, built
the resolve that they would not allow the terrorists to determine their
fate, they fought back to give America our first victory in the war on
terror.
This resolution shows that we in this House share that resolve to
defeat terror. This resolution honors the victims of 9/11 and the
sacrifice of so many who have fought for our freedom since that day.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all our colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly I have been both shocked and disappointed
by the reaction we have seen on the House floor today. Not that we
cannot have honest differences over the resolution, not that we cannot
have honest differences about various whereas clauses. I have certainly
voted for many resolutions where I did not agree with everything that
was in there. I have also opposed certain resolutions because there was
too much in there that I could not support, without questioning the
motives and impugning the character of those who drafted the
resolution.
Quite frankly, in working on this resolution and working with the
Speaker and working with Members on the other side, the model that we
tried to use in putting this resolution together was the resolution
which was adopted 2 years ago which did have some contentious language
in it, but quite frankly listed far more achievements, if you will, or
far more actions taken by the Congress than ours did today.
What we did today was try to strike the balance by commemorating the
memories of those who died, by honoring those who gave their lives, by
expressing our deep sorrow and support and solidarity with the families
who lost relatives on September 11 and lost friends on September 11.

{time} 1530

And then also, not just rely on words but also to show actions, and
lay out how we in Congress have tried to deal with the issues that
involve homeland security and fighting terrorism.
We did avoid any reference to the war in Iraq, other than to say we
support the men and women who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. No
mention at all of Iraq being part of the war against terrorism. No
mention at all of the NSA electronic surveillance program. No mention
at all of the swift program.
What we did was try to lay out exactly what Congress has done so it
would be out there for history to see what we have done, what we have
tried to do, where we have succeeded, perhaps where we haven't. I am
content to let history be our judge.
But to somehow say this is part of some conspiracy or campaign, to
me, it really does cheapen the memory of September 11. As I said
before, no one has a monopoly on grief. I certainly lost many, many
friends and neighbors and constituents on September 11, as did other
Members of this body. And probably everyone here at least knows someone
who died that day, or knows someone who knows someone who died that day
or suffered from the horrific events of September 11.
I really thought on September 11 and September 12, 2001 that we would
try to work together. This resolution is an attempt to do that, an
honest attempt from the heart to do it. I am proud of this resolution.
I urge the adoption of this resolution so we can send a message not
just to those who died on September 11, to the families of those who
died on September 11, but indeed a message to the world that we are
united against Islamic terrorism. We are united as one to prevent
another attack from ever occurring in this country. And there has not
been an attack for 5 years.
And, yes, there is much more that must be done, that has to be done.
We are safer than we were on September 11, but not as safe as we should
be. There is so much more that we can do, but we have made this start.
Let us stand behind what we have done together. Those honest
differences that we have, let us treat them as honest differences and
not try to make shameful partisan attacks.
So with that, Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the resolution, and I
pray to God that we will find a way to come together and not resort to
the type of cheap demagoguery that I think characterized the debate on
the floor today
Mr. Speaker, I yield 28 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Hyde), the chairman of the International Relations Committee, who will
do so much to elevate the level of rhetoric on our side than what we
have seen in the last half hour from me; 28 minutes to the gentleman
from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra), the chairman of the Intelligence
Committee; and the balance of the time to the gentleman from North
Carolina (Mr. Coble); and I ask unanimous consent that each Member be
allowed to control that time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from
Illinois will be recognized for 28 minutes of the time controlled by
the gentleman from New York; the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra)
will be recognized

[[Page H6469]]

for 28 minutes; and the gentleman from North Carolina will be
recognized for 35 minutes, to control the remaining time.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
It has been 5 years since the world watched the impossible happen,
and yet it is difficult to believe that the days and months have passed
so quickly. The calendar's relentless progress gradually consigns all
mortal events to the past, whether tragedies or triumphs. But we would
deceive ourselves were we to believe that the consequences of those
events will fade as well, for we will continue to live with them all of
our lives.
Modern communications have brought us many new and wonderful things,
but they have also made possible the communal experience of tragedy. In
this new age, distance will no longer spare us, nor can an absence of
personal ties insulate us from sorrow. All who witnessed the events of
September 11 still bear the scars of seeing inconceivable images and
impossible events unfold in real time. But our own experiences, however
painful, can't compare with those of the innocents who bore the horror
directly, nor with those of their families and friends who were
suddenly and violently severed from their former lives and from the
touch of those deeply loved.
We Americans are practical. Instead of resigning ourselves to the
difficulties of life, we instinctively seek to identify problems in
order to focus our efforts and move towards solutions. And over the
past 5 years we have done so. We have come to know our enemies and
direct our determination and resources to uncovering their hiding
places and their plans. We are deeply engaged in designing and
implementing measures to destroy their ability to harm us. The
challenge is an entirely new one for us, but one which gains in clarity
with each day. I hope all of us now are aware that in addition to our
successes, we must prepare for the likelihood of failures in a struggle
that may have no end.
By infusing purpose, action can thus fill many voids. But the need
remains to understand what happened and to comprehend the meaning of
the events of that day. Here, words give way to silence, for reflection
is the predicate to understanding.
Our modern rational world once promised, in time, to reveal all
secrets to us. But can we still cling to that belief now that we have
been confronted with things we thought long past, vanquished and erased
from the world by reason and light?
The modern world has seen many efforts to eliminate God from our
lives, but we have not been able to eliminate evil. The last century
was unparalleled in human history in its celebration of the savagery
that human beings can wreak upon one another. We had hoped that we
might escape that fate in this century, but now we know that we will
not. We have been forcibly awakened from our dreams of an earthly
heaven by the bitter knowledge that evil still roams freely in our
world.
We can't allow ourselves to be paralyzed with despair or fear, but
neither can we permit our natural optimism to shield us from the
realities of the world. If there is any useful thing to be drawn from
this terrible experience, it is that we have been given an unmistakable
warning that in this new century unknown and fearsome challenges await
us, challenges that will impose the severest tests on our national
character.
Knowing this, we have a duty to prepare ourselves to defend not only
lives and those of our children, not only our beloved country, not even
our freedoms, but civilization itself.
We are Rome, beset by new barbarians who are driven and sustained by
their savage hatred of us, of our happiness and our success of the
promise America represents for the world. For our enemies have no aim
but destruction. Nothing to offer but a forced march back to a bleak
and dismal past. Theirs is a world without light, their all-
encompassing hatred a repudiation of any saving grace. Their victory
would impose a new Dark Age. But this time, perhaps an endless one.
They are enemies of the future itself.
As we resolve ourselves to our task, as we grieve for all those
linked to us by tragedy, we may also see ourselves more truly and
thereby understand that our great strengths are interwoven with many
fragile things. The threats we face have given us a greater sense of
how rare and wonderful is the world we have made, and of our
responsibility to protect it from the storms outside. For we need but
shield our eyes, lay down our burden, and it will vanish into air, a
world in which those we remember today were once allowed to be
innocents.
It is for these reasons that we remember our 3,000 fellow citizens
who, asking nothing other than to live their lives in peace, were
brutally murdered by men without conscience or mercy. We remember
because, in Lincoln's phrase, ``the mystic chords of memory'' forever
bind us to the victims and the heroes of September 11 and to all
Americans, from the honored past to the living present. We remember
because to forget them would be to betray our own selves and our duty
to the generations to come.
May those who died in the attacks of September 11, 2001, rest in the
mercy of God. May those of us who remain be steadfast, courageous, and
live lives worthy of their great sacrifice.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume,
and let me first commend my dear friend from Illinois, the
distinguished chairman of our committee, on his powerful and eloquent
statement.
Mr. Speaker, on the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks,
our colleagues in the other Chamber unanimously passed the resolution
calling for a day of remembrance throughout this great Nation. Their
beautifully crafted and clearly heartfelt statement expressed
condolences to the families of those who were lost, respect for those
who lived through the ordeal, and the renewed commitment to support
whatever steps are needed to defeat terrorists who plot against the
people of this country.
And here we are in this House, 2 days later, some may say 2 days
late, deliberating over a document that mocks the concept of
commemoration. The resolution before us includes claims known to be
divisive, not among congressional Democrats but among the American
people. And we should all recognize that certain legislation referenced
in this resolution was not the product of a proud bipartisan majority,
but the object of deep and great controversy that remains with us
today.
Mr. Speaker, this should be a time for solemnity, not self-
congratulation, and most certainly not political tactics cooked up in
the back rooms of the RNC or the bowels of the White House. We must all
agree to that.
The focus today should be on the victims and heroes of the 9/11
attack and the families they left behind. We commit to memory the
thousands who died or were injured 5 years ago. They included firemen,
who voluntarily rushed with their heavy gear up the stairs of the Twin
Towers and into the flames, all the while urging the people they served
to move faster to safety below.
We remember the police officers who put their lives on the line every
single day and lost them all at once when the towers collapsed.
We think of the people at the Pentagon, just across the river from
here, military as well as civilian, who were on duty when their
fortress was breached and their world, and ours, imploded.
We recall the passengers and the crew trapped on airplanes turned
into missiles, helpless and hurting as they used whatever means that
were available to them to get word to their families or to affect some
sort of rescue. And in this House in particular, Mr. Speaker, we ought
never to forget the brave souls on United Flight 93, which was on a
path toward Washington and may well have been headed for our Capitol.
Among their number were those who overcame panic, said good-bye to
their loved ones, and gave their lives to remove a threat to our Nation
from the skies.

{time} 1545

Our hearts go out to all of these heroes and victims and survivors,
along with their families, who have suffered at the hands of thugs who
wish nothing but harm to us all.
We also take time to remember those Americans in our Armed Services
who

[[Page H6470]]

choose to risk everything to ensure our safety, our peace, and our
liberty, and to the U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers who face
countless dangers to protect our Nation.
The greatest honor we can pay to all those currently serving our
Nation in battle, to those who perished on that fateful day 5 years
ago, is to recommit ourselves to providing true security to the
American people.
Progress has been made to protect our homeland, Mr. Speaker, but much
more needs to be done. We must ensure that our first responders are
well prepared, that funds for homeland security are distributed on the
basis of risk, not on a per capita or on a political basis. Our ports
are still not visually examining 95 percent of the cargo that passes
through, and the administration has yet to implement the many excellent
and considered recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission.
If we are serious about making our country safer, these and many
other issues must be addressed.
Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago we all met on this spot as our Nation came
to recognize the magnitude of the struggle we were starting in earnest
against the enemies of tolerance and progress and peace and freedom. We
engaged in the most sobering and moving debate that I have ever
witnessed on the floor of this House in the more than a quarter century
that I have had the privilege to serve here as a Member.
With this fifth anniversary of the terrorist mass murder of September
11, it is only right that we remember the victims, we honor the heroes,
and we contemplate the lessons. We are still engaged in the battle
against terrorism, and we are a long way from victory.
I deeply regret that the resolution before the House goes needlessly
beyond the necessary and appropriate sentiments for such an occasion
and includes pointless boasts about the actions taken by a narrow
majority of our Members, along with rhetoric that has been crafted
deliberately to divide us.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to share this same
floor with our distinguished chairman of the House International
Relations Committee. Today we had what probably would be the last
markup of the session and the last markup of his incredible tenure as
chairman of our committee and great statesman of our country.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution to
reaffirm our country's commitment to freedom, to democracy and to the
right to live without fear, free from the threat of Islamic jihadists.
I rise to pay homage to those at the forefront against this insidious
enemy. And more importantly, I rise today to honor the victims and the
heroes of this deplorable attack against our Nation on that fateful day
5 years ago. Those who died working in the towers, spent their days
helping our country grow financially and globally, while those in the
Pentagon worked to defend it. The brave men and women on Flight 93 and
the first responders sacrificed themselves for others, sending a strong
message to the jihadists worldwide that America would not be
intimidated.
The resolution before us recognizes the threat that we face today
against Islamic terrorism. It is essential that not only Americans but
indeed citizens from all countries acknowledge the imminent threat of
these radical ideologies that are manipulating Islam for their own
selfish destructive ends. These jihadists didn't just declare war on
the United States, but on the West as a whole. Lady Thatcher recently
said in a statement released during her visit when she was accompanying
President Bush and the First Lady at the 9/11 remembrance ceremony,
``That heinous attack on America was an attack on us all.''
Ultimately it will be our strength of character and our moral fiber,
our unity of purpose which will help freedom prevail over tyranny and
help us triumph over evil. As Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1811: ``It is
impossible to subdue a people acting with an undivided will.''
We must never forget the sacrifices of all who died on September 11.
They were not just victims, they were the first warriors in the new
struggle of our survival.
With today's discussion taking place in the shadow of this sad fifth
anniversary of the September 11 attack, it will help us to remember the
brutal nature of these extremists. It will provide us greater insight
into their nature in order to refine our policies and defeat them.
We must never, never forget. We must remain vigilant. The enemy is
just waiting for us to flinch, before its agents descend like vultures
to prey on our weakness.
Some are prepared to murder in what they feel are their religious
duty. Others are supportive or protective of these jihadists. Still
others do not embrace the tactics employed by the jihadists, but share
the convictions and the perceptions of these extremists. We must remain
vigilant and I hope that all of our colleagues support this strong
resolution before us today
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to my good
friend, our distinguished colleague from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).
Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Mr. Lantos, Mr.
Hyde and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen.
I want to present a different perspective here because I think it is
possible to address 9/11 in a way that is not particularly partisan,
and maybe it is time that we do that as a Nation.
As jarring as 9/11 was to all of us, what is even more jarring is
that many of us have forgotten who we were on 9/10, what our dreams and
aspirations were for America before 9/11.
I ask you to think about this because if we are going to create for
America a new direction, it is really imperative that we reconnect with
the high aspirations that we had for ourselves, for our community, our
Nation and the world. 9/11 caused a truncation of that kind of
thinking, and it really detached us from our higher aspirations.
It was many years ago on September 13, 1814, that Francis Scott Key
was inspired by the American defense of Fort McHenry to write the Star-
Spangled Banner. We should remember that the Star-Spangled Banner is a
map to our future, it is not just about the past because Francis Scott
Key raised the question: ``O say, does that star-spangled banner yet
wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?''
In that he made a connection between freedom and bravery, between
freedom and courage.
We have a moment in this country's history that challenged us to our
core on September 11; but we should never let it be a point at which we
cause ourselves to be so fixed that we forget who we were on September
10.
For that reason, Mr. Chairman, my wife came up with this idea that I
want to share with you right now. It is to create what is called a 9/10
Forum, discussions all over the country, Republicans, Democrats,
whatever your politics, so we can reconnect with the deeper truths of
who we are. In a 9/10 Forum, we would talk about who we are as
Americans. It goes way beyond Republicans and Democrats, to create new
possibilities and a new future for America.
The 9/10 Forum is born of this idea that there is something more
essential in all of us than the partisan politics that has racked this
Nation for the last few years. We need to find a way to transform this
tragedy, but we can do it in a way that remembers the strength of who
we are and who we were. So we are having discussions like this around
the country, but it is important that we bring it into this forum. We
can find our way. We can become secure again. We need to remember those
times in our lives when we felt the most secure, felt courage and felt
a deep love of our country.
I think that Lincoln, who looked at a Nation that had been racked by
a Civil War, at his second inaugural Lincoln said ``with malice towards
none and charity towards all.'' I think that could be a guiding
principle for America as we seek to heal our Nation in the face of this
great tragedy of 9/11
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence).
(Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.

[[Page H6471]]

Mr. Speaker, on September 11 I saw things I never thought I would
live to see and pray I will never see again. I was here on Capitol Hill
standing under a tree at 10 in the morning as I saw columns of smoke
billow out of the Pentagon in what was the first attack on this
Nation's capital since 1812. People were running in every direction.
Jet fighter aircraft were at virtually treetop level. It was the sight
and sounds of war.
And then 10 days later I accompanied more than 100 of my colleagues
as we walked through the ashes of Ground Zero and saw the horror of
what for all the world was the front door of hell in the ashes of the
World Trade Center.
I saw the firefighters launching themselves into a scene there and at
the Pentagon that was still aflame. I have seen Americans launch
themselves into recruiting stations to respond in the last 5 years. And
I also saw one unusual and extraordinary sight which has shaped my
career since, and that is on that day, September 11, 2001, I saw
Republicans and Democrats completely set aside their differences and
work in the national interest, to pray together, to sing together, to
set aside whatever might be contentious among us and do that which is
necessary to heal our Nation and to launch a counter strike against our
enemies. For that day truly, there were no Republicans in Washington,
there were no Democrats in Washington, there were just Americans. I
live to see that, and it gives me hope as we go into the contentious
debates of our time.
In my four trips to Afghanistan and Iraq, I have also seen the
extraordinary bravery and commitment of the American soldier. I am
convinced that we are winning the war on terror because of the courage
and valor of the men and women in uniform, both home and abroad. It is
to them that I will close my remarks today.
When I went home that afternoon on September 11 and sat down with my
three small children and wife to tell them what was happening, that we
were likely going to war, Audrey, my 6-year-old daughter, grabbed me by
the leg and said, ``Daddy, if we have to make a war, do you have to
go?''
I buckled down on my knee and I gave her a hug and I told her, ``No,
daddy's too old.'' But not a day has gone by in the last 5 years, Mr.
Speaker, that I haven't thought about all of the daddies and moms and
sons and daughters who answered that with a ``yes,'' and some of them
with a ``yes'' that rings into eternity.
And so we remember those that fell on 9/11, the victims. We remember
the brave soldiers who have fought the war since, and we commend them
this day as we remember 9/11.

{time} 1600

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 6 minutes to the
distinguished Democratic whip, my good friend from the State of
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, our commemoration of September 11 is a solemn
occasion. It is a day of remembrance and a day of resolve. We remember
those, Mr. Speaker, who perished or were injured 5 years ago in New
York, Virginia at the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania due to the evil acts
of men consumed by a murderous ideology filled with hate.
We mourn the loss of the innocent, and we pray for their loved ones.
We also recall with pride, yes, with sorrow as well, though, the
heroism of our first responder, and in many cases civilians turned
rescuers, who put their own lives in harm's way as they sought to help
others. Their selflessness on a day of fire, destruction and death
reminds us of the courageous American spirit, and it renews our faith
in humankind.
The commemoration of 9/11 also is a time for this Congress to express
our collective national resolve. We resolved to protect the American
people and our beloved homeland and to combat and defeat the
perpetrators of terrorism and tyranny, and to fight for freedom, for
democracy, for respect for human rights, and for the rule of law.
Now, the resolution before us today in many respects is not
objectionable. Indeed, I will vote for this resolution. I do not
quarrel, for example, with the propriety or the sentiments expressed in
any of the resolved clauses in this measure. This resolution
commemorating the worst terrorist attack on American soil in our
history, a wound that has not yet healed, ought to be a unifying
document that virtually every single Member of this House can support
without reservation.
I regret, therefore, that in my discussions with the majority leader,
and in Ms. Pelosi's discussion with the Speaker, that the Republicans
did not see fit to make this a fully bipartisan resolution.
While I will support it, I lament the continuing partisanship which
seeks to divide this House in sentiments that ought to see a unified
House. I lament the fact that in the face of a Nation at war that we
are not working to bring us together. But that effort was not made; and
it is a failure of leadership, in my opinion.
Despite the fact that the Senate passed a 9/11 resolution this year
by unanimous consent, and despite the fact that this body passed a 9/11
resolution last year by a vote of 402-6, the Republican leadership
still attempts to gain political advantage through this measure. I
think that is unfortunate.
I am going to support this measure, but there are conclusions in the
``whereas'' clauses with which I do not agree and which were not
necessary for expressing our remembrance and our resolve. The majority
presents a resolution that includes extraneous and inappropriate,
divisive, self-serving and, in my opinion, politically motivated
language. How sad that you would do that in a resolution that seeks to
express the unanimous opinion of the representatives of the American
people.
I ask my Republican friends what is the point of including a
reference in this resolution to controversial legislation that has not
even become law.
Specifically, I refer to the mention in the House Republicans'
immigration reform bill. That bill was controversial in this House.
That bill has not passed the Senate. That bill has been rejected,
essentially, by the Senate. They have come together with a compromise
with which the House has not agreed. Yet we reference in this
resolution that which seeks to express our united opinion. How sad.
The reference to this bill, which is opposed by even many
Republicans, has no place in a resolution commemorating this solemn
occasion, not withstanding the importance of that particular issue.
It is deeply regrettable, Mr. Speaker, that on this, the fifth
anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in our history, that the
Republican leadership has made political expedience a priority. I
lament that, but I will vote for this because I do not want any
confusion among those whom we confront.
I want no confusion on those we confront. I want no confusion by
terrorists who wish us ill. I want no confusion that we are not united,
not just as a Congress but as a American people, and a resolve to
defeat and deter terrorists and protect our people and our great
country.
Like the Senate, we should be voting on a resolution designed to
inspire and demonstrate unity, not division
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Barrett).
Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.
Res. 994. This week we solemnly remember those Americans who lost their
lives 5 years ago when our Nation came under attack by enemies of
freedom. Their families and loved ones will always remain in our
prayers.
The terrorists underestimated our country on that fateful day, Mr.
Speaker. They thought our spirit could be broken and our Nation
divided. While our hearts continue to break for those we lost, our
American spirit is strong. While we may disagree on some issues, we
stand united in the desire to protect our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2001, America witnessed horrifying,
cowardly acts of evil and responded with heroism and courage. The
passengers aboard United 93 were the first to fight back in this war on
terror.
Over the past 5 years, we have taken the fight to the terrorists. We
are fighting them in the streets of Afghanistan and in Iraq so we will
never have to witness the evil in our city streets again.
As we remember the innocent victims of September 11, we also remember
all of those brave souls who have

[[Page H6472]]

lost their lives in defense of this country. America will never retreat
in the face of adversity, Mr. Speaker. We will answer the call of
history, and we will prevail in this war on terror.
I ask my colleagues to unanimously support H. Res. 994.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to
my good friend and neighbor, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Lantos for yielding and for
your leadership and for your commitment to global peace and security.
Today we should be reflecting on the fifth anniversary of the
terrible terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It should be a time
when we come together as a Nation to grieve and to remember the men,
women and children who lost their lives that day. It should also be a
time to honor the courage and the heroism of our first responders and
those who put themselves in harm's way to help and to save others.
Instead, we have before us a resolution that simply politicizes the
somber occasion. What is glaring today is that the Bush
administration's complete failure in apprehending Osama bin Laden, once
again, is before us. Even worse, the Bush administration pulled our
troops out of Afghanistan to put them into Iraq, which had nothing to
do with the tragic attacks of 9/11. Even the President acknowledged
this.
Unfortunately, our country is less safe today than it was 5 years
ago. Iraq has become a haven for terrorists. It was not before 9/11.
This Congress and this administration gets Ds and Fs in implementing
the 9/11 Commission's recommendations.
Yet the Republican majority hasn't received the message. It chooses
willfully to ignore it. By politicizing this resolution, the Republican
majority seeks to detract from their utter complicity in this failed
war and their utter failure to demand accountability for this war. The
memories of those who lost their lives in New York and the Pentagon and
Shanksville, Pennsylvania, deserve better.
We should be united as a country in commemorating those who paid the
supreme price on that day 5 years ago. Yet today, once again, because
of this resolution and the divisiveness of it, we are divided
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution
marking the fifth anniversary of the al Qaeda terrorist attacks on the
United States, and, inevitably, Americans are asking are we safer
today. Yes, we are.
But the unfortunate reality is that this threat to our country
continues. Last week, my terrorism subcommittee held a hearing on this
threat. We heard the point made that to fight terrorism effectively, we
must identify the enemy. As reported by the 9/11 Commission, the
catastrophic threat of this moment in history, they say, is Islamist
terrorism, especially al Qaeda and its organization. This threat,
mounted for years, going largely ignored.
Many witnesses observed that al Qaeda, now under attack by the United
States and others, has had to reconfigure. But just as the terrorists
have evolved, we must evolve too. The desperate need today is to find
out who the terrorists are.
To do this, we need powerful tools, and they have included the USA
PATRIOT Act and other programs we passed.
With WMD proliferating, such efforts are all the more important. One
area where we did receive a good grade from the 9/11 Commission was on
our legislation for a REAL ID Act, to make certain that the next
Mohammed Atta and his team of 15 couldn't obtain 60 phony driver's
licenses. We established those Federal standards for State driver's
licenses to make sure that again they couldn't use something like that
to plan and attack and then board jetliners to attack the United
States.
We made certain also that we passed the PATRIOT Act. Frankly, I
believe that most Americans are glad that we have the PATRIOT Act to
break down barriers between intelligence and law enforcement officials
that hampered their efforts before 9/11.
Before the PATRIOT Act, these same tools were already being used to
go after drug traffickers. Now, with the PATRIOT Act, we have applied
those approaches to terrorists, and Americans are safer for it.
I believe we need border security, like the House-passed legislation.
Frankly, if that legislation were taken up in the Senate, we would get
better grades from the 9/11 Commission. Why? Because the 9/11
Commission understood that border security has become national
security.
This resolution remembers those who lost their lives on 9/11. That
was 3,000 people. Countless more were scarred on that day. But
September 11 is also a call to action for our country and a day to
recognize those who are in the field taking on Islamist terrorism,
including law enforcement officers, Border Patrol officers, and our
Armed Forces.
We saw many acts of heroism on September 11. We had acts of heroism
on September 11, 2006, also, many in faraway lands, and we will see
more acts of terrorism in the days and years ahead.
Mr. Speaker, as summed up recently by a top British official, the
threat from Islamist terrorists is real. It is here. It is deadly. And,
as he said, it is enduring.

{time} 1615

That it is. But it is not as enduring as the spirit of our Nation so
evident on 9/11. We will prevail.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to my
good friend, our distinguished colleague from Florida (Ms. Corrine
Brown).
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor
those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and those who risked
their lives in the fight on terrorism. I also rise today to discuss the
slow pace, or rather the lack of pace, in the reforms called for by the
9/11 Commission.
The 9/11 Commission was chartered by Congress to examine and report
on the facts and causes relating to the terrorist attacks of September
11, 2001. What of those recommendations have we enacted? Every time the
polls go down for the Bush administration a new threat is discovered.
Since September 11, in fact, I have been lobbying the Bush
administration for additional security funding for our Nation's ports
and other areas of our Nation's infrastructure, such as freight and
passenger rail, our subway system, busses, tunnels and bridges. There
are other areas of vulnerability that are outside of aviation security.
The Bush administration has been telling the American people that
they are checking only 3 to 4 percent of all cargo that comes into our
ports, but in reality all they are checking is the manifest that lists
the inventories of the ship.
Now, I think the American people are smart enough to know that if
reading a piece of paper provided by the shipper is what passes for
port security, then we are all in trouble.
We spent $4.4 billion alone on aviation security, while only $36
million is being spent on all surface transportation security programs.
And with respect to our Nation's ports, which serve as the main
economic engine for many of the areas in which they are found, an
attack would not only be extremely dangerous to the local citizens, but
economically disastrous as well.
The Bush administration and the Republicans talk a great talk about
security, but they do not, and I repeat, do not walk the walk.
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McHenry).
Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman.
As Manhattan's skyline fell down, Americans stood up. We took to our
feet and raised the flag, pledging solidarity to our Nation and our
fellow countrymen and our values. But foremost, we pledged solidarity
with our fellow Americans.
On that day we confirmed what we had long known: Being an American is
more than simply a title; it is a duty. And the images of first
responders risking their lives, their safety, rushing headlong into
crumbling towers, affirm that courage, that honor, that privilege that
we have to call ourselves Americans.
The events of that day didn't begin, but certainly brought to the
forefront the war we have with Islamic extremists, an enemy that
despises the very idea of America. History shows that every American
generation is tasked

[[Page H6473]]

with defending the ideals of America. And, make no mistake about it,
this challenge, this fight, is our generational challenge.
These events, now woven into the fabric of America, the fabric of
human history, will not be remembered for the destruction that occurred
5 years ago. It will not be remembered for the destruction that
transpired on that sad day. It will be remembered for the compassion
that followed and the unity which we have as Americans. And the world
will know for generations to come that as Manhattan's skyline fell
down, Americans stood up
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentlewoman
from California (Ms. Harman) be permitted to control the balance of the
time of the minority leader.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Harman) will control the balance of the time, which is
1 hour and 14 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Linder).
Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hyde for the time. I hope
my colleagues will all join in support of H. Res. 994.
Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago I stood on the House floor and proclaimed
that I was not without hope for America's ability to eliminate the
scourge of terrorism. I was convinced that the people of this great
Nation would, much like they did on December 8, 1941, come together to
defeat a common enemy rooted in intolerance and fear.
To be sure, much is left to be accomplished. We cannot, we must not,
ever forget the prayers we said that day, the tears we shed, and the
memories of those who now belong to the ages.
Yes, Osama bin Laden has yet to personally receive justice, but over
the course of the last 5 years, the international communications,
financing, state sponsorship and success that al Qaeda enjoyed on
September 11 has been significantly degraded. The world now knows that
America will not bow to the forces of evil, but will instead fight
until evil has been eradicated.
Congress has, as this resolution indicates, provided many of the
necessary tools, but the people themselves also deserve most of the
credit for this Nation's progress. While the threat of terrorism
continues to loom in the distance, I believe we are safer as a nation
because the people of this country are paying attention. They are the
soldiers, they are the intelligence gatherers and they are the first
line of defense. They are the personnel who were given a responsibility
on September 11, 2001, to finally take the fight to terrorism, and they
are succeeding.
Five years later I have seen an America that has exceeded our
expectations. Rather than cowering to those who blackened the beautiful
New York skyline on that day, the American people are emboldened in
their resolve to live free and prosperous lives. They have renewed
their faith and our faith in the hope of democracy. Freedom, as I
stated then, continues to work
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield the balance of my
time to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsylvania is
recognized for 5 minutes.
(Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to revise
and extend his remarks.)
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished
leader for yielding the time. I rise in support of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I was at the site of 9/11, but the first time I was
there in 1993, and I went because that was the first time bin Laden hit
us. Representing all the first responders in America, I go to where
they are, not with the cameras and the TV lights blaring, but as one of
them.
I went in 1993 when Howard Safer, the Fire Commissioner for New York,
asked me to go down to Ground Zero to see the damage caused by the
first hit of the terrorists against us. And the young firefighter who
took me through that complex was a man by the name of Ray Downey. Ray
Downey became one of my best friends. He didn't live in my district, he
lived in New York.
But Ray Downey was an active firefighter, a former marine, who told
me the lessons that we should learn because he said, ``Curt, you have
to understand, bin Laden is going to hit us again and again and
again,'' and, boy, was he right. They hit us at the Khobar Towers, they
hit us at the African embassies. They bombed the USS Cole. And what was
our response? Nothing. We shook our head in disbelief.
So it was with a great deal of sadness on September 11 that I was
called while walking out of the Capitol building and I was told that
Ray Downey had been killed. You see, Mr. Speaker, on September 11, Ray
Downey was the Chief of all rescue for the New York City Fire
Department. He was the guy at the base of the tower that was overseeing
the largest and most successful rescue in the history of mankind.
70,000 people were brought out alive. Ray Downey was killed.
I went to New York the next day. I did not wait again for the cameras
and the suits. I went up as a member of the first responder community
and at Ground Zero I spent the whole day.
As they took me around the back of these two seven-story piles of
rubble, after being briefed by Joe Allbaugh, the head of FEMA, I saw
two firefighters on their knees sifting through the debris with their
hands. As I got closer I could read their turnout gear, and there were
the names Downey and Downey.
You see, Mr. Speaker, two of Ray Downey's five kids are also
firefighters, today they are battalion chiefs in New York, and there
they were looking for their father. In fact, I brought Ray's family and
his widow down to my district one month after 9/11 and we honored them
as American heroes.
I tell you all of this, Mr. Speaker, because the passion that I have
for the first responders is the reason I come to the floor today to
honor the memory of those who paid the ultimate price.
The last thing we should be doing is playing politics with this.
After all, it was in 1995, I think there was a different President back
then, when the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee said that we
didn't have an interoperable communications system, and we did nothing
about it. In fact, it wasn't until Jane Harman and I introduced
legislation that passed last December that in fact corrected that
problem and put $1 billion on the table.
It was in 1999 that I sat in my office on November 4 with the Deputy
Head of the CIA and the Deputy Director of the FBI and the Deputy
Secretary of Defense to convince them to have an interoperable
capability linking all 33 classified systems together. And you know
what the CIA said, Mr. Speaker? They said, ``Congressman, we don't need
that. Even though there are emerging transnational terrorist threats,
we don't need that capability.'' It was the single biggest failure on
9/11 not to have that interoperable capability to link together 33
classified systems.
Mr. Speaker, all of us could have done a better job. When my
colleagues on the other side were in charge, they didn't fund a dime
for the first responders, not one dime of money. We did that in 2000,
one year before 9/11, when working with Republicans and Democrats we
put into place both the Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program and the
SAFER Program.
I couldn't believe the rhetoric last night I heard on the House
floor, because it was Democrats and Republicans together who did that.
But it was Republican leadership who made it happen.
I am proud of our record. I am proud of the fact that today we have
linked up the 33 classified systems. First of all it was the TTIC, the
Terrorism Threat Integration Center. Today it is the NCTC, the National
Counterterrorism Center.
I am proud of the fact that we have put together almost $4 billion to
24,000 of our 32,000 fire and EMS departments around the country. I am
proud of the fact that Democrats and Republicans finally have solved
the problem of putting money with interoperable communications
together.
I am also a little frustrated. We hear our colleagues on the other
side. The Gilmore Commission, which Ray Downey encouraged me to put
into law, which I did, made three reports before 9/11, most of them in
the previous administration. Forty percent of the 9/11 recommendations
had already been made by the Gilmore Commission before 9/11 ever
happened. But we don't

[[Page H6474]]

hear that today on the House floor, that there were recommendations
that we could have put into place before 9/11 and we didn't do it.
So stop the blame. This is not fair to Ray Downey and his family. It
is not fair to my constituent Michael Horrocks, who left behind two
kids and a wife. What was his mistake on 9/11? He climbed in the front
seat of one of United's planes and he had his throat slit as the plane
traveled into the Trade Center towers.
This resolution needs our support in a bipartisan way. That is the
only way we can protect America.
Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra)
will control the next block of time for the majority leader.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to roughly the next hour of time that we
will spend here on the floor, myself and our ranking member and the
members of the Intelligence Committee, to remember those who died,
those who served on 9/11, the tremendous work of hundreds of thousands
of people in our military forces and the folks who are working in the
intelligence community that have helped keep this country safe over the
last 5 years.
I know that there are disagreements about some of the strategy, some
of the particulars, some of the execution and those types of things,
but much as in my home district on Monday, I hope that that spirit can
continue through the next hour.

{time} 1630

Monday was kind of one of those days where we recognized that in many
ways it was kind of a sacred day. People took the day off from partisan
politics, and we reflected back on what happened 5 years earlier when
we were so brutally attacked, where almost 3,000 Americans lost their
lives. Many of us recounted the places where we were, the things that
we were doing, and how in comparison those things were so minor to what
happened and how that transformed America.
And perhaps for so ever a brief moment, or briefer than what we would
have hoped or envisioned, it brought America together and focused us on
who we are and focused us on the threat that we had faced, that we now
face, a threat that we had all witnessed and experienced maybe as early
as 1979 when the embassy in Iran was seized. Perhaps it was when
Hezbollah attacked our Marine barracks in 1983. But regardless of the
times leading up to 2001, we recognized that that was history, 9/11 is
today, and that we were going to be facing some serious challenges in
the future. And this is very, very hard.
It is a different kind of enemy than we had ever faced before. It is
an enemy that does not wear uniforms. It is an enemy that does not have
a government as we know it. It is an enemy that does not represent a
specific geographic territory. It does not have a capital. It does not
have bureaucracies. It has not signed on to any international
agreements, as ironic as it may sound, international agreements as to
how we will fight and conduct wars. It is an organization that
celebrates the deaths of its suicide bombers. It is in sharp contrast
to who we are and what we have done.
We responded. The ranking member and I, along with Senator Lieberman
and Senator Collins, worked on a project that many said could not be
done, on a project that for almost 50 years had never been done, which
was the reform of an intelligence community, an intelligence community
that needed to respond to the threats that radical Islam posed. We have
made much progress in that area. But as we both had said in a report
that was issued in a bipartisan way from our committee, there is still
much work to be done.
The bottom line is we continue to be a Nation at war. We continue to
be a Nation at risk. We continue to, I believe, be a Nation that is
united in a desire to win this war, recognizing that there are real
differences about how we will fight this war to be successful and to be
consistent with American ideals. Because the biggest tribute that we
can leave to the victims of 9/11 is to make sure that we win this war
but also to make sure that we do not change how we are as we go about
winning that war.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time
Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, nothing we say today can erase the pain that America
felt on September 11, 2001. No resolution we pass, no speech we make
can bring back the loved ones we lost or repay the heroes who rushed to
their rescue.
As I stood at Ground Zero again on Monday amidst the anguished faces,
the shopworn photos of loved ones lost, the sad music, the reading of
names, flags everywhere, the memories of 5 years ago came rushing back.
The frantic calls to my children in New York and Washington. The
disbelief that we could be so vulnerable. And as the day wore on, the
immense sadness for 3,000 innocent victims and the resolve to
demonstrate that this Congress would not bow to terror.
This resolution, however, contains more than memories. It makes a
statement about how much progress we have made in this House.
The sad, unalterable fact is that 5 years after 9/11 we have not made
as much progress as this resolution claims. We have not brought to
justice the most senior leaders responsible for the attacks. We have
not plugged some gaping holes in our homeland defense, and we have not
shared the sacrifice or stayed united as a Nation in the face of grave
danger.
As ranking member on the Intelligence Committee, I want to focus my
remarks on how this House has responded to the major intelligence
failures of our time, the tragic failure to connect the dots of the 9/
11 plot; the inexcusable failure to recognize that Saddam Hussein did
not have WMD; and the catastrophic failure to predict the violence
insurgency that would follow our military action in Iraq, and take the
prudent steps necessary to prevent it.
The news, Mr. Speaker, is uneven. I believe our committee did a good
job of assessing the performance of the FBI, CIA, and NSA leading up to
9/11; and so did the Congressional Joint Inquiry into 9/11, which held
24 days of hearings, including 9 days of open hearings, provided an
excellent, bipartisan report with legislative recommendations, and was
the basis for the 9/11 Commission's final report.
Over major opposition from some in this body, Congress acted on some
of those recommendations and, as our chairman just said, created a
Director of National Intelligence and a National Counterterrorism
Center, thanks to the courageous lobbying of the 9/11 family members.
Our current chairman and I helped lead that effort, and I am very proud
of what we did.
As for WMD failures, our committee was the first to document that
clandestine sources in Iraq were thin and that the analysis was poor.
But then our former chairman shut down the House's inquiry into Iraq
WMD. And again in this Congress, our current chairman ceded
jurisdiction on this critically important issue to our counterparts in
the other body.
Just last Friday that committee released a compelling report showing
that our sources were unreliable and that facts claimed by this
administration are not supported by the intelligence. According to that
report and other available sources, there were no links between al
Qaeda and Iraq before 9/11. Yet as recently as last Sunday, the Vice
President said ``we don't know'' whether Mohammed Atta ever met with an
Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague. Mr. Speaker, we do know. We know
the meeting never took place, and yet the Vice President refuses to
acknowledge the facts.
It is one thing to have inadequate intelligence. In an intelligence
war, you are never going to have pristine intelligence. But it is
another thing to ignore professional intelligence assessments, make
end-runs around intelligence agencies, issue hyped statements about
intelligence, and use intelligence for partisan gain.
The third failure, the failure to predict and prevent the insurgency,
has been in some ways the most painful. More than 2,500 U.S. personnel
have been killed since President Bush declared ``Mission Accomplished''
in May 2003, nearly as many as died on 9/11.
Our committee has conducted virtually no oversight over this
particular

[[Page H6475]]

failure. We have not examined whether the intelligence on the
insurgency was flawed or whether policymakers deliberately ignored
warnings and professional assessments.
Press reports indicate that the administration may still be trying to
paint a rosy picture of the situation in Iraq. The August casualty
reporting excluded statistics on people killed by bombs, mortars,
rockets, and other mass attacks. The result is that the August
statistics for murder rates in Baghdad appear 52 percent lower than the
daily rate for July. Mr. Speaker, I do not think policymakers should
engage in creative accounting when it comes to the lives of our sons
and daughters or the lives of innocent Iraqis.
According to some reports, a draft ``National Intelligence Estimate
on Iraq,'' which reportedly paints a very negative picture of the
situation there now, is being held by the administration until after
the November election. If that reporting is true, it is deeply
troubling and could needlessly endanger the lives of our military and
intelligence professionals in the field. And, Mr. Speaker, it would
also keep Congress in the dark one more time.
Mr. Speaker, I often say that the point of looking back is to look
forward to avoid making the same mistakes again. North Korea is test-
firing missiles. Iran is defying the world community on its nuclear
program. Yet we do not have solid intelligence on either target. Mr.
Speaker, good intelligence leads to good policy.
But instead of insisting on better intelligence, our committee may
rush through dangerous legislation on warrantless surveillance without
any testimony from administration witnesses. We are issuing staff-
written ``brochures'' hyping the threats posed by al Qaeda, Iran, and
North Korea that do little to explain how little we truly know. It is
no wonder that the 9/11 Commission gave Congress a D for intelligence
oversight reform.
Mr. Speaker, I will conclude where I began. 9/11 forged our Nation
into common purpose. It brought out a common humanity and engendered a
common resolve to protect America. Our response to 9/11 has been and
will continue to be a measure of us. Mr. Speaker, what we should really
resolve to do today is to do better together.
At Ground Zero on Monday, the survivors shared something so precious:
the hope that their grief and suffering would inspire a Nation to
prevent another attack. They were all ages, all colors, all religions,
and all backgrounds. The one thing they were not was partisan
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to our
colleague, Mrs. Davis.
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support
of House Resolution 994.
The terrorist attacks upon our country changed the way that we live
forever and provided us with a cruel reminder that freedom and liberty
have a price. The attacks reminded us there are extremists in this
world that would do anything, including sacrificing their own lives to
destroy ours and our way of life. The attacks reminded us that
democracy and the benefits of a free government cannot be taken for
granted and must continually be fought for.
Mr. Speaker, we are safer than we were 5 years ago. But until we can
say with confidence that we are safe, the constant fight for freedom
can never end. Until families can go to bed at night feeling secure, we
cannot stop the fight for freedom. Until our young people can know
without a doubt that America holds a safe, prosperous future for them,
our battle can never cease.
We in Congress are tasked by the Constitution to defend the homeland,
and we take this task very seriously. Our men and women in uniform are
getting the job done, and our first responders have answered the call.
Our intelligence forces have played a vast role in protecting America.
And together we are safer today.
However, we must remain vigilant and prepare to fight these radical
Islamic terrorists whenever and wherever they may strike. Retreat has
never made us stronger and, by Osama bin Laden's own words, is a sign
of America's weakness.

{time} 1645

There is no room for halfway approaches here. We must do what is
needed to protect our country. We are using and must continue to use
both diplomatic and military measures and tools available to protect
America.
As we look back 5 years ago this week, we must remember the horrors
of that time. But more importantly, we must remember the resolve
adopted by all of us to defend freedom and fight with all our might to
combat the forces that look to destroy us. It is through vigilance and
the passion for freedom that we will win this war and truly make
America safe.
Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield to a dear
friend, the ranking member on the Armed Services Committee, Mr.
Skelton, 4 minutes.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, my good friend
from California.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize September 11 as a national day of
mourning, to commemorate and honor America's 5-year-long national
sacrifice, and to warn of clear and present danger in the days ahead.
Our Nation will never forget the terrorist attacks on September 11,
2001. Nearly 3,000 innocent Americans perished in that day, and the
lives of many thousands more were forever changed. The tools and the
national power were mobilized to bring justice to those responsible.
To each and all experiencing personal loss, we honor and we pay
respect. To each and all responding to the call of duty, we extend a
note of appreciation. Their sacrifice in our Nation's initial response
led to a successful military strike against terror strongholds in
Afghanistan. As we all agreed, it was an impressive operational display
of technological might. It was swift and it was right, and it enjoyed
widespread support among the world's family and nations. In short, it
was a step toward a more safe and secure environment for Americans.
Mr. Speaker, in the past 5 years, much of the initial gain has been
squandered. We have failed to implement the recommendations of the 9/11
Commission. We found ourselves bogged down in a costly war in Iraq that
detracts from our pursuit of those responsible for attacking American
soil. We are also facing a resurgence in Afghanistan.
Our Nation is engaged in two wars, the first against terrorism; and
the second, a war of choice to effect a regime change in Iraq, has
dragged us into a sectarian clash on the verge of civil war. The war on
terrorism rightfully continues, and by all account remains a war of
necessity. In contrast, the war in Iraq was initiated with faulty
intelligence, without proper planning and aftermath, that is, after the
initial strike planning has created for our Nation a strategic risk.
More than 40 percent of Army and Marine Corps ground equipment is
committed to the combat theater. That equipment is wearing out,
according to experts, nine times faster than the normal rate. Not one
Army combat brigade in the continental United States is fully ready for
its wartime mission.
Simply put, the war in Iraq has sapped our strategic base and
threatens to break our Army. Regrettably, our Nation is not safer than
it was on September 10, 5 years ago. Because this war of choice has
tapped our resources, our Nation's ability to confront future security
challenges, it is less than it was only 5 years ago. That is a sad
commentary, but sadly true.
As we commemorate the heroes of September 11 and beyond, let us not
forget the solemn oath to protect and defend this Nation and to protect
and defend our Constitution. Let us not forget our responsibility to
take every step necessary to make America stronger, not weaker, than
before. And let us never forget our duty to prevent the occurrence of
another similar tragedy. We must have the best, we must have the most
capable military to meet any threat that faces this wonderful Nation.
If we fail in this endeavor, then we will surely have failed to honor
the memory of those who have fallen
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the majority whip,
Mr. Blunt.
Mr. BLUNT. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

[[Page H6476]]

Mr. Speaker, today we live in a country of great opportunity, we live
in a country of great freedom, but we live in a dangerous world. We
came face to face with that danger 5 years ago, we came face to face
with the evil in the world 5 years ago, and today we commemorate what
we have done in the last minutes and hours and what we have done in the
last years to try to prevent that evil from replicating itself again.
For years before 9/11, we pretended that evil somehow didn't exist;
or if it did exist, it couldn't touch us. A series of events that
government after government after government in our country chose to
minimize or ignore led to 9/11. The bombing of the barracks at Beirut,
the bombing of the barracks at Khobar Towers, the attack on the USS
Cole, the attack on two of our embassies, the first attack on the World
Trade Center were all part of a concentrated effort of a narrow sliver
of totalitarian activists that don't like the way we live and don't
like who we are, who have vowed to destroy our very way of life.
Now, it is nice, whether it is at work or whether it is at home or in
your neighborhood, to pretend you don't have enemies in the world. But
we do have enemies in the world. As the Prime Minister of Iraq said
when he spoke to this body just weeks ago: this is not Islam, it is a
perverted view, I think he said specifically as was translated, a false
view or a fake view of Islam. But there are people who believe it.
There are people who believe that we, because of who we are, are their
sworn enemies.
And this resolution today just commemorates the great work of those
individuals that we recognize, those individuals that we recognize who
defend our country, who defend our freedom, who defend our flag; those
individuals we recognize who take chances every day to find out the
information that we need to find out on a human level, from those
people every day who analyze the things that need to be analyzed and
those resources we have given them to be able to make those choices,
whether it was the PATRIOT Act or the other things that we have done
since 9/11 that bring terrorism to the level of other crimes, even
though the danger of terrorism may be much more dangerous than those
crimes that various investigative arms of our government and the tools
that they had available to them were given after 9/11.
We need to continue to move forward and we need to continue to be
committed somewhat, and many people have said that someone had to be
the first person that said we have to be right every single time, the
terrorists only have to be right once.
Nobody will stand here today in good conscience and say a terrorist
attack can't happen again. But we can say in good conscience that we
will do everything we possibly can to prevent that attack from
happening again. We will do everything we can possibly do, from naively
looking at the present and assuming that we won't have enemies in the
future. We need to address our enemies; we need to address the world
the way we find it. Thank goodness for the many American men and women
and our allies overseas who joined us in trying to prevent the cowardly
terrorist attacks that happened in this country 5 years ago and other
countries since then
Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to a great member of our committee,
the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney) for 3 minutes.
Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California.
Mr. Speaker, many Members recently voted against the previous
question on the rule. We did so because we wanted a substitute, a
resolution that mirrored Senate Resolution 565, which was a measure
which was bipartisan and which was designed to unite this Congress and
the country. That is the way in fact that we wish to remember and honor
those 9/11 victims.
Unfortunately, the Speaker and the majority of the House have chosen
division and partisanship. The gentleman from Michigan mentioned a
moment ago that on Monday, September 11, the Nation took off a day from
partisanship. We only wish that the Speaker had joined in that. But by
proposing a resolution referring to issues that are partisan and
divisive, once again, a chance for unity has been missed not in the
Senate but here in the House.
New York Times columnist Frank Rich this past Sunday recalled FDR's
use of the phrase ``the warm courage of national unity in a time of
challenge.'' That is exactly what we need in these times of challenge.
FDR mentioned his realization of our interdependence on each other,
that we cannot merely, take but that we must give as well; and that if
we are going to move forward, we must move as a trained and loyal army
willing to sacrifice for the good of a common discipline.
Since September 11, this Nation has not been called to that higher
unity and shared sacrifice. Instead, we have seen divisive legislation
and tax cuts favoring the few. We should instead honor the fallen
victims of 9/11 and their families' sacrifices and the responders and
our military and our intelligence communities for their bipartisan
efforts. We should resolve to implement the recommendations of the 9/11
Commission.
Now, Chairmen Kean and Hamilton wrote on September 11, 2006, that
their commission's December report card on limitation garnered 10 C's,
12 D's, and 4 F's. And they listed there still remain to be done at
least 10 things, the acceptance of which and the completion of which
would in fact honor the September 11 people.
We should allocate our homeland security dollars wisely, because now
they are being spread around like revenue sharing. States have to be
held to create and practice emergency response plans. Congress
shouldn't wait until 2009, three years from now, to give first
responders a slice of the broadest spectrum for emergency
communication.
We still need to do a better job with information sharing among
government agencies, particularly those at the State and local levels.
The FBI reform needs to speed up even as it moves in the right
direction. The privacy and civil liberties oversight board must be
empowered as a strong voice on behalf of individual and civil
liberties, especially as the executive gets stronger authorities. We
need to better screen passengers against a comprehensive terrorist
watch list before they board craft. We need to do a better job of
reaching out to the Muslim world so that America can be seen as a
source of hope and opportunity and not despair.
Congress needs to reform itself. The oversight committees need
stronger powers over budgets and jurisdictions. And the prevention of
terrorists' access to nuclear weapons must be elevated above all other
problems of national security. To do all this, we need the warm courage
of unity, not partisanship, not divisive resolutions.
Mr. Speaker, this would be an excellent time for the leadership of
this House to match rhetoric with unifying actions.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. I would like to yield 2 minutes to my colleague, a
member of the committee, Mr. McHugh.
Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, as a New Yorker, this past Monday had a
particular impact on me and on my fellow New Yorkers. It is obviously a
time of great sorrow and sadness and reflection for each and every
American. But of the 2,997 who perished that day, a large number and
obviously the main focus of the attack was in our State.
There is little we can do to rewind that as a day and as the
circumstances that led up to it. I noted my good friend, the
gentlewoman from California's remarks about intelligence failures, and
she is right. They are real and they were longstanding. You heard the
majority whip of the House speak of the attacks that were levied
against this country that, frankly, the intelligence systems were not
up to providing long before this particular era, long before we were in
Iraq: the USS Cole, the attack on our two embassies, the first World
Trade Center attack, Khobar Towers, and on and on and on.

{time} 1700

If 9/11 teaches us anything, it is that as Americans, and
particularly as ones who have the great honor and great responsibility
of representing the people of this Nation, we must continue as we did
on that day, September 11, to work together to make us safe.
We are safer. We can never be safe. This land is too free, too open,
too many opportunities that we enjoy and our basic liberties to ever be
fully safe, but we can be, as I would argue we are today, safer.

[[Page H6477]]

I would hope we would be even safer tomorrow and the day after that,
but to do that, we are going to have to continue our joint initiatives.
We have come a long way. We have instilled leadership and
coordination of multiple agencies. We have addressed how terrorism
information gets to the analysts and the policymakers who need that
information most. We have had to change the culture of the FBI from one
of being single-minded in a criminal investigation agency to one that
pursues those who wish to harm us through proactive intelligence
investigations.
We have done these things. We need to continue. We must make 9/11 a
rallying cry for a safer tomorrow.
Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to Mr. Gene Green of Texas for a
unanimous consent request.
(Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I will place a statement in the
Record on H. Res. 994 on the 9/11 5-year anniversary at this point
Mr. Speaker, on Monday, this Nation took time to remember the events
of five years earlier on September 11, 2001--events that changed the
way we viewed the world and our own Nation. Our prayers are with the
families of those that lost their lives that day. We never imagined
that something like that could happen on American soil and it is still
hard to comprehend the number of innocent lives lost that day.
The five year anniversary brought back memories of planes crashing
into the World Trade Center Building, the Pentagon, and Flight 93 going
down in Pennsylvania, but more importantly, we remembered the images of
the brave Americans--fire fighters, law enforcement, medical personnel,
and everyday citizens--that rushed to help their fellow Americans that
were injured or trapped in the rubble of the fallen buildings.
The courage these individuals showed is the reason the terrorists
were not successful in weakening our Nation. They took innocent
American lives and destroyed our buildings that day, but they did not
destroy our Nation's resolve because Americans will always answer the
call and the first responders that day did so selflessly in an
environment of chaos and uncertainty.
Over the past five years we have seen this country grow stronger in
the face of the new threat that became apparent that day. As citizens
we are more vigilant and as a Nation we have committed to a new war to
fight terrorism across the globe.
The attacks in Spain, Jordan, Britain and elsewhere since 9/11
demonstrate that we are not alone in this fight and that we have not
deterred the terrorists' intentions or will to carry out attacks
against innocent people. We will continue to hunt down terrorists and
terrorist cells where they are and we will lead the world in defeating
their ideology.
We all have different ideas about how to do this. Over the past five
years, we have seen heated debates in this House, throughout our
government, and across the Nation over how to best protect our country,
secure our borders, patrol our ports, and carry out the war against
these extremists while protecting the American way of life and our
individual liberties. But this tragedy reminded us that we are all
Americans first and foremost. We may not always agree on how best to do
this, but the goal of every person here is the same: to succeed in
protecting our country, our way of life, and preventing another 9/11.
No one will forget where they were, or what they were doing when they
learned of the attacks. This anniversary marks one of the gravest days
in our Nation's history, but it also reminds us of the bravery
displayed by those that reacted to the tragedy with unwavering courage
and heroism.
Mr. Speaker, September 11, 2001 is five years behind us, but it will
guide us for the foreseeable future. I pray for the families that lost
loved ones that day and I thank those that served bravely. God be with
those that are not here because of 9/11 and God bless America.
Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Reyes).
Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the victims of 9/11 al
Qaeda attacks, as well as the family members who mourn them, the first
responders who helped their communities recover, and the brave men and
women in the armed services who are risking their lives to make us
safer.
Honoring the memories of those who gave their lives on September 11
should not, however, be a once-a-year endeavor. This should not be an
occasion for speeches and ceremonies. Talk is cheap, but our actions,
what we do in the war on terror, that is what speaks volumes. Through
our actions, we honor our dead. I would like to talk about a couple of
ways in which we could better honor their memories, ways in which we
can actually act.
After September 11, we began a war of necessity, the war on terror.
The whole world was with us. We made enormous strides quickly in
Afghanistan in that war, but then we began another war, a war of
choice, in Iraq. Now, because more than 130,000 of our troops are
bogged down in Iraq, we have punted the ball in Afghanistan.
Let me be clear. Today, we are in danger in Afghanistan, the original
breeding ground for al Qaeda. The Taliban is gaining ground and
inflicting casualties on coalition forces. If we need reinforcements,
will we have them? The major victory in the war of necessity, the war
on terror, that was so close now appears to be fading because we are
bogged down in a war of choice in Iraq.
The best way to honor our departed heroes and friends is by winning
that war of necessity. The terrorists started the war on September 11,
but if we set our priorities right we can finish it.
The men and women who died on September 11 deserve victory in the war
on terror, our war of necessity. They deserve more than empty rhetoric.
They deserve more than talking points and slogans. They deserve more
than chicken hawk mud slinging. They also deserve more than insulting
those as unpatriotic or weak anyone who dares to say that we need to
make some changes in the way we are fighting the war of necessity. And
finally, they deserve more than siphoning off resources from the war of
necessity by a war of choice.
Yes, talk is cheap. If we want to remember those who died on
September 11, let us give them a victory.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to my colleague
from the great State of Michigan (Mr. Rogers).
Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, today is really an important day
because what we celebrate today are those people who sacrificed of
themselves and gave of their all to save the lives of someone else, and
that is the real difference between us and our enemy. We celebrate
those who save lives. They celebrate those who take lives. That is the
difference to remember.
Al Qaeda has a very radical plan, and this attack was not just to
poke America in the eye and to kill our civilians. It was to obtain a
goal, a goal that they had publicly stated, a tale of faith that ranges
from all of the Mideast, northern Africa, southern parts of Europe,
including Spain and Indonesia.
This is a war not only of ideology but about a political geography
that they believe they own and they are willing to kill Jews and
Christians and men and women and Muslims to get it.
Amrullah Saleh visited the United States. He is now head of the
intelligence services in Afghanistan, and he said when he was visiting
here, ``Only we in Afghanistan have seen what happens when Osama bin
Laden is king or prime minister or commander-in-chief of a nation. Our
freedom, our culture, our way of life was completely taken from us.''
Under the Taliban, it was against the law to teach women to read or
to drive. They could not go outside unless they were escorted by a male
relative. They had burned buses because they were a modern necessity.
They could not listen to music, watch movies or television, shave or
use the Internet.
Osama bin Laden said, ``The war is for you or for us to win. If we
win, it means your defeat and your disgrace forever.''
Strong words by a cowardly enemy, but we know that threat is real,
and sometimes we get lost in the haggling when we all know that this is
the time that we pull together and celebrate those who celebrate life,
pull together against those who celebrate death.
Today is our day that we rededicate ourselves to the task of
protecting and defending this Nation against a vicious and merciless
enemy. We must not forget and we must do what it takes to prevail
against those perpetrators of 9/11.
This is what we commemorate in today's resolution, and I would urge
all of us to remember who the enemy is
Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to
the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger).

[[Page H6478]]

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, first, I thank Ranking Member Harman,
and Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the heroes of September 11.
Our citizens will forever remember September 11 as a day on which our
values, our liberties, and our freedoms were attacked.
Our Nation's intelligence agencies and law enforcement officials
learned to do business differently after 9/11.
We learned we need to give our law enforcement and intelligence
agencies more powerful and flexible, modern tools to detect terrorists'
plans and intentions.
As a former prosecutor, I understand the need to balance tough
justice issues for criminals but also to respect human rights.
By the same logic, we have to learn what terrorists are plotting
before they act so that we can keep the country safe, but we have to
fight terrorists in a way that also protects Americans' rights. In
passing the PATRIOT Act, Congress struck a balance between civil
liberties and strong law enforcement. Not a perfect balance but a good
one.
However, not every effort strikes this balance. The President ordered
the National Security Agency to conduct a surveillance program in a way
that avoids certain required constitutional checks and balances. The
House Intelligence Committee could not oversee the NSA program because
most of us were not briefed. At the administration's direction, the
judicial branch, in the form of the FISA court, was bypassed.
If the administration needs new authorities to monitor terrorists,
they should ask Congress for them. I see no reason, however, why this
program could not be conducted under the rubric of the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The district I represent includes NSA. So I have a special interest
in the men and women of the NSA who professionally and honorably serve
their country, often in secret. They should not have to worry if they
are breaking the law when they follow instructions of the White House
and the Attorney General.
Our counterterrorism efforts must be governed by the rule of law. To
do otherwise would dishonor the heroes of September 11 and their loved
ones.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman
from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt), another member of the Intelligence Committee
Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman.
On September 11, 2001, life in America was irreversibly changed. That
day we were drawn into a war to confront a threat we did not fully
understand.
Although we still cannot fully understand why terrorists hate our way
of life so much, we do understand this much. We are still very much at
war. Almost 5 years after the attacks on September 11, 2001, Islamic
extremist groups continue to represent the most immediate threat to the
United States and our allies. They have struck London, Madrid, and have
bombed restaurants and hotels in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. At
the urging of Osama bin Laden, every American man, woman and child has
become a legitimate target for their jihad, and American interests
continue to be targeted by al Qaeda affiliates around the globe.
This year alone we have unearthed terrorist plots in Canada and the
U.K. that remind us just how close the terrorist threat is as these
individuals did travel into the United States with some frequency.
Mr. Speaker, we are blessed with an outstanding military that has
taken the battle to the enemy, in places where every American carries a
gun, rather than on the streets of New York, Washington, or Wichita,
Kansas.
But the United States remains a Nation at war, a war for which we did
not ask. We are safer, though, not simply because there has been no
successful attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001. We are safer
today because of the professionals of the worldwide network of
intelligence, military and law enforcement officials who continue to
pressure and strike al Qaeda and its followers.
We have turned a corner, and we must continue to pressure these
radical Islamic organizations until victory on all fronts for freedom-
loving people around the world is assured.
September 11, 2001, showed us the danger of Islamic terrorism. It
also taught us that the deficiencies in our own system made it possible
for terrorists to operate right under our noses.
Our most important duty as Members of Congress is to protect our
Nation from ever experiencing that lesson again. For that reason, we
must continue to focus on improving our national security, our homeland
security, and our intelligence systems so that we can beat this threat,
not only today and tomorrow but for the future, for our children and
grandchildren.
I thank the chairman
Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2\1/2\
minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), ranking member on
our Intelligence Policy Subcommittee.
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentlewoman from
California.
Like every American, I spent the past week reflecting on that
terrible day 5 years ago. I too attended a number of memorials and
observances during the week. We came out of 9/11/2001 mourning with the
families, praising the first responders, and vowing to catch and punish
those responsible and vowing to do everything possible to prevent a
recurrence.
For the families affected, well over 100 in my district in central
New Jersey alone, the pain will never go away. The hole in their hearts
and their lives is mirrored by the void that remains at Ground Zero,
and that in part is what I wanted to talk about, the unfinished work in
the aftermath of September 11, 2001.
Today, Congress, following the President, has veered off course. We
have engaged in a war with an undefined enemy, undefined objectives and
no plan for success. We have suffered a tremendous loss of American
life, money and international prestige, the latter almost entirely
self-inflicted. We have alienated and embittered traditional allies,
some of whom believe we might even attack them at some point in the
future, and we have given our enemies, unfortunately, ample material
with which they can recruit new terrorists.
The families left behind on 9/11 made a clear request of us: make
Americans safer from terrorism. We have not taken those specific steps,
even though we should have taken them.
What are those specific steps? Well, my friend from Ohio, the
majority leader, and the chairman, they know. Every Member knows. The
bipartisan 9/11 Commission worked hard and well and presented a
specific list on everything from securing our borders to screening
shipments in ports.

{time} 1715

By the way, the list did not include a suggestion that we invade
Iraq.
The commission gave these specific recommendations, a blueprint on
how to protect Americans. Not long ago, the 9/11 Commission gave the
government about two dozen inadequate grades for failing to take those
specific steps to protect Americans.
So instead of self-congratulatory and divisive resolutions, let us
have an up-or-down vote to implement each of their recommendations.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to a member of our
leadership, Mr. Kingston.
Mr. KINGSTON. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I wanted to say
that there have been a lot of steps we have taken since 9/11. Many of
these steps have been taken against the Democrat leadership's will. I
think it is sad that so soon after 9/11 there seemed to be so much
partisan division, and yet there still was some bipartisan unity.
We were able to, for example, increase funding for first responders
on homeland security. We were able to pass the PATRIOT Act. We were
able to pass the REAL ID Act that revamps the requirements for State
identification cards. We passed the Homeland Security Act of 2002,
which established the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. And we
passed more border security, including physical barriers, more Border
Patrol agents, and more state-of-the-art technology. We ended the
catch-and-release program. Unfortunately, 164 Democrats voted against
it. We passed the Safe Port Act, which enhances our port safety. We did
the

[[Page H6479]]

Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which set up
a lot of intelligence-gathering information, and part of this was the
NSA program on surveillance.
And I want to say this, that I don't want the Federal Government
listening to any conversation that I might have or you may have or
constituents may have. But if they are suspected terrorists, and they
are calling to Baghdad, I kind of want Uncle Sam to know about that.
I was actually shocked to hear that on Monday Nancy Pelosi, the
leader of the Democrat Party, said that capturing Osama bin Laden would
not make the world more safe. I was appalled that a Member of Congress
would say such a thing. But I want you to know that that is a minority
opinion. Most Democrats, most Republicans think capturing Osama bin
Laden would be a good thing for the world's security and would, in
fact, make the world safer. And I am glad that we have these
intelligence surveillance programs so that we can close in on him.
I am also glad that we passed the BioShield program to enhance our
defense against chemical and biological weapons. We have also passed an
Emergency Communications Act that will help us communicate during times
of disaster, and a Maritime Security Act.
All of these are done in reaction to 9/11, but also looking to
prevent future attacks, and I think we are moving in the right
direction. A lot of work has yet to be done, but we have got to stay
the fight and we need to be unified.
Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record an Associated Press article
regarding events leading up to September 11, and a document entitled
``The Post-9/11 Facts.'

Timeline: Key Events Leading Up to Sept. 11

Chronology of some key events in U.S. relations with
Islamic groups and with Usama bin Laden before Sept. 11,
2001:
Feb. 26, 1993--Bomb explodes in garage under World Trade
Center, killing six and injuring more than 1,000. Group of
Islamic extremists later convicted.
Nov. 13, 1995--Seven people, including five Americans,
killed when two bombs explode at U.S.-Saudi military facility
in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Usama bin Laden blamed for attack.
Sept. 27, 1996--Taliban, suspected of giving refuge to bin
Laden, completes takeover of Kabul, Afghanistan.
June 25, 1996--Bin Laden followers detonate bomb at U.S.
military base near Ohahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 American
soldiers and wounding hundreds of Americans and Saudi
Arabians.
Aug. 7, 1998--U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania, bombed, killing more than 250 people,
including 12 Americans, and injuring 5,000. In retaliation,
United States launches airstrikes against suspected terrorist
camps in Sudan and Afghanistan.
Aug. 28, 1998--FBI accuses bin Laden of having declared
``jihad,'' or holy war, against United States. Complaint also
alleges bin Laden founded Al Qaeda that year to promote
Islamic fundamentalism and force non-Muslims out of Muslim
countries.
Nov. 4, 1998--Bin Laden charged with ordering embassy
bombings.
Oct. 12, 2000--Suicide bombers in Yemen attack U.S. Navy
destroyer USS Cole, killing 17 sailors. Officials suspect bin
Laden involvement.
Jan. 15, 2001--U.N. imposes new economic sanctions against
Taliban for refusing to turn over bin Laden for trial.
____

The Post 9/11 Facts

Legislative accomplishments since 9/11:
Major Legislation Enacted: the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and
its 2006 reauthorization; the Homeland Security Act of 2002;
the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of
2002; the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002; and
the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.
House-passed (109th Congress): the Border Protection,
Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005;
the SAFE Port Act of 2006; and the 21st Century Emergency
Communications Act of 2006.
Institutional Reforms: creation of the Department of
Homeland Security; creation of the Office of the Director of
National Intelligence; creation of the National
Counterterrorism Center; creation of the Terrorist Screening
Center; and creation of the U.S. Northern Command
(USNORTHCOM).
Presidential Programs:
Terrorist Surveillance Program, the communications
surveillance program used to listen in on international phone
calls coming into or out of the United States when one of the
parties is a suspected terrorist.
Swift Program, the financial surveillance program used to
track the financial transactions of persons suspected of
terrorist activities.
Terrorist Detainee Program, intelligence gathered from
detainees have yielded crucial information that would have
been unobtainable from other sources.
Grants: The Department of Homeland Security has allocated
more than $18 billion to states and localities in assistance
and direct support for terrorism preparedness since September
11, 2001 through FY 06. Additional billions have been
allocated by the Departments of Health and Human Services and
Justice.
Al-Qaeda: With the removal of the Taliban, Afghanistan is
no longer a safe haven for al-Qaeda and there are no
functioning al-Qaeda training camps.
The al-Qaeda network has been significantly degraded since
9/11. Most of those in al-Qaeda responsible for the September
11 attacks have been captured or killed including:
Khalid Shavkh Muhammad, mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.
Ramzi Bin-al-Shibh, a coordinator of the 9/11 attacks.
Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, nephew of Khalid Shaykh Muhammad and
assisted his uncle with various plots including the 9/11
attacks.
Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, was a communications link between
Khalid Shaykh Muhammad and the 9/11 hijackers.
Walid Ba' Attash, assisted with planning of the USS Cole
bombing and helped Osama bin Laden select operatives for the
9/11 attacks.
Abu Zubaydah, a senior operative for al-Qaeda.
Hamza Rabia, a key external operations commander for al-
Qaeda (killed).
Abu Faraj al-Libi, a key al-Qaeda operational commander
(killed).
Majid Khan, helped Khalid Shaykh Muhammad research possible
attacks in U.S.
Hambali, mastermind of the 2002 Bali nightclub attack that
killed 200.
Lillie, associate of Hambali.
Zubair, associate of senior al-Qaeda operatives.
Abu Faraj al-Libbi, a Libyan subordinate of Osama bin
Laden.
Ahmed Khalfam Ghailani, suspect in the 1998 US embassy
bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
Gouled Hassan Dourad, helped support al-Qaeda in Somalia.
Mohammed Atef, al-Qaeda's senior field commander (killed).
Abd al-Rahim al Nashiri, planned and organized bombing of
USS Cole.
Abu Issa al-Hindi, planner of reconnaissance of U.S.
financial institutions.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, operational commander of the
terrorist movement in Iraq (killed).
Terror Attacks prior to 9/11:
The U.S. and its interests were attacked by terrorists
prior to September 11, 2001: April, 1983, 63 people died at
U.S. Embassy in Beirut; October, 1983, 241 died at U.S.
Marine barracks in Beirut; February, 1983, six people were
killed at the World Trade Center in New York City; June,
1996, 19 American servicemen died in bombing at Khobar Towers
in Saudi Arabia; August, 1998, 224 people died at the U.S.
embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and October, 2000, 17 people
died on the USS Cole in Yemen.
Terror Attacks since 9/11: Bali, 2002, 2005; Madrid, 2004;
London, 2005; Egypt, 2004, 2005; Russia, 2004; Jordan, 2005;
and India, 2006.
Terror Plots Foiled:
Plan to attack targets on the West Coast of the U.S. using
hijacked aircraft in 2002.
Plan to attack targets on the East Coast of the U.S. using
hijacked civilian aircraft in 2003.
Plan to blow up apartment buildings in the U.S. in 2002.
Plan to attack urban targets in the United Kingdom using
explosives in 2004.
Plan to attack Westerners in Karachi, Pakistan in 2003.
Plan to attack Heathrow Airport using hijacked aircraft in
2003.
Plan to conduct large-scale bombings in the United Kingdom
in 2004.
Plan to attack ships in the Arabian Gulf in 2002.
Plan to attack ships in the Straits of Hormuz in 2002.
Plan to attack a U.S. tourist site outside the U.S. in
2003.
Plan to attack Queen Alia Airport in Jordan in 2006.
Plan to attack high-profile buildings in Ontario, Canada in
2006.
Plan to attack an El Al aircraft in 2006.
Plan to blow up civilian aircraft bound for the U.S. over
the Atlantic Ocean in 2006.
Other Points:
According to a New York Times/CBS Poll of the Nation and
New York City specifically (The New York Times, September 7,
2006):
New York City: 66% of New Yorkers are still `very
concerned' about another terrorist attack in New York City;
nearly a third of New Yorkers think about September 11 every
day; nearly a third of New Yorkers have not yet resumed their
normal routines nationally; 75% of Americans said their daily
life had largely returned to normal; and 22% of people were
still `very concerned' about another terrorist attack.
According to a recent study released by Mount Sinai Medical
Center in New York (The New York Times, September 6, 2006),
about 70% of a 10,000-person sampling of workers who labored
at Ground Zero (excluding NYFD), have developed new or
substantially worsened respiratory problems.

Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains on each side?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from California has 51\1/2\
minutes; the gentleman from Michigan has

[[Page H6480]]

9\1/4\ minutes remaining. There is 35 minutes that has been yielded to
the Judiciary Committee following his 9\1/4\ minutes.
Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I just have a very short closing comment to
make for our portion of the debate, and then I plan to yield the
remainder of my time to the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee.
So I will make those comments now.
Mr. Speaker, let me close this portion of the debate by once again
paying tribute to those who lost their lives on 9/11, to those who came
to their rescue, and to those sent to the front lines in the 5 years
since. The individual stories of bravery and heroism have provided some
measure of light in an otherwise dark, dark chapter.
Five years ago, Mr. Speaker, Members of this body stood shoulder to
shoulder on the steps of the Capitol in a show of bipartisan unity. We
actually did that again on Monday, but I am not sure we recovered the
spirit that we had 5 years ago. How I wish we could have, as another
member of our committee said, considered a different resolution today,
the one that passed the other body by unanimous consent and that was
cosponsored by every single Member.
Mr. Speaker, let us not use 9/11 for political fodder. Let us speak
with one voice. We owe the American people nothing less.
Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield the remainder of the time
on our side to my good friend, Mr. Conyers, the ranking member on the
House Judiciary Committee and coauthor, with me, of H.R. 5371, the
LISTEN Act, legislation supported by many of our Members and a broad
range of civil liberties groups that would require the so-called NSA
program to comply fully with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
as presently drafted.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I welcome to this discussion and debate my
colleague from the State of Michigan (Mr. Conyers), who is also a great
cosponsor of our Federal Prison Industries legislation, which we will
consider tomorrow. You have good friends on the Intelligence Committee,
my friend.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to my colleague from the
State of Alabama (Mr. Everett).
(Mr. EVERETT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House
Resolution 994, commemorating the cowardly September 11, 2001, attacks
on the United States. Many Americans think the war on terror we are
fighting began on September 11, 2001. However, 9/11 was just the
deadliest attack in a war that began over 25 years ago.
For the first 20 years, we allowed terrorists to fight this war on
their terms. 9/11 served as a wake-up call for us in the sense that we
could no longer afford to sit on our hands and let terrorists continue
to kill Americans and kill Americans and kill Americans. Under the
leadership of President Bush, and with the support of this Republican-
led Congress, we took the fight to the terrorists.
In Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom removed the oppressive
Taliban regime that ruled the Afghan people with brutality. In Iraq, we
continue to make progress after a series of historic elections in which
millions of Iraqis defied the threats of terrorism and voted to
establish a national assembly. While much remains to be done in Iraq,
it is important that we continue to remain there against those who want
to cast Iraq into a civil war.
Mr. Speaker, we have accomplished so much in the global war on
terror. We have significantly degraded the al Qaeda network by
capturing and killing many of their leaders and associates. Despite
these successes, the terrorists remain committed to launching another
attack. It is not a question of if, but rather when.
As we mark the anniversary of these attacks, we must remain resolute
to fight and win this war against terror. Mr. Speaker, this war on
terror must be fought. We can do it in the streets of our own towns, or
we can fight the terrorists wherever they are. Either way, it has to be
done.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to our colleague Mr.
Issa.
Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding to me. I am
part of the class that came in and were freshmen, we were just getting
our feet wet at that time in Judiciary and International Relations,
when September 11 occurred. For the class of 2000 that came in with the
President, this has been our entire career. So I don't have a reference
point that is particularly good of how the House was before, but I did
watch a profound change, a focus after September 11 that I am very
proud of.
And I stand before this body today in hopes that after this election
and after this resolution passes we will get back to being the Congress
that we were after September 11. Because after September 11, we came
together. We accepted the compromises necessary to go out and find out
who killed us, who hated us, who wanted to kill us, who would be next,
and where they would attack.
Today, serving on the Select Intelligence Committee, I am concerned
that partisan bickering, that in fact those who want to change who runs
the Congress or those who want to retain it have begun to look in those
terms rather than in terms of how do we keep America safe.
So I look forward to this passage, I look forward to going back to
work, and I look forward to in fact the Congress, on a bipartisan
basis, coming back together in a way that we have not been. And I am
deeply disturbed at some of the statements made here today, because I
think that for those who listen throughout America, Mr. Speaker, they
are going to hear that many are, like me, concerned for America,
concerned that we come together and we continue to do the people's work
of making this country safe in the war on terrorism. And I hope that
those who speak out with other ideas are also considered.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, since 9/11, we have made a tremendous amount of progress
against this war on radical Islam. We have recognized that it is a war.
We are not sure exactly when this war began. Did it begin in 1979 when
radical Islamists took over our embassy in Iran? Did it begin in the
early 1980s, when Hezbollah attacked our barracks in Beirut, killing
over 240 Marines? Did it begin in the early 1990s, when the World Trade
Centers were attacked for the first time? Or did it begin when our
embassies in Africa were attacked, our barracks in Saudi Arabia, the
USS Cole? Or did it really finally begin on 9/11 in 2001? How about
when bin Laden issued his fatwa in 1996, where he declared war against
the West?
Since 9/11, there has never been any question that we are a Nation at
war. While for much of the 1990s we ignored this threat and did not
respond effectively to it, since 9/11 we have. We have put in place
many things where we have recognized that we face a very dangerous and
a very different kind of enemy than we have ever faced before. We have
recognized that this is a global enemy.
Take a look at the progress we have made in fighting this very
strange enemy. It was only 4 weeks ago that a very similar plot was
disrupted and stopped in the United Kingdom: a global plot, with
leadership, financing, and direction perhaps coming out of Pakistan,
and the perpetrators of the plot living in the United Kingdom. A very
different and a very dangerous type of terrorist. A home-grown
terrorist.

{time} 1730

These were not people going through the U.K. from some other country,
these were people whose parents, maybe their grandparents, had moved to
the U.K. They had gone to their schools and established their families,
they were working.
But 4 weeks ago, they were in the final stages of putting together a
plot that might have taken down 10 to 12 planes with a loss of life
that would have been as great as what we suffered on 9/11. The plot was
stopped. Why, because we had foreign intelligence communities of
Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the U.S. working seamlessly together.
That couldn't have happened on 9/11.
We also had foreign intelligence working with law enforcement. There
is no wall anymore between foreign intelligence and law enforcement.
Again,

[[Page H6481]]

it is a seamless operation enabling people to work effectively
together.
On a third principle, we are now on offense. No longer will radical
Islam have a safe haven where they can plan, where they can train and
prepare to attack the West again. Our intelligence community, our armed
services, they are on offense finding these individuals where they are.
And our intelligence community and other law enforcement agencies have
put in place the tools necessary to wage this war effectively. That's
the testimony and the testament to the people of 9/11. We have
responded to that, to the horrific attack of 9/11.
Those are the things that we as a government can do. It hasn't been
perfect. This is a very, very difficult enemy but we are making
progress. These are the things that man can do and government can do as
we try to create a world that will be safer for our families, for our
kids, for our neighbors and that will make the world a safer place.
But one of the things that I believe that many who died on 9/11
believed, and their families believe, and one of the things that is
very interesting is that one of the most common things between the
Islamic faith, the Jewish faith and the Christian faith is that we all
view Jesus as a great teacher.
As a closing comment I would like to leave a quote from the book
``Light Force'': ``I pray that the message of the Prince of Peace will
again be a light from Bethlehem to all corners of the world.''
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers)
will control the remainder of the time on the minority side, 50
minutes, and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble) on behalf of
the Judiciary Committee will control 35 minutes.
Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 994. I will never forget,
and neither will you, the sense of helplessness as we watched the
events of September 11 unfold before our very eyes. As the entire world
witnesses the unthinkable, we in the United States could only look to
one another and pray for the strength and courage to cope with what was
happening.
I don't know if there is anything that the Congress or the President
could do short of capturing Osama bin Laden that everyone would agree
was an appropriate response. Our critics claim we are no safer now than
before the attacks of 9/11. Although there is no measure to evaluate
our efforts in the war on terrorism, I do suggest that the absence of
additional attacks in the United States and the apprehension of would-
be attackers throughout the world bodes well for the actions we have
taken.
Mr. Speaker, the legislative effort by the Committee on the Judiciary
and the Congress to secure our Nation and prevent another attack on our
homeland is unparalleled during my tenure in this House. Unfortunately,
we know weaknesses exist. Our borders are porous, and my Coast Guard
instincts fear that the enemy may be focusing his next attack on one of
our ports.
I have repeatedly expressed concern about overcrowding in our prisons
which may be a ticking bomb waiting to explode. Recent media reports
detail that our prisons may be fertile ground for terrorist groups
interested in recruiting new members. The plot to blow up jetliners
recently prevented by British authorities underscores the urgency of
this situation.
I fear there are many other security gaps that terrorists have
already planned to exploit. We have to stay one step ahead of those
people who would do us harm. This is like no other challenge this
country has ever faced. These enemies would like to walk into this
Chamber today, destroy all of us, and at the same time destroy
themselves in an activity that would be generously laced with evil.
The only way we can defend ourselves is to improvise and continue to
adjust to their changing threats. I support this resolution and I thank
my Republican and Democratic colleagues for their work to defend our
homeland.
I also want to express thanks to our constituents for their patience
and understanding with our shortcomings and their recognition of our
successes in our war against terrorism. After all, Mr. Speaker, it is
they who we are trying to protect.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, and ladies and gentlemen of the House, 5 years have
passed since the tragedy of 9/11; September 11, 2001, when the whole
country remembers where we were, the images we saw on television, and
the pain we felt in our hearts. That day will be remembered forever as
a day of mourning, of suffering, and of incalculable loss.
Today as a Nation, we mourned with those who lost loved ones and for
those who gave their lives that day to save others. We forgot our
differences, uniting behind a common purpose seeking justice.
As I look back on that day, I remember the promise we showed as a
Nation and the strength we exhibited when joining together in the days
and the weeks after the horrific attacks of September 11. Members of
both political parties recognized the need to ensure that law
enforcement had the tools and the resources to respond to terrorist
threats while at the same time respecting our Nation's core
constitutional values.
But I also remember Keith Olbermann of MSNBC who in his criticisms,
in his special comment section made this observation about Abraham
Lincoln: ``At the dedication of the Gettysburg Memorial, barely 4
months after the last soldier staggered from another Pennsylvania
field, Mr. Lincoln said `We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we
cannot hallow, this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who
struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or
detract.'
``Lincoln used those words to immortalize their sacrifice.
``Today our leaders could use those same words to rationalize their
inaction. We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow
this ground, so we won't.
``Instead,'' Olbermann said, ``they bicker and buck-pass. They thwart
private efforts, and jostle to claim credit for initiatives that go
nowhere. They spend money on irrelevant wars, and elaborate self-
congratulations, and buying off columnists to write how good a job they
are doing instead of doing any job at all.''
Unfortunately, 5 years later it seems that we have lost our way. It
is most unfortunate that the situation has become so dire that the
majority and minority parties can't even come together on a simple
resolution to commemorate the tragic and pivotal day in our Nation's
history.
We were able to do so in the past. The other body was able to do so
earlier this week. But for some reason the majority insisted on
changing the text of prior resolutions and adding superfluous language
touting their legislative record.
I wish I could say this was the only instance in which the majority
party has sought to politicize the events of September 11, but that
would not be accurate. One need only go back as far as Monday of this
week when the President used a nationwide speech to somehow equate the
situation in Iraq with September 11.
And last weekend, the Vice President also sought to link the war in
Iraq with the September 11 attack even though a bipartisan Senate
report just a few days earlier had again thoroughly debunked that myth.
And there are other things that I will not bother to bring up now.
But the Secretary of Defense has compared the principal critics of
the war with the appeasers of the despotic Nazi regime. Some on the
other side have asserted that those who speak in favor of
constitutional rights put forward by the Founding Fathers are somehow
soft on terrorism.
In 2002, they even questioned the patriotism of the then-junior
Senator of Georgia, a war veteran who lost his arms and legs fighting
for our Nation in battle, because he insisted on protecting worker
rights as part of a bill creating the Homeland Security Committee.
So it is altogether fitting and appropriate that we remember the
dead, the wounded, and the families of the tragedy of September 11. But
surely we can do so without also seeking to trumpet

[[Page H6482]]

our legislation or inserting unnecessary spin and public relations
language into the resolution.
If there was anything that should bring us together as a Nation, it
would be the commemoration of September 11. I hope, I pray that we can
do a better job for the American people in the future.
And so, my colleagues, I ask of you, let's commemorate 9/11 the right
way.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) who sits on the Judiciary, Agriculture
and Small Business Committees.
Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Coble for recognizing me
and giving me the privilege to speak on this issue today before this
Congress.
Mr. Speaker, since the attacks by al Qaeda on September 11, 2001,
future attacks on American soil and around the world have been thwarted
by intelligence gathered by terrorist detainees. These terrorists have
confirmed that al Qaeda operatives are relentlessly planning and
pursuing future attacks against our citizens and infrastructure that
could dwarf in comparison the destruction caused 5 years ago about now.
Information gathered from terrorists detainees has led to the capture
of other al Qaeda terrorists, such as those held by the CIA and
currently transferred to Guantanamo Bay. I have here some pictures of
these individuals to help familiarize the Congress and the people with
the kind of enemy we are up against.

{time} 1745

This is a picture of Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, commonly known as the
mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, those cowardly attacks on the United
States. There is a long list of the transgressions of Khalid Shaykh
Mohammed, including his role in the failed Bojinka plot, which was
designed to detonate explosives on commercial airliners over the
Pacific.
He asked Osama bin Laden for the manpower and the funds to carry out
the attacks on the United States on 9/11. He plotted several other
attacks, and he is, right now, under the custody of the United States
of America, in the process of being brought to justice.
This is Abu Faraj al-Libi. Al-Libi had direct operational
responsibilities, and he serves as a trainer at al Qaeda training camps
in Afghanistan. He is another individual who is dangerous who plotted
against the United States, who had no motivation, from my value system,
to do so.
Another terrorist, Abu Zubaydah. Zubaydah was the third detainee here
and was, at the time of his capture, trying to organize a terrorist
attack in Israel. As well, he has been active in smuggling terrorists,
and dangerous chemicals for the purpose of manufacturing weapons, into
Afghanistan.
Then I would submit the fourth terrorist, being Ramzi Bin al-Shibh.
Ramzi pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden in person and accepted
proposals to martyr himself in an operation against the U.S. Ramzi was
the primary communications intermediary between the 9/11 hijackers and
al Qaeda leadership in Afghanistan.
He relayed messages by e-mail and by cell phone. This man knows a lot
about the terrorist network, and I believe we have learned a lot from
him, but he needs to face justice as well.
Mr. Speaker, this is the face of the enemy in this global war on
terror. It is a unique war in our time. Past wars have always been
against a clear enemy, which had been another sovereign nation; but we
are now fighting a hateful ideology that infiltrates many different
nations.
Unfortunately, sometimes surveillance programs are not as tight as
they need to be. We need to turn them up.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), a distinguished member of the
Judiciary Committee.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, the events of 9/11 were a tragedy
and continue to affect Americans and our way of life today. On the
anniversary of this sad day, we should be coming together, in a display
of unity, understanding and common values, commending those selfless
firefighters, police officers and others who provided aid without
regard to their own lives, honoring the memory of those who are not
with us today, and consulting those who continue to grieve.
Instead, the majority in this body has used this day in our history
as an excuse to create more partisan legislation and mislead the
American people about the state of America's safety. I am saddened by
the use of 9/11 in this distorted manner, and I ask my colleagues to
consider, instead, taking action that is more appropriate to mark this
tragic event in our lifetime and to prepare ourselves against another
such tragedy.
Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), who sits as a member of the
Judiciary, Resources and Small Business Committees.
Mr. GOHMERT. There are many now who want to blame our current
President and the Secretary of Defense or the prior President and his
hapless administration for the brutal 9/11 attacks. There were
certainly things that could have been done better over the last 30
years, but playing the blame game now can cause us to lose sight of the
following truth:
No U.S. President destroyed our buildings on 9/11. No Secretary of
Defense killed innocent people on 9/11. Those acts of hatred were
committed by terrorists, by jihadists who want to destroy, pure and
simple, our way of life.
An example on September 11, a brilliant mathematician from Tyler,
Texas, Brian Jack, was a Ph.D., worked for the Department of Defense.
He, ironically that day, left and did not go to the Pentagon. He went
and got on an airplane. Yet evil, terrible men hijacked that airplane
and flew it and crashed it into the very spot where he would have been
working, killing him. That, my friends, was an act of war. We should
not be blaming any American for it.
Brian, and all of those who died that horrible day, deserved better.
We need to unite now. We need to recognize that terrorist Islamic
extremists killed Americans and are at war with us. We must weigh into
that and blame them, go after them and not each other.
Bashing our leaders, instead of showing our brutal enemies our
steadfast resolve, is truly the hobgoblin of little minds. That is
putting the desire for a new Speaker or other leaders above pursuit of
our mutual and destructive enemy.
Our protectors deserve to be honored, not slandered. They deserve to
have people come to this very floor of the House of Representatives and
rave about every medal won, about every good deed, about every life
saved by our servicemembers and not verbally abuse themselves.
Remember September 11, the feelings you had that day. Most of us did
not see the first plane crash, but we were horrified to see a second
plane crash and then to see the results of a plane flying into the
Pentagon, and then to hear about a missing plane over Pennsylvania. We
began to see what looked like clothing falling off the top of the
tower, the Twin Towers, and then we realized to our horror, O Father
God, there are people in those clothes.
Then we wept to realize the true depth and the destruction occurring.
At the end of that day, no one believed we would go 5 years without
having another act of terror. Do you remember the day after September
11?
Do you remember when so many of us came together and held hands and
prayed and sang praises. That is the America that will defeat our foes.
But you remember that day, September 12, there were Euro Americans,
African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, these were
all, we were just Americans. There were no hyphenated Americans.
That is the America I want for my children and their children. That
is the America that will defeat all foes, foreign and domestic, and
that is what will allow God to continue to bless America
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the ranking
subcommittee chairman of the Committee on the Constitution in the House
Judiciary Committee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, it is altogether fitting that we adopt the
resolution commemorating the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks
against

[[Page H6483]]

the United States and specifically against the World Trade Center in my
district on September 11, 2001.
The attacks were unprovoked, dastardly and a notice to us all that we
are not, at our choosing, at war. Since that day, this Congress has
taken many actions in response, some of which I agreed with, some of
which I did not. I resent the Republican leadership's inclusion in this
resolution of references to controversial legislation, as if to imply
that any patriotic American who was appalled at the attacks on our
country and who believes we must take resolute actions to defend
ourselves must approve of all this legislation, and anyone who doesn't
is either unpatriotic or foolish.
It may be, though I do not believe it so, that all this legislation
was wise and appropriate. But that was a highly debatable proposition
and should not be in this resolution.
The resolution quite correctly ``honors the heroic actions of first
responders, law enforcement personnel, State and local officials,
volunteers and others, who aided the innocent victims and bravely
risked their own lives and health following the September 11, 2001,
attacks.'' Unfortunately, unless Congress acts quickly, future
generations will regard this resolution as the culmination of 5 years
of hypocrisy and betrayal.
While we praised the first responders, the Federal Government has
betrayed their trust by first lying to them and causing them to work in
conditions that destroyed the health of many and risked the lives of
thousands. It has conducted a coverup that continues to this day. It
has denied the reality of the resulting illnesses and has provided
almost no help to assist with the medical and other costs imposed on
thousands of first responders. It is not just the first responders.
Many resident school children and people who worked or lived near
Ground Zero are still suffering from the devastating environmental
effects of the attacks. In the days following the attacks, former EPA
Administrator Christine Todd Whitman repeatedly declared the air safe
to breathe.
A Federal judge found that ``Whitman's deliberate and misleading
statements to the press, where she reassured the public that the air
was safe to breathe around Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, and there
would be no health risk for those returning to those areas, shocked the
conscience.'' The EPA Inspector General confirmed the EPA's wrongdoing
and reported 3 years ago that the White House had instructed EPA to
downplay air quality concerns.
For this, Whitman and anyone at the White House who was involved
ought to be criminally prosecuted, and I have demanded an independent
counsel to look into this. Now thousands of people are sick and some
have died from World Trade Center contamination because of the actions
of the Federal Government in telling them to work and live in
contaminated environments.
Studies come out every year showing that most of the people exposed
to 9/11 dust and debris continue to suffer adverse health effects. On
September 5, 2006, Mount Sinai Medical Center released a study that
found that 70 percent of the first responders suffer lung problems
because of their work at Ground Zero. Information collected about the
health effects on residents, people who work in the area, and school
children, show similar patterns.
This resolution before us today claims to honor the heroes of 9/11,
but that is just sheer hypocrisy if we do not at the least provide
health care for these people as they struggle with the effects of the
attacks and of the betrayal by their own government. As Americans, let
us resolve that just as we showed exemplary valor and compassion in the
aftermath of the terrorist attacks, we should do the same for those who
continue to suffer the health effects of living and working in a toxic
environment.
Abraham Lincoln said that it was our job, our duty, to care for him
who shall have borne the battle, and this we must do. We ought to
provide comprehensive health care benefits for all those who are
suffering. I suggest the easiest way to do this would be to extend
Medicare benefits to those with 9/11-related illness who were exposed
to World Trade Center dust.
I have introduced such a bill and urge my colleagues to support it
and pass it without delay. As we mark this fifth anniversary, we still
are not safe. We are not safer than we were on September 11, 2001, as
this resolution claims.
The President and this Congress refused to do what we must to make us
safe. We are not securing all the nuclear material in the former Soviet
Union before it is smuggled to al Qaeda to make nuclear bombs. We are
not screening all of the 12 million shipping containers coming into our
ports to make sure that they do not contain nuclear or biological or
chemical weapons. We are not hardening our nuclear and chemical plants
from sabotage that could kill tens of thousands of Americans. We can
and must do better. Now, the specific resolution before us ought to
pass because we cannot let this occasion go unmarked.
But because of the cynical manipulation of the rules of the House two
months before an election, the Republican leadership is using the
memories of my murdered constituents to try to score political points.
I find this offensive, and I for one will not fall for it.
I will not vote against the victims and heroes of 9/11 simply because
the leadership distilled the resolution with highly charged political
rhetoric. This type of resolution is not the way I would have chosen to
honor 9/11, a day marked by unquestionable national unity.
Nonetheless, out of the respect for the families of the victims, and
on behalf of all Americans, I urge my colleagues to see past the
obviously political paragraphs inserted into the resolution and come
together to support passage of the resolution that should really only
be known for honoring a tragic day in American history.
In order that this resolution not go down in history as hypocritical,
I urge my colleagues to join, finally, in helping the victims of 9/11,
the victims of our government's inaction and betrayal after 9/11. My
thoughts and prayers, as ever, are with the families and friends of
those we lost.
Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), a member of the
Judiciary Committee and Chair of the House Agriculture Committee.

{time} 1800

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I
rise in support of this important resolution.
Five years ago, America's collective national memory was seared with
devastating images of crumbling skyscrapers, a smoldering Pennsylvania
field, and the very symbol of our military might ablaze. The terrorists
who perpetrated these acts sought to instill fear in the hearts of
Americans, perceiving us as weak, unwilling or unable to fight back,
thinking us content to shrink from the international stage. In this,
they misjudged.
Hours after the attacks, homemade banners fluttered over railings of
highway overpasses. Old Glory was flown proudly from porches and
storefronts alike. Out of the ashes, Americans united, and found
strength.
Since that deadly strike, America has been diligently working to
eliminate the scourge of terrorism while making sure that the
individual liberties of Americans are protected.
We established the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate our
national antiterrorism efforts and increase information sharing among
our intelligence agencies. We also created a specific committee in the
House of Representatives to address homeland security issues and
conduct oversight of that agency. We also enacted the PATRIOT Act,
which contains important tools to fight terrorism, including the
application of traditional wiretap and other electronic surveillance
authority to new technologies such as the Internet, as well as the
authority for Federal law enforcement officials to share foreign
intelligence information with other government agencies to protect
national defense. In addition, we enhanced the penalties for money
laundering and for financing terrorists and increased the maximum
criminal penalties for terrorist offenses.
While these tools are extremely important in the war on terror and
have undoubtedly helped ensure that no further attacks have occurred on
U.S. soil to date, the Congress has aggressively

[[Page H6484]]

conducted oversight of this new law to ensure that civil liberties are
not trampled.
From October 2001 through the end of 2005, Congress engaged in over
50 items of terrorism-related oversight, including letters to the
Justice Department, oversight hearings and briefings. During the
consideration of the PATRIOT Act reauthorization last year, the
Judiciary Committee conducted 13 oversight hearings and received
testimony from 36 witnesses, including extensive testimony from
Attorney General Gonzales.
We must never forget the devastation of September 11 and we must
remain vigilant in our quest to eliminate those forces that use terror
to further their political and ideological goals.
I urge my colleagues to join in support of this resolution and to
join together in remaining vigilant and protecting freedom.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
New York (Mrs. Maloney).
(Mrs. MALONEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I almost didn't want to talk about this, it is so
painful for many of us to remember those tragic days and those tragic
events. Monday was a very difficult day, and I thank my colleagues.
Many of you came to New York to remember. Our President was there, and
many others. It has been 5 years, and we spent the day with families
and had many memorial ceremonies.
But it is important to remember that although it was a tragic loss,
it was also considered by some to be the greatest rescue effort in our
history. On 9/12, when I was in various meetings with government
officials, they estimated that 25,000 people had died in the towers.
But because of the heroic efforts by many, that number fell to almost
3,000. So on that fateful day, almost 3,000 lost their lives, but many
thousands more lost their health. We have to remember that these
heroes/heroines need to be taken care of.
To this day, not one single Federal dollar has been spent on the
health care of the 9/11 responders who need our help. We need to change
that. We need to stand by them and give them the support that they
need.
Because of the efforts in this Congress, and I thank my colleagues,
never have we been more united or determined. We came together and
provided a lot of relief and support to New York, and I deeply thank
you on behalf of all of my constituents and all New Yorkers.
But we have to remember that many people are sick. In the study that
came out of Mount Sinai that was funded by this Congress, $90 million
to track the health of the people, over half are still sick. Seventy
percent are very sick and 40 percent have no health care.
We need to change that. We need to stand together and help these
people, as we stood together after 9/11 to help our country
In my hometown, nearly 3,000 of our neighbors, responders and friends
were killed by the despicable terrorist acts of 9/11. They may be gone,
but their memories are forever alive, especially when we honor them, as
we do today. In reading this resolution before us, four words that are
particularly poignant were our call for unity immediately after 9/11--
``We will never forget.''
When recovering and moving forward from 9/11, we must live by this
mantra.
``We will never forget'' means heeding the lessons 9/11 taught us
about our security. Our deficiencies were expertly explained by the
bipartisan 9/11 commission, and their recommendations provided a
blueprint to make us safer. Two years ago, I helped pass the
intelligence reform bill that implemented some of the commission's
recommendations, but it took a monumental struggle. And since then, not
a single remaining recommendation--of which there are many--has been
implemented.
In its final progress report, the commission gave the government more
F's than A's. The blueprint is sitting on the shelf, collecting dust.
We cannot forget its existence.
``We will never forget'' also means taking care of those who continue
to suffer, even now. Thousands of responders, residents and workers who
were at or near Ground Zero and inhaled the toxic dust are developing
serious illnesses--and some are dying.
Many Americans became aware of their plight before of their plight
before the fifth anniversary, but now the news cycle has changed. The
ailing men and women are out of the headlines again, but they still
suffer and struggle to get help.
Before the Federal Government failed to respond to the victims of
Hurricane Katrina, it was failing to respond to the obvious and growing
9/11 health crisis affecting some of our bravest Americans. This is
like Katrina in slow motion.
For five years, the Federal Government has either denied the problem
or reluctantly offered weak assistance. The ailing men and women need
their government to roll up its sleeves and tackle the problem with all
its might, just like our responders did when acting for our country.
Instead, their government is tiptoeing around the crisis.
``We will never forget'' means ensuring everyone who was exposed to
toxins is examined and everyone who is sick is treated. It is just that
simple.
Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy), who sits on the
Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to yield the balance of my time
to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren),
and that he may yield time to Members seeking to speak.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren) will control the remainder of the
time.
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Pennsylvania for 3 minutes.
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, September 11, 2001, is a date which we will remember for
many things. I will now remember it in a different way, because on
September 11, 2006, I traveled with several other people to Shanksville
to watch the families commemorate the fifth anniversary of this
tragedy.
Where I was sitting, I spent much of that ceremony looking at their
tear-filled eyes, the husbands, the wives, the fathers, the mothers,
their brothers and sisters, the cousins, the sons and daughters, and
knowing that much of what they must have been thinking then and now is
what happened and what we will do to prevent it from happening again?
I also know that on September 11, 2001, as that plane, Flight 93, was
flying back towards Washington, DC, it flew over areas south of
Pittsburgh, and I could not help but think as they passed over our
homes and schools that passengers on that plane delayed their action
until they got away from populated areas. But what they did that day
was they began an offense against what we have been taking for granted
for 30 years.
For 30 years, the kidnapping in Iran, the USS Cole bombing, the
bombing of the Khobar Towers, the bombings of our embassies, the
bombing of the Marine barracks, for 30 years we did relatively nothing
but fight back by taking people to court. And that did not work.
It is important that we see this as a battle, as part of a longer
struggle to fight those radical extreme elements of Islamic fascists
who want to take this as a war. Not all Muslims, but that small element
that we must fight against.
We agree we have to win. But what we don't agree with is that we have
to fight, we have to interrogate, we have to detain, we have to listen
in on and we have to track their financial records. And that is why the
acts this Congress has passed, the PATRIOT Act, intelligence reform,
border security, are all an important part of us taking the fight back.
What we will learn from September 11 should be not just a day which
stands alone, but like other September 11ths, this one, the battles
that took place in New York and the Pentagon and Shanksville, September
11, at the Battle of Brandywine in 1777, that is not a stand-alone
date, but it is a date of which we acknowledge the change of what
happened to the American colonial forces in the Revolutionary War. Or
September 11, 1683, a turning point for the Ottoman Empire in the
Battle of Vienna. It ended the siege of the Turks and the turning point
of a 300-year struggle, of which at that time those forces sought to
control Europe.
For the families of 9/11, we must continue to recognize that all of
this is part of a larger battle, not a single act, and if we sit back
and we do nothing

[[Page H6485]]

beyond that, we will not really be acknowledging all that these victims
need. It is part of a battle we have to continue to fight.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 7 minutes to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey), a distinguished member of the
Appropriations Committee.
Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to my
dear friend and colleague, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, for
providing us with this opportunity to speak.
Five years and 2 days after the brutal and vicious attack of
September 11, 2001, it is impossible to contemplate this resolution
without being aware, fully aware, of the way in which our government
has failed.
Less than 4 months after that attack, I was in Afghanistan, thanks to
the initiative and leadership of my friend and colleague,
Representative Jim Kolbe from Arizona, who organized that mission. We
met with President Karzai, among others, and with the new leaders of
the country at that time. And when we asked him what was the most
important thing that we could do to help his country now after the
Taliban had been chased out and Osama bin Laden was on the run, he
said, ``Security. Help us with security. Make sure we are secure. We
will be able to take care of everything else.''
We have failed. Afghanistan is not secure under this government that
we allowed to be put in there. It is not secure. The Taliban is
reemerging. The warlords are back. More and more heroin is being
produced in that country. The situation is becoming increasingly
chaotic and increasingly dangerous. And that is just one example of the
failure of this government.
While we were there, decisions were being made by the administration
not to pursue Osama bin Laden, not to capture Osama bin Laden, and the
likelihood motivating that decision was that if he were to be captured
then that would have made it extremely difficult for the administration
to attempt to justify their intention of attacking Iraq, which they
intended to do at that moment and even earlier.
The situation in Iraq now has deteriorated seriously. We are
confronting there a civil war. In spite of the fact that this Congress
has appropriated more than $300 billion for the rebuilding of that
country, that rebuilding has not occurred. Most of the electricity is
not back on, most of the basic infrastructure is not in place, and the
security situation there continues to deteriorate. There is no plan by
the Pentagon or by this administration for dealing with the
circumstances there. Once again the hallmark of this government is
failure.
We are also now confronting difficulties in other situations because
of this, because of the lack of leadership and because of the failure.
North Korea has resumed its nuclear program. They may have as many as
five or six nuclear warheads produced already. The world is a much more
dangerous place as a result of the failure of this government.
Iran is now resuming its nuclear operations, and they will be in a
position to produce nuclear weapons within the next several years,
perhaps within the next 5 years, or maybe sooner. The world is a much
more dangerous place than it was.
This administration and this Congress have failed miserably to
protect the people of this country, to make us safer and to make the
world a safer place. In fact, the situation is precisely opposite. The
circumstances continue to deteriorate, day in and day out. And there is
no plan. They have no plan for improving the situation, no plan for
making things better, no plan for withdrawing our forces, no plan for
strengthening the government in Iraq as they go deeper and deeper into
civil war.
This Congress has failed miserably. It has failed miserably initially
because it has failed to confront the administration in the deceptive
way in which they justify the attack against Iraq, when Iraq had
absolutely nothing to do with the attack of September 11; how they
focused attention away from the perpetrators of that attack, the al
Qaeda network and Osama bin Laden, for the personal and political
reasons of the administration and focused them on Iraq.

{time} 1815

There was no justification for that. And the responsibility of this
House of Representatives to ensure that this House is not misled by an
administration has been put aside. There has been no investigation of
the way in which the administration misled the Congress. There has been
no investigation of the way in which the administration presented the
so-called intelligence to the Congress which was completely falsified.
And when they presented it, they knew it was falsified. This House of
Representatives has failed the people of our country.
Under the Constitution, we have an obligation to oversee the
executive branch, to make certain that the executive branch is behaving
in a lawful way, to make certain that the executive branch is organized
and conducting itself in accordance with the law and that it is not
violating the law by deceiving the Congress and the American people,
which it has done. And the consequences of that deception is now being
felt by everyone in this country, and the consequences will become
deeper and deeper over time because there is no plan by this
administration to alter the circumstances and to improve them.
So as we deal with this resolution, we ought to recognize how we
ought to be dealing with our obligations and responsibilities as the
legislative branch of this government, the branch that has the
responsibility to make the law and to oversee the operation of those
laws and how that operation has been mishandled by this House. It must
stop. It has to end.
We have to stand up to our obligations and responsibilities under the
Constitution and under the law, and our failure to do so places the
people of this country in increasing jeopardy more and more every day.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to
yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Frelinghuysen), member of the Appropriations Committee and vice
chairman of the Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations.
(Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
resolution marking the fifth anniversary of the vicious attacks on
America.
It was 5 years ago this past Monday, our Nation utterly changed as
tragedy struck in the streets of Lower Manhattan, the fields of
Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon.
On that 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 they were determined to
do their job. Police officers and EMS workers escorted workers out of
the 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 and,
yes, murderous attacks, we lost nearly 3,000 Americans, including 700
from my home State of New Jersey, and that is why I am here this
afternoon. We witnessed neighbors and friends consoling one another and
watched as Americans from all walks of life stood united.
As America rebounds and recovers, our Nation is responding to these
acts of terrorism with the might of our military.
The war we continue to fight today began before September 11, as
others have stated. But on September 11 it began without provocation
and without warning. It was not a war of our choosing, but rather was
made our priority. It was the slaughter of innocents by people with a
twisted sense of religion who play by no rules.
So many of our heroes currently fighting terrorism around the globe
put their lives on hold after September 11 to join the Guard and
Reserve to serve our country and defend our freedom. They serve side by
side with the regular military, volunteers all. We see the character
and resolve of America in these brave young men and women, and we are
grateful for their service and sacrifice and that of their families
each and every day. They truly are doing the work of freedom, and they
deserve our support and prayers.
May God bless those who continue to defend those freedoms, and may we

[[Page H6486]]

never forget September 11, 2001, and those who lost their lives on that
day of infamy.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas, Ms. Sheila Jackson-Lee, the ranking member on the Subcommittee
on Immigration of the House Judiciary Committee
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished
ranking member and my colleagues who are here.
There is not a single heart of a Member of this body that I would
challenge on the basis of their commitment, their passion, and the
sense of loss that we have experienced through these 5 years and now on
the commemoration of this 5th year and certainly on 9/11. So I will
read a section from this resolution, and I am going to attest to my
complete loyalty and commitment to this language: That we reaffirm
``that the American people will never forget the tragedy of September
11, 2001, and the loss of innocent lives that day,'' that we ``will
continue to fight the war on terrorism in their memory, and will never
succumb to the cause of the terrorists.'' That should have been the
guiding moral standard by which this body continued to do its work
after 9/11.
I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to offer my deepest sympathy and empathy
to those who still grieve. The families who lost their loved ones in
the World Trade towers, those who lost their loved ones in United
Flight 93, American Airlines 77, American Airlines 11, and United
Airlines 175, and as well those who have since lost their lives, who
may have lost their lives because they were first responders and they
suffered terrible injuries that caused an early demise.
I wish we could bring them back, frankly. I wish we could tell them
how much we appreciated them. I wish the children who had lost their
family members, their moms, their dads, their grandparents, and others
could again have the joy of hugging them and showing the love. But,
unfortunately, we stand here acknowledging that this tragedy will live
with us forever.
We noticed on September 11 we were not Democrats or Republicans. We
were not red States or blue States. We made a commitment that we were
going to do the right thing, and I can remember the sense of urgency of
a united America as we instigated Operation Enduring Freedom and
pursued the enemy and were diligent as we toppled the Taliban and
liberated Afghanistan, and as has been said, we were hard fast on the
heels of Osama bin Laden. But, Mr. Speaker, I think it would be both
remiss and dishonest to not challenge us and ask the question, where
are we today?
I recently came back from Afghanistan and Iraq, and it is
interesting, as I listened to the distinguished gentleman from New
York, the same question was asked of us by President Karzai. He gave
the same answer, and that answer was that we need security. At the time
we visited, the poppy fields were raging. The Taliban was alive and
well. Members of the Afghanistan Parliament asked us whether or not
they could have us provide security so that they could go home to their
districts. All is not well. And, frankly, I believe it is important to
note, Mr. Speaker, that it was not well because we detoured from our
task. The commitment we gave on the steps of the United States Capitol,
as we sang ``God Bless America,'' to fight the terrorists was not kept
because instead of staying the course in Afghanistan, we moved the
ball. We detoured. We used up resources. We used up international
capital. We used up the ability to do the job.
And I say that because I do it in the memory of the first responders,
who still some of them are looking for health care benefits that we
have not been able to give them. I say that in the name of an unwieldy
war in Iraq that had nothing to do with the immediacy of the war on
terror, a costly diversion, probably where the money for Afghanistan
has gone, $308.58 billion. This red clearly gives us the picture. This
is Iraq, a country that could afford to pay for many of its own needs.
And in the course of that, we have failed. Our border enforcement and
immigration enforcement have fallen drastically under this
administration. Between 1999 and 2004, work-site immigration
enforcement operations against companies were scaled back 99 percent by
the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which subsequently was
merged into the Department of Homeland Security. In 1999 the United
States initiated fines against 417 companies. In 2004 it issued fines
against only three. Years of neglect have brought us where we are
today.
We know that Democrats offered amendments where there would be 6,600
more Border Patrol agents, 14,000 more detention beds, and 2,700 more
immigration agents along our borders. And yet we failed. There is a
concept called OTMs. Now we hear a raging voice on OTMs, ``other than
Mexicans,'' who come across the border who may, in fact, be the very
ones who are here to do us harm. Those very porous aspects of our
border have been defeated and the resources for such have been defeated
time and time and time again.
So what we find is that 84 percent of the experts said we are losing
the war on terror, 86 percent said that the world is becoming more
dangerous for the U.S. and the American people, and 57 percent consider
an attack on the scale of the London bombing against the U.S. to be
likely or certain by the end of the year.
I stand committed and wedded to the concluding language of this
resolution. We will not let the terrorists win. But the debt that we
owe those who lost their lives on 9/11 has not yet been paid, and this
Congress is at fault. This majority is at fault. And I beg today, as we
vote on this resolution with all of its inadequacies in terms of its
language, that our single commitment should be as every Member has
stood on this floor to those who lost their lives and to the first
responders. Can we, Mr. Speaker, do our job today? Can we do it united?
Can we do it on behalf of those who sacrificed? Can we do the right
thing
Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on H. Res. 994, a resolution purporting
to express the sense of the House of Representatives on the fifth
anniversary of the terrorist attacks launched by Osama bin Ladin and
al-Qaeda against the United States on September 11, 2006.
Mr. Speaker, in the life of this Nation there have been a few events
of such consequence and moment that they have a transformative impact
on the people of the country. For my parents' generation the death of
President Franklin Roosevelt was such an occasion. For my generation,
the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 is a moment that lives
with us forever. The explosion of the Shuttle Challenger in 1986 left a
traumatic and indelible impression on my children's generation. The
morning of September 11, 2001 is a day all living Americans will
remember forever. Because not since Pearl Harbor have we witnessed such
a dastardly and deadly attack on American soil.
As I stand here today, my heart still grieves for those who perished
on flights United Airlines 93, American Airlines 77, American Airlines
11, and United Airlines 175. When the sun rose on the morning of
September 11, none of us knew that it would end in an inferno in the
magnificent World Trade Center Towers in New York City and the Pentagon
and in the grassy fields of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. How I wish we
could have hugged and kissed and held each of the victims one last
time.
I stand here remembering those who still suffer, whose hearts still
ache over the loss of so many innocent and interrupted lives. My prayer
is that for those who lost a father, a mother, a husband, a wife, a
child, or a friend will in the days and years ahead take comfort in the
certain knowledge that they have gone on to claim the greatest prize, a
place in the Lord's loving arms. And down here on the ground, their
memory will never die so long as any of the many of us who loved them
lives.
Mr. Speaker, as hard as it is to believe, out of a tragedy so
overwhelming and horrific, something good and great emerged. In the
aftermath of September 11, there were no Republicans or Democrats.
There were no Northerners or Southerners or West or East Coasters. We
were not Red State or Blue State. We were all simply Americans. On that
day, we were united in our shock and anger and sadness. More
importantly, we were united in our resolve to defend our country and
protect the freedoms that has made America the greatest country in the
history of the world. We lit candles, held hands, helped neighbors, and
prayed for our country and its leaders.
A united America can never be defeated as Operation Enduring Freedom
showed. The brave and valiant armed forces of the United States swiftly
toppled the Taliban and liberated Afghanistan and was hard on the heels
of Osama bin Ladin, who was trapped in Tora Bora. But before they could
bring this mass

[[Page H6487]]

murderer to justice, they were inexplicably diverted to Iraq, where the
President had launched a new war against an enemy that posed no
immediate threat to the security of America and had no involvement in
the attack of September 11. In dividing our armed forces between
Afghanistan and Iraq, this Administration divided the American people
and alienated friendly nations who were helping us to win the Global
War on Terror.
Victory in the Global War on Terror is the best way to honor those
who lost and gave their lives on September 11. Ensuring that America is
safe and secure and protected from another attack on American soil is
the least we owe to the heroic passengers on Flight 93 and to the brave
firefighters of the FDNY and officers of the NYPD and the officers and
civilians we lost in the Pentagon who gave faithful service to our
Nation.
So, Mr. Speaker, as we reflect back on the history-changing day 5
years ago, we need to ask ourselves today this haunting question: have
we done everything necessary to make America as safe as it can be? The
sad truth is we have not. Osama bin Ladin is still at large. Our
seaports and trains and chemical plants are still vulnerable.
And most important, our borders are not as secure as they could be.
In recent months, the American public has been focusing on the lack
of security we have on the Nation's borders. Four-and-a-half years
after 9/11, it is clear that our borders remain alarmingly porous and
that much needs to be done to truly make our borders secure.

The fact that our border is porous is not the fault of our hard-
working Border Patrol agents and Customs and Immigration agents, who
are doing the best they can with the staffing levels and resources that
they have been provided. Rather, it is the result of the neglect and
underfunding of border security over the last 4\1/2\ years by the Bush
Administration and Congressional Republicans--who have failed to
provide our border security agencies the resources and personnel they
need to succeed in their mission.
Indeed, under this Administration and this Republican-led Congress,
from 9/11 through April 2006, only 1,641 new Border Patrol agents had
been hired--which is less than a 17 percent increase in 4\1/2\ years.
Furthermore, border enforcement and immigration enforcement have fallen
drastically under the Bush Administration. For example, between 1999
and 2004, worksite immigration enforcement operations against companies
were scaled back 99 percent by the Immigration and Naturalization
Service, which subsequently was merged into the Department of Homeland
Security. In 1999, the United States initiated fines against 417
companies. In 2004, it issued fine notices to only three.
After years of neglect, Congressional Republicans and President Bush
are now busying themselves with speeches about the importance of border
security--but the question remains: where have the Republicans been for
the past 4\1/2\ years?
Over the past 4\1/2\ years, Democrats have been attempting to
highlight the serious security gaps that exist along both our southern
and northern borders--and have been attempting to get the GaP-
controlled Congress to focus on targeting resources on unfilled gaps.
But the Republicans time and again resisted efforts to enhance border
security and provide our borders the agents, equipment, and state-of-
the-art technology that our borders so desperately need.
Seven times over the last 4\1/2\ years, Democrats have offered
amendments to enhance border security resources. If these Democratic
amendments had been adopted, there would be 6,600 more Border Patrol
agents, 14,000 more detention beds, and 2,700 more immigration agents
along our borders than now exist. Each time, these efforts have been
rejected by the Republican Majority.
Mr. Speaker, consider these examples of the majority's failure to
provide leadership for America on border security since 9/11.
1. 2001 Vote #454--November 28, 2001--H.R. 3338, FY 2002 Defense
Appropriations/Emergency Supplemental: Republicans voted against
consideration of an amendment that would have added $223 million for
border security--to help meet the promises in the 2001 PATRIOT Act on
border staffing and to build needed border facilities. After 9/11,
experts recognized that the porousness of the northern border
represented a major security threat to the United States. And everyone
remembered the attempt by an Islamic extremist to get a large amount of
explosives across the Canadian border in December 1999 to blow up the
Los Angeles Airport in the Millennium bombing plot. Recognizing these
concerns, Congress included a provision in the PATRIOT Act mandating
the tripling of the number of border agents and inspectors along the
northern border. This amendment included $145 million to make a down
payment on the promise of Congress in the PATRIOT Act to triple
northern border personnel, which the bill failed to do, and to purchase
surveillance equipment. The amendment also included $78 million for the
highest priority facility needs of the Border Patrol and other parts of
the INS--particularly the Border Patrol's detention facility needs.
2. 2003 Vote #301--June 24, 2003--H.R. 2555, FY 2004 Homeland
Security Appropriations: Republicans voted against consideration of an
amendment that would have added $300 million for border security,
including making a further downpayment on the promise of Congress in
the 2001 PATRIOT Act to triple the number of border agents and
inspectors along the northern border. The amendment was critically
needed because the level of northern border personnel funded in the
Republican bill was about 30 percent below the commitment made in the
PATRIOT Act.
3. 2003 Vote #305--June 24, 2003--H.R. 2555, FY 2004 Homeland
Security Appropriations: This vote was regarding the same amendment as
2003 Vote #301 above. On a vote on appealing the ruling of the chair,
Republicans once again voted against consideration of this amendment
that would have added $300 million for enhancing border security,
including adding border agents and inspectors along the northern
border.
4. 2004 Vote #243--June 16, 2004--H.R. 4567, FY 2005 Homeland
Security Appropriations: Republicans voted against consideration of an
amendment that would have added $750 million for border security--to
help meet the promises in the PATRIOT Act on border staffing, better
monitor our borders, and deploy radiation portal monitors. Under the
GOP bill, the level of northern border personnel funded was still about
30 percent below the commitment made in the PATRIOT Act--so the
amendment was designed to help Congress keep its promise. The $750
million would also have been used for giving Border Patrol more of the
equipment they critically needed--including air stations for air
patrols, radiation portal monitors, and state-of-the-art surveillance
equipment.

5. 2005 Vote #160--May 5, 2005--H.R. 1268, FY 2005 Supplemental
Appropriations Conference Report: Republicans voted against a motion to
send the report back to conference with instructions to add $284
million for border security measures--that would bring funding for
border security in the conference report up to the level in the Senate-
passed bill. The $284 million included the funding for 550 additional
Border Patrol agents and 200 additional immigration agents that was
included in the Senate bill. It also included the funding in the Senate
bill for unmanned border aerial vehicles, which have been used
successfully in Arizona to assist in surveillance.
6. For FY 2006 and FY 2007, Republicans Have Repeatedly Broken the
Promises They Made on Border Security in the Intelligence Reform (9/11)
Act of 2004: In December 2004, the Congress enacted the Intelligence
Reform (or 9/11) Act (PL 108-458). One of the key commitments Congress
made in that Act was to beef up border security measures. This included
the specific promise of providing 2,000 additional Border Patrol
agents, 800 additional immigration agents, and 8,000 additional
detention beds per year from FY 2006 through FY 2010. And yet, both for
FY 2006 and FY 2007, the Republican Congress has repeatedly voted
against efforts to meet this mandate, as seen below.
7. 2005 Vote #174--May 17, 2005--H.R. 2360, FY 2006 Homeland Security
Appropriations: Republicans voted against consideration of an amendment
that would have added $400 million for border security, to meet the
promises Congress made on additional Border Patrol agents, immigration
agents, and detention beds in the 9/11 Act. First, the President's
budget for 2006 broke the promise of the 9/11 Act by providing funding
for only 210 new Border Patrol agents in 2006--1,790 below the number
promised. The Republican appropriations bill was better than the
President's budget, funding 1,000 new agents--but this was still 1,000
agents short of the promise made in the 9/11 Act. The Republican bill
also broke the promises on immigration agents and detention beds. This
amendment was designed to live up to the commitments of the 9/11 Act.
It added funding for Border Patrol agents, and also added funding for
600 additional immigration agents to get to the 800 promised and added
funding for 4,000 additional detention beds to get to the 8,000
promised.
8. 2005 Vote #187--May 18, 2005--H.R. 1817, FY 2006 Homeland Security
Authorization: Republicans voted against a Democratic substitute to the
Homeland Security Authorization bill that was designed to fulfill the
promises in the 9/11 Act. For example, the Democratic substitute
included a full authorization for funding a total of 800 additional
immigration agents for 2006 promised in the 9/11 Act and a full
authorization for funding a total of 8,000 additional detention beds
for 2006 promised in the 9/11 Act.
9. 2005 Vote #188--May 18, 2005--H.R. 1817, FY 2006 Homeland Security
Authorization: Similarly, Republicans voted against a

[[Page H6488]]

motion to recommit the Homeland Security Authorization bill with
instructions to report it back immediately with instructions to add 15
mandates from the Intelligence Reform (or 9/11) Act that had not been
included in the Republican bill, including full authorization for
funding a total of 800 additional immigration agents for 2006 and full
authorization for funding a total of 8,000 additional detention beds
for 2006.
10. 2006 Vote #56--March 16, 2006--H.R. 4939, FY 2006 Supplemental
Appropriations: Republicans defeated an amendment to H.R. 4939, FY 2006
Supplemental Appropriations, offered by Representative Martin Sabo,
which would have added $600 million for border security measures to the
bill. The $600 million included $400 million for installation of 1,500
radiation portal monitors at locations along the border and $200
million for additional air patrols and other aviation assets at our
land borders.
11. 2006 Vote #210--May 25, 2006--H.R. 5441, FY 2007 Homeland
Security Appropriations: Republicans voted against consideration of an
amendment that would have added $2.1 billion for border security,
including $1.5 billion to meet the promises Congress made on additional
Border Patrol agents, immigration agents, and detention beds in the 9/
11 Act. The Republican Congress has failed to meet these mandates for
both 2006 and 2007. This amendment provided enough funding to address
the cumulative shortfalls that have resulted from underfunding in both
2006 and 2007.
For example, on Border Patrol agents, the Republican Congress had
funded only 1,000 additional agents for 2006 and was funding only 1,200
additional agents for 2007--leaving the Congress 1,800 agents short of
what it had promised in the 9/11 Act. Hence, the amendment provided
funding for these 1,800 additional agents. Similarly, the amendment
also funded the nearly 500 additional immigration agents and 9,000
additional detention beds beyond those in the bill that were promised
by the 9/11 Act. The amendment also included $610 million to further
increase border detection capabilities, including funding more
radiation portal monitors along the borders and providing additional
air patrols along the borders.

Conclusion

I believe it is the resolve of all Members of this House and of all
Americans to prevail in the Global War on Terrorism. I believe all
Americans want their country to remain safe, free, and invulnerable to
another cowardly attack like the one we witnessed 5 years ago. We owe
that much to the Americans who lost and gave their lives. We owe it to
them to ensure that their children and loved ones will never again
experience such pain, suffering, and loss. We can do this. We must do
this. But to bring this new future into being, we need a new direction
from the present course.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield for the
purpose of making a unanimous consent request to the distinguished
gentleman from Florida, the former chairman of the Appropriations
Committee, Mr. Young.
(Mr. YOUNG of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House
Resolution 994
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 994,
legislation that recognizes September 11th as a national day of
mourning and service in remembrance of those who lost their lives in
the terrorist attacks on that dark day in American history and of those
too who have paid the ultimate price in our ongoing war against global
terrorism.
With this resolution, we also honor the heroic actions of the first
responders, law enforcement personnel, volunteers and others who aided
the innocent victims and bravely risked their own lives and health to
help the victims of terrorist attacks in our Nation's Capital, New York
City, and the fields of Pennsylvania.
We also express our ongoing thanks for our men and women who serve
our Nation in uniform in military service, as intelligence personnel,
and as law enforcement officials as they continue to put their lives on
the line every day here at home and around the world in the war on
terrorism. This is indeed a global war and we also give thanks for all
the nations of the world who have joined in this effort.
These efforts have met with tremendous success as our combined forces
have thwarted a number of major terrorist organizations and specific
planned attacks against American targets and our allies. We cannot,
however, lessen our resolve if we are to successfully search out and
eliminate these terrorists and their terror cells.
In adopting this resolution, we vow to remain vigilant in this war
against terrorists and commit to providing every resource they require
to win this fight. We also reaffirm our commitment to never forget the
tragic loss of human life on September 11th and in doing so continue to
fight the war against terrorists in their memory, never succumbing to
the fear they generate.
Mr. Speaker, on that dark day, the American people came together as
one in a way we have never seen in our Nation's history. We put
politics and ideology aside and focused our attention on securing our
Nation, healing our wounded, and consoling our grieving.
My hometown newspaper The St. Petersburg Times was right on the mark
in its editorial Monday, saying, ``On this anniversary, we would do
well to put aside our rancorous divisions and crazy conspiracy theories
and reflect on that post-9/11 period when Americans came together in
purpose and spirit and much of the world felt our pain, even if it all
was too brief. That memory is worth holding on to.''
This editorial, which I will include in its entirety following my
remarks, correctly states that we can never go all the way back to the
way things were before terrorists struck here on our soil. However, the
Times calls upon us as a nation to go back to that time five years ago
in renewing our national unity to secure our shores and rebuff the
threat of fear and destruction from cowardly terrorists in saying:
``But we can--and we must--hold on to the values and the spirit that
some call American exceptionalism. The terrorists would like nothing
better than to see us surrender our most precious freedoms and bedrock
values to fear. So on this fifth anniversary of that day of unspeakable
savagery, let us remember how we felt on Sept. 12, 2001, not the fear
and heartbreak so much as the unity and purpose we shared. Only then
can we take a full measure of our loss.''
Mr. Speaker, we recall that after 9/11 my colleagues and I in the
Congress authorized the President to do whatever he deemed necessary to
fight this new war on terrorism. Those who are engaged in this war
today are patriots and we must all support them. While I support our
current operations, I know that we have people in this country who
disagree with our current war on terror. And you know what? They are
patriots too. Those who agree with the President, they are patriots.
Those who disagree with the President, they are patriots. Those who
agree with me are patriots. Those who disagree with me are patriots.
Republicans, Democrats, liberals, conservatives, we are concerned about
our homeland and our security. And by and large everyone who remains
engaged in this great debate is showing themselves to be patriots in
their care and concern for our country and our men and women in
uniform.
Let that be one of the most important lessons of September 11, 2001.
While we may continue to disagree at times, let us give thanks for the
freedom to disagree and at the end of the day come together in unity to
support the brave men and women in all branches of service who fight
the scourge of terrorism here and abroad. This can and should be the
lasting tribute to all those who lost their lives five years ago.

[From the St. Petersburg Times, Sept. 11, 2006]

Freedom From Fear

Five years ago today, on a lovely September morning, bolts
of terror came out of a clear, blue sky. Nineteen men armed
only with box cutters hijacked four passenger airliners and
rammed three of them into the symbols of American military
and financial might. Two of the planes flew into the twin
towers of the World Trade Center in New York in a horrifying
spectacle. A third plane demolished a wing of the Pentagon. A
fourth, United Flight 93, believed to be headed for
Washington, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after
passengers rose up against the hijackers, In less than an
hour, 3,000 people died that day.
That was the day terrorism came to America, and we haven't
been the same since. Neither has much of the world. Since
then, terrorists have struck in London and Madrid and
Indonesia, among other places--nothing as spectacular as 9/11
but still lethal to hundreds of innocents. But they have not
hit the United States again, not that anyone doubts that they
have been trying. President Bush said last week that scores
of terrorist plots have been foiled, and that while America
is safer than it was five years ago, it is still not safe.
Will it ever be in a world of suicidal maniacs?
On this anniversary, we would do well to put aside our
rancorous divisions and crazy conspiracy theories and reflect
on that post-9/11 period when Americans came together in
purpose and spirit and much of the world felt our pain, even
if it all was too brief. That memory is worth holding on to.
There was something unreal about watching the horror of
that day unfold on television. Who can forget the sight of
people leaping to their deaths from the top floors of the
burning twin towers? Or of the first responders--
firefighters, police officers and rescue workers--who
heroically braved smoke and fire and dust in their desperate
attempt to reach any survivors? Americans lined up to donate
blood and gave generously

[[Page H6489]]

to aid the families of the victims. We knew the endless
kindness of strangers. In Washington, bitter partisanship
gave way to unity and the debate over domestic priorities was
crushed by the question of how to protect the homeland from
madmen bent on mass destruction.
The world wept with us and for us as they saw America as a
victim instead of an arrogant superpower. Iranians held
candlelight vigils to express support for the American
people. Germans marched in the street to show solidarity. In
France, a front-page editorial in Le Monde, reliably anti-
American on most things, proclaimed: ``We Are All
Americans.'' The world stayed with us when Bush launched a
``just war'' in Afghanistan, where the Taliban was protecting
Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terrorists.
Sadly, the good that came out of 9/11 was not to last. It
began to unravel after the president, with the approval of
most congressional Democrats, chose to go to war against
Iraq, which had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. World
opinion turned against us, and as Iraq became a huge debacle,
Americans turned on each other.
America has taken quite a beating in world opinion in
recent years on everything from prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib
and Guantanamo to secret CIA prisons abroad and warrantless
eavesdropping at home. The debate over balancing our
liberties and our security rages on in Washington, and
America's image in the world has been badly tarnished.
We can never go back to the way things were before 9/11--or
even to the way we were in the immediate aftermath of that
calamity. It's hard to imagine a future not chilled by the
threat of terrorism, which started as a cause and has now
metastasized into a mentality among Islamic extremists.
But we can--and we must--hold on to the values and the
spirit that some call American exceptionalism. The terrorists
would like nothing better than to see us surrender our most
precious freedoms and bedrock values to fear.
So on this fifth anniversary of that day of unspeakable
savagery, let us remember how we felt on Sept. 12, 2001, not
the fear and heartbreak so much as the unity and purpose we
shared. Only then can we take a full measure of our loss.

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to
yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Bilirakis), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and vice
chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, we are here today to commemorate the fateful events of a
beautiful September morning. For most of us in this Chamber, September
11, 2001, started out like any other warm, sunny Tuesday morning. We
were going about our daily business, meeting with constituents, and
participating in committee hearings. The hint of fall hung in the air
as we attended to pressing needs and kept tight schedules.
But everything changed in an instant. The images of the burning World
Trade Center towers and the Pentagon rocked us to the core, shaking our
sense of calm and filling us with fear, confusion, and heartbreak.
Instead of arguing about some partisan issue or another, we spent the
day consoling our families, our constituents, and each other. The
entire country grieved as one for those who had perished.
Our hearts were broken that day, but they were not destroyed. We
witnessed a rebirth of sorts in this Nation, Americans young and old
finding common ground in their grief and fear, united in ways we never
expected. They gave of themselves sacrificially to meet the needs of
others. Houses of worship were packed with people praying for those who
had lost loved ones in the buildings or on the planes.
In the days following September 11, we were inspired by the stories
of valiant first responders and heroic Americans who thought little of
their own welfare as they rescued others and brought down hijacked
planes. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude. Their actions gave
us hope in the American spirit and resolve to ensure that something
like this never happened again.
Five years have passed, and we have made great strides in securing
our homeland and protecting the American people from harm. We have
passed laws designed to prevent acts of terrorism.

{time} 1830

Our law enforcement and intelligence communities have disrupted
terrorist plots. Our brave men and women in uniform have taken the
fight to the terrorists abroad so we don't have to fight on our
Nation's soil. The American people have resumed their daily activities
even while continuing to grieve and comforting those who still mourn.
Mr. Speaker, the terrorists who committed the heinous atrocities on
September 11 thought they would break the American spirit and send us
whimpering into the history books with our tails between our legs. They
were wrong. We have acted and will continue to act decisively against
anyone who preys upon the innocent and threatens our freedom. The heart
of America beats strong of our good and compassionate people. We will
not be silenced and we will not back down. May God continue to bless
the United States of America.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to recognize the minority
leader of the House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago on Monday, on the day the terrorists
attacked our Nation, Members of Congress gathered on the steps of the
Capitol and sang God Bless America. Many speakers today have referenced
that moment, because I think it had a profound effect on all of us. We
really did need God's blessing. We put aside partisanship to respond
with one voice that we would do everything in our power to ensure that
our Nation would be fully healed and fully safe, and that the American
people would know that we were working hard to bring those who were
responsible for 9/11 to justice.
Today, we should have embraced that same spirit of 5 years ago on the
steps of the Capitol. The United States Senate did. This week, they
passed a resolution which mourned the innocent victims of the attacks,
consoled their families, praised our troops for their valor,
underscored our resolve to find all of those responsible for the
attacks and bring them to justice, and emphasized our commitment to
stopping terrorists who would harm the American people. Democrats and
Republicans alike in the Senate came together in support of that
resolution.
I would have hoped that that could have come to the floor here. We
were prepared to support that, Democrats were, but the Republican
leadership refused.
Instead, the Republican leadership gave us a resolution here this
evening which is self-congratulatory. It praises Congress, for some
reason. Instead of having the focus on the innocent victims of 9/11, it
talks about the accomplishments of this Congress. I can't even imagine
why they thought that was a good idea. But since they opened the door
to what they have done, they have opened the door to what they have not
done.
Two years ago, the bipartisan, independent 9/11 Commission concluded
that the American people were failed by their government on 9/11. To
prevent future similar incidents and failures, the Commission made 41
recommendations. Last December, the same independent Commission issued
a report card on the implementation of those recommendations. Sixteen
grades that were awarded were either D's and F's, and others were
incompletes. In May of this year, the Commissioners reviewed the record
on implementation once again; their conclusion on the poor grades, no
progress.
Two days ago, the Commission's chairman and vice chairman, Democrat
and Republican or Republican and Democrat, wrote about the December
report card in an op ed in the Boston Globe, and I quote: ``What we
argued then is still true now; Americans are safer, but they are not
yet safe.'' And concluded, ``Our sense of national urgency is
lacking.''
Mr. Speaker, we have lost our focus on terrorism since the invasion
of Iraq, and that is one of the chief reasons that the 9/11
Commission's report card reflected so poorly on the Bush administration
and on the Republican Congress.
Our focus should have continued to be on Afghanistan. The war in Iraq
is the wrong war. No matter how many times the President wants to say
it, the war in Iraq is not the war on terror. The war in Afghanistan
was. We had the opportunity to destroy al Qaeda in Afghanistan, and we
missed the opportunity because we lost our focus. Instead, 5 years
later, the Taliban is on the resurgence, violence

[[Page H6490]]

has increased, the poppy crop, the opium crop is all pervasive.
Think of this. Afghanistan now supplies 90 percent of the opium
supply to the world. 90 percent. The increase in just the last couple
of years is 50 percent. They went from 4,000 metric tons to 6,100
metric tons of cultivation. This is what is happening in Afghanistan
A missed opportunity to crush al Qaeda, an increase in violence, a
rising resurgence in the Taliban, and the increase in the poppy crop.
Mr. Speaker, let us use the occasion that we have as we consider this
flawed resolution to resolve to do better. Let us honor the memories of
the innocent victims of 9/11 attacks and their families by doing the
unfinished business of the 9/11 Commission. We have heard about it all
day, it is in the public domain, it was in their best selling book a
couple of years ago, and we still haven't gotten it done.
Isn't it hard to believe and to know that 5 years after 9/11 we still
do not have real-time, that means immediate communication, among
police, fire, and other first responders. We paid a price for this with
Hurricane Katrina. Five years later, we still do not have the screening
at our ports that we should have; we are at 5 percent, we should be at
100 percent of screening. That is possible, it is affordable, and it is
technologically available to us.
Five years after 9/11, we still do not have our borders secure. We
have not mandated, because this Congress refuses to do so and this
administration does, too, we still have not mandated the private sector
to protect our nuclear and chemical power plants.
The list goes on of shortcomings. The 9/11 Commission said we should
increase the pace of reform at the FBI. There are so many things that
are lacking in what we are doing to protect the American people. The
biggest threat to the security and safety of the American people is the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the unsafeguarded
radioactive material that is out there. For about $10 billion, about a
month in Iraq, we could buy up all of the known radioactive material
that is out there that could fall into the hands of the terrorists. It
is a lot of money. It is a small price to pay for the safety of the
American people. And yet, for reasons that are hard to explain to
anyone, we have refused over and over again to pass legislation that
would appropriate the resources to do that.
Taking the actions to correct the unfinished business of the 9/11
Commission and others recommended by the Commission other than what I
mentioned is consistent with the sacrifices of the people in New York
and Virginia and Pennsylvania on 9/11, and the sacrifices made since
then by the men and women serving in our Armed Forces. And God bless
them. They have done a magnificent job for our country. We have to do
better by them. We owe it to each and every one of them to do
everything we can as quickly as we can to make America safe.
Mr. Speaker, it all comes down to the personal, now. Doesn't it? As
we think back 5 years, we think about those families. Nearly 3,000
people were killed that day. Two thousand children lost their parents.
The emotional toll is just incalculable. And yet, as our colleague
Congresswoman Maloney has pointed out, from New York, the heroes and
heroines of 9/11, Congressman Nadler as well, are not having their
needs met. It is the responsibility of government to meet the health
care needs of the people who risked their lives, who went in there
without even a thought of whether they would help save a life or not.
And now, without a thought, their needs are ignored. We have an
opportunity to do better by them. We owe them that obligation, because
with all the talk that we can do about initiatives and proclamations
and honoring and the rest, it all comes down to the people, to the
personal, to the impact on their lives.
Of course we will vote for this flawed resolution. It could be
better. But just because the Republicans decided that they wanted to
praise themselves instead of focusing on the business at hand doesn't
mean that we won't support it.
But as we vote for it, I call upon the Speaker of the House to bring
to this floor before we adjourn for the elections legislation to enact
the 9/11 Commission recommendations. We have all the time in the world
to do it. Nothing is more important than the safety of the American
people. We have no greater responsibility as elected officials than to
provide for that public safety and the national security of our
country, because nothing else matters if we don't protect the American
people. Instead, we have ignored those needs. We are cutting the COPS
programs so the neighborhoods are not safer. We are making matters
worse. We have the opportunity to make matters better. If we do pass
them, only then will we truly be honoring the memory of those who died.
Only then will we truly be keeping our promise to their families that
we will make America as safe as we can be.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution today, but join me in
bipartisanship. We can do this in a bipartisan way without controversy.
The list is clear. The support is there. The need is urgent. I urge the
Speaker once again to bring the 9/11 Commission's recommendations to
the floor to make America safer, to bring some peace to the families of
9/11, and to bring to justice those who are responsible for those
heinous acts 5 years ago.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. I now yield 2 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), a member of
the Agriculture, International Relations, and Small Business
Committees.
Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, today we remember those who died
tragically on September 11, 2001, and the family members who continue
to mourn such terrible loss. We honor the strength of these Americans,
and we also thank the brave men and women defending America today from
those who continue to seek to do us harm.
Mr. Speaker, we live in a very special place. We live in a country
that is built on the fundamental principle that all persons have
inherent dignity and rights. The freedoms we enjoy depend upon this
fundamental principle. And as many did in the aftermath of the 9/11
attacks, Americans are willing to risk their lives for the sake of
their fellow citizens, for the good of the country, family, and
community.
Last week, I had the privilege of formally welcoming home the
soldiers of the 67th Area Support Group of the Nebraska National Guard
as they all returned home safely from over a year-long deployment. What
a beautiful scene, families reunited, husbands and wives in loving
embraces, children scrambling to meet the mom or dad they had known
only through letters or photos for the past year, parents taking up
young children in their arms perhaps for the very first time.

{time} 1845

In their commitment and patriotism, these soldiers had given more
than a year away to family and home to serve their country. Many of our
military service personnel will tell you that their service is driven
by the events of that fateful day 5 years ago. They sacrifice so much
personally to help protect our Nation.
Fortunately, there has not been another attack on America for 5
years. This is not due to wishful thinking. This is due to the
extraordinary effort to rethink and reform our national security
efforts. Our military, our homeland security forces, police officers,
firefighters, and emergency first responders have all played a very
important role in protecting our country.
Their work helps make America safer. Their sacrifice keeps our
families more secure, and the compassion, resolve and support from the
American people give their work all the more meaning and help keep our
Nation strong.
We have faced difficult challenges of worldwide significance in the
recent past: World War II and the Cold War. We prevailed then, and we
must prevail now for the good of our country and the hope of a more
peaceful world.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5
minutes.
Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago there were a lot of questions as to who
attacked us and why we were attacked. Answers came to that in fairly
short order, but the question of why still remained and what those who
attacked us had in order for us in the future.
In the book, ``Nuclear Terrorism,'' there is a citation to Osama bin
Laden's official press spokesman

[[Page H6491]]

Suleiman Abu Gheith making a chilling announcement on the now defunct
al Qaeda-associated Web site, and these are his words.
``We have the right,'' he said, ``to kill 4 million Americans, 2
million of them children.'' Let me repeat that. The spokesman for Osama
bin Laden said on their Web site, ``We have the right to kill 4 million
Americans, 2 million of them children, and to exile twice as many and
wound and cripple hundreds of thousands.''
He went on the Web site to explain what justified it, and these are
his words. ``America with the collaboration of the Jews is the leader
of corruption and the breakdown of values, whether moral, ideological,
political, or economic corruption. It disseminates abomination and
licentiousness among the people via the cheap media and the vile
curricula. America is the reason for all oppression, injustice,
licentiousness, or suppression that is the Muslim's lot. It stands
behind all the disasters that were caused and are still being caused to
the Muslims; it is immersed in the blood of Muslims and cannot hide
this.''
Why do I mention this? I mention it because the threat is clear. They
have officially said that they would not feel that they have succeeded
until they have taken 1,400 assaults similar to those of 9/11, because
that is what would be required, 1,400 times the loss of life that we
had on 9/11.
They do not refer to any cleavage between Democrats and Republicans.
They do not say they do this because of what this administration did or
that administration did or because of what the Democrats did in the
Congress or the Republicans. They did that because they reject
everything we stand for.
That is why we bring this resolution to the floor. This resolution is
brought to the floor in recognition of the threat against us, the
challenges it presents and what we have done working together,
Republicans and Democrats, men and women who are Americans first to try
and respond to that threat for ourselves, our children and our
grandchildren.
We need to remind the American people of the affirmative steps that
we have taken: the PATRIOT Act, which changed the way we dealt with the
threat of terrorism; other programs that we have supported and the
administration has carried out.
So this is not a fight over partisanship. This is not a suggestion of
one-upsmanship. This is a recognition of the threat that faces us as
Americans, and we are committed and united as Americans to respond to
that.
That is what this resolution stands for. That is what it says. That
is why we bring it to the floor, to ask all Members to support it so
that we can show that there is unity in this body, not division, so
that we can show that we understand the challenges that we face and
that we are up to the challenges that face us as a Nation.
We can do no less than our parents' generation did in responding to
the totalitarianism of their time as we respond to the totalitarianism
of our time.
Mr. Speaker, this is not an effort to divide. It is an effort to
unify. It is an effort to show the American people that we are together
in this fight and we shall continue this fight
Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Tom Davis).
Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, remembrance is a solemn
obligation, a duty owed by every obligation to those whose honor, love
and sacrifice light our way today. To the 2,996 souls who perished on
September 11, we owe more than political rhetoric, more than annual
ritual. They are remembered best, they live, not just what we say but
in what we do to build a safer, more peaceful world.
So the resolution before us today rightly speaks of actions taken,
and calls for all Americans to act in the generous, unified spirit born
that deadly day. In calling for September 11 to be observed as a day of
national service, we seek to build a living monument to all those who
have died in the long simmering war that erupted onto our shores 5
years ago. Good done in their name has a special power against the evil
we fight.
9/11 brought that evil home: to homes in New York, Pennsylvania and
Virginia, and to shocked and grieving homes across our Nation.
``Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people,
our territory, and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence
in our Armed Forces, with the unbounding determination of our people,
we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God.'' That was spoken
the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. President Franklin
Roosevelt's words evoke the realism and optimism needed to meet our
present peril.
As then, we are at war and no political difference or debate can
detract from the heroic work done every day by the men and women of
America's military. The 184 people who gave their lives at the Pentagon
5 years ago fought on an unexpected battlefield, but toiled until the
end in loyal service to the national ideals, liberty and justice, to
which we pledge allegiance each day in this Chamber. Let us pledge in
their memory to honor and support all those who fight to defend America
and advance freedom.
Unlike the last global conflict, this war is being waged
surreptitiously, the enemy lurking among us in shadowy networks and
across cyberspace. On 9/11 America's first responders got a bitter
taste of this new era, but their valor and grit carried us all through
that day and those that followed. In memory of their fallen comrades,
let us pledge through this resolution to honor and support the work of
the public safety and public health professionals who work every day to
protect us from terrorist attacks.
This resolution is also an opportunity to renew the sense of urgency
forged in the crumbling inferno of the Twin Towers. With each passing
year, what looked hugely urgent after 9/11 tends to get smaller in the
viewfinder as more current problems loom large. But while we lose sight
of the threat, an enemy who relentlessly worked to transform airplanes
into guided missiles is maniacally focused on other ways to harm us.
Distance from the tragedy of 9/11 has also allowed some politics to
seep into our security equations. Our vulnerabilities are many, and
always will be. There will always be risks and there will always be
those eager to take advantage of them. To those seeking to exploit
fears rather than build trust, the glass will always be half empty. But
genuine security after 9/11 is not a static goal or measurement; it is
a process and a mindset. If we stay alert, get good intelligence on the
evolving threat, and take the prudent precautions we are willing to
tolerate and able to afford without crashing the economy or terrorizing
ourselves, we will be safe. It is more than luck there has not been
another major attack since 9/11.
So we remember and we pray for the dead and their families, friends
and colleagues. And, as we face the certain challenges of an uncertain
future, we take solace in the ancient Hebrew lesson, ``There are stars
whose light only reaches the earth long after they have fallen apart.
There are people whose remembrance gives light in this world long after
they have passed away. Their light shines in our darkest nights on the
road we must follow.''
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, this has been an important discussion between ourselves.
I feel better now that we have resolved to overlook those parts of this
resolution that could be called congratulatory to the executive branch,
to the Congress, to any parties.
We come together now to remember and memorialize once again the great
contributions of those who served on the front lines and those who gave
their lives and the families of those who died in this great tragedy of
9/11/01
Mr. Speaker, it is in that spirit that we on this side yield back the
balance of our time.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, we yield the
balance of our time to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the
distinguished majority leader.
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, let me thank my colleague from California
for yielding the time, and today, the people's House has taken up
legislation marking the 5-year anniversary of the terror attacks of
September 11, 2001.
We remember the lives of the victims, the many moms, dads, children,
grandparents, friends and neighbors,

[[Page H6492]]

and we honor the police officers and the firefighters, and we salute
their bravery and the sacrifices of these rescue workers, the EMT
personnel and first responders who were there that day.
We offer America's sons and daughters in uniform our deepest
gratitude, many of them on the other side of the world sacrificing so
much so very far away from home.
Words can hardly capture the magnitude of horror that we suffered on
that Tuesday morning 5 years ago. Much like finding out about the
bombing of Pearl Harbor or the assassination of President Kennedy, all
of us remember exactly where we were when we first heard that multiple
planes had attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in a
massive, elaborate and coordinated attack from terrorists.
On September 11, 2001, we came face-to-face with evil but it was not
the first time. During the 1990s, enemies of freedom used terror and
violence in futile attempts to intimidate the United States and other
countries around the world in the cause of freedom.
On February 26, 1993, the first World Trade Center bombing killed six
people and injured more than 1,000 others.
On June 25, 1996, the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia killed 20
people and injured 372 more.
On June 7, 1998, the Kenya embassy bombing killed 213 people and
injured some 5,000 others.
On June 7, the same day, our embassy in Tanzania was bombed, killing
11 people and injuring 68.
And then on October 12, 2000, the USS Cole was bombed off the coast
of Yemen, killing 17 people and injuring 39.
What was our response? During the 1990s, world leaders looked up at
the problem of radical Islamic terrorism, they looked up, they looked
away, and they hoped the problem would go away. This reaction led al
Qaeda and others to believe they could attack us repeatedly,
indefinitely and with impunity.

{time} 1900

But they were wrong. On September 11, the terrorists targeted symbols
of American strength and prosperity as an attack on our principles, our
values, and our freedoms as an American people. Their aim was to shake
our will and to intimidate our allies. But as the skies darkened over
New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, we made a simple vow: never
again.
In a post-9/11 world, doing nothing is no longer an option. In a
post-9/11 world, closing your eyes and hoping for the best is not an
option. In a post-9/11 world, weakness in the face of evil is not an
option.
Five years later, we have made significant progress in confronting
those who would attack us again. When he addressed Congress in the days
immediately following the attacks, President Bush said: ``Whether we
bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice
will be done.'' We have done just that.
Unlike the previous strikes by al Qaeda against our embassies, the
USS Cole, and so on, September 11 brought a broad and global response
from the United States. Congress acted swiftly in approving the USA
PATRIOT Act, legislation providing law enforcement with the tools
necessary to prevent another attack. We have waged two conflicts, one
in Afghanistan, another in Iraq, liberating more than 50 million people
and crushing despotic regimes with links to terrorist activities and a
thirst for weapons of mass destruction.
We have more work to do, but our progress has been steady, and it has
been measurable. The U.S. Department of Justice has convicted 253
defendants on terror-related charges, and our intelligence agencies and
law enforcement working together have disrupted more than 150 terrorist
threats and cells here in America, including plans to attack targets on
both coasts using hijacked aircraft and plans to blow up apartment
buildings here in our country.
Just last month, British and American intelligence officials, using
the sort of tools we provided President Bush, thwarted a plot to bomb
multiple American airliners headed from London.
This resolution today affirms the commitment of Congress to remain
vigilant in efforts to provide law enforcement and our Armed Forces
with all the tools necessary to fight and win the global war on
terrorism. We have engaged in dramatic efforts to secure our ports and
borders, with legislation on the way that will provide more Border
Patrol agents, additional fencing and surveillance, and enhanced State
and local law enforcement authority.
The House will vote next week on legislation authorizing military
tribunals for terrorists, such as the alleged September 11 mastermind,
Khalid Shaykh Mohammad. We are designing a system that not only brings
these terrorists to justice but gives the President the tools that he
needs to continue preventing terrorist plots before they happen.
Prevention must be the standard and prevention must be our goal. No
longer can we simply respond to attacks. We must actively engage the
enemy and seek to disrupt and thwart their twisted plans. We must
continue to adapt and move forward, we must not yield, we must not grow
complacent, and we must not rest until this threat is vanquished.
September 11 revealed for all to see the ruthless barbarity of an
enemy that wishes to end America's way of life. Most of the nearly
3,000 who perished were regular folks going about their regular
business. Others were the first heroes of the war on terror, climbing
the stairs to the Twin Towers to help evacuate trapped workers or
administering first aid to those at the scene. All of them were victims
of a radical and poisonous ideology that we must be eternally committed
to defeating.
This is our defining task in the early years of the 21st century,
crushing the deadly and poisonous ideology of radical terrorism, and
freeing from tyranny the millions threatened with its bondage is an
effort for which the United States and her allies are uniquely suited.
We are the primary target of radical terrorists, the leader of nations,
with the capability and the fortitude to wage a prolonged fight. In my
view, we must not shy away, if only so our children and their children
may live in peace.
One of the last lines in the ``Battle Hymn of the Republic'' goes:
``As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free.'' I can
think of no better tribute to those who perished in the merciless
attacks of September 11 or in the 5 years since than to do just that:
to live and to fight for the freedoms that we cherish and for which
they have all given their lives
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss H. Res. 994,
legislation commemorating the fifth anniversary of the September 11,
2001, terrorist attacks against our country.
I remember September 11, 2001, vividly. The weather in our nation's
capital was warm and sunny. I was giving a speech on the House floor
against privatizing Social Security. After I finished, the House clerk
told me there had been a plane crash in New York. I asked what the
weather was at the time of the crash. He said it was sunny and clear. I
thought a crash in good weather was strange. I returned to the office
in time to see the second plane hit the World Trade Center, and my
office received a call from another congressional office saying there
was smoke at the Pentagon. At that point, we knew our country was under
attack. The Capitol Police then mandated the evacuation of the Capitol
and all congressional office buildings.
I am profoundly grateful that the passengers aboard United Airlines
Flight 93 bravely fought back, thinking of the safety of others, not of
their own well-being. Their actions saved the lives of untold numbers
of us who were in Washington, D.C. that day.
The resolution on the floor today appropriately honors those who lost
their lives due to these heinous attacks. Thousands of husbands,
fathers, mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, brothers, children,
grandparents and others were lost on that day. We must never forget
those individuals and their families.
The resolution before us today also appropriately honors the heroic
actions and sacrifices of our men and women in the U.S. military and
their families. I have had the privilege of visiting with our men and
women in uniform, both here at home and in a war zone. I am continually
awed by the professionalism, determination, and commitment of our
troops.
I am also pleased that H. Res. 994 acknowledges the service and
sacrifice of the first responders--emergency personnel, fire fighters,
police officers, and others--who aided the innocent victims of the
terrorist attacks. While these individuals humbly say they were merely
doing their jobs that day, their selfless actions embody some of the
best qualities of the American people.

[[Page H6493]]

The resolution congratulates the Congress and the President for
various steps taken to improve the security of the American people in
the wake of September 11th. Personally, I don't believe the self-
congratulation is justified. While Congress has adopted some piecemeal
improvements on the security front, al-Qaeda will not wait for us to
make gradual improvements. Security must be improved today, not after
the next attack
Aviation security is not what it should be. Security screeners need
upgraded equipment. We need to deploy technology to detect plastic,
liquid and gel-like explosives carried onboard planes. All cargo
baggage carried on passenger planes must be thoroughly screened for
explosives. We need effective countermeasures and international
agreements to reduce the threat of shoulder-fired missiles. The
arbitrary cap on the number of security screeners should be lifted.
A fully unified terrorist watch list that is electronically
accessible to necessary federal and state officials for real-time
searches must be put in place now.
Border security is still notably lacking, five years after 9/11. I
voted in favor of the immigration reform legislation in the House that
included a number of provisions to improve border security. I have also
voted for a number of efforts to increase funding for the border
patrol, technology to improve border security, and other immigration
enforcement measures. Regrettably, too often, this Congress has
prioritized tax cuts for millionaires over adequately funding border
security.
Astonishingly, on the fifth anniversary of the attacks, America's
police, firefighters, and emergency response personnel still lack the
fundamental ability to communicate with each other by radio. Congress
must increase funding to help states and local governments purchase
essential equipment.
Our nation has 95,000 miles of coastline and 361 ports. Yet, the
federal government will spend only $168 million on port security grants
this year while spending $10 billion to develop a missile defense
system that doesn't work and is irrelevant to the threat posed by al-
Qaeda. Congress should increase funding for radiation detection
equipment to screen every cargo container, beef up the presence of U.S.
inspectors at foreign ports to inspect cargo destined for the U.S., and
enhance the Coast Guard fleet.
Five times as many Americans travel on trains and transit each day as
on planes, but less than one percent of the transportation security
budget goes to non-aviation programs. Congress and the Administration
should increase funding for passenger rail and transit security. A
baseline level of security for the transit systems in the 50 largest
metropolitan areas would cost $2 billion.
Most of the 20 tons of nuclear material at 130 facilities in 40
countries has no more security than a night watchman and a chain link
fence. In 2001, a bipartisan commission recommended tripling funding to
$3 million a year for programs to help secure nuclear materials around
the world from terrorists.
Finally, I want to say that I am disappointed that H. Res. 994
contains a handful of whereas clauses of dubious accuracy.
For example, one clause implies a link between al-Qaeda and Iraq, and
Iraq and the September 11th attacks. A variety of experts, including
the 9/11 Commission, the CIA, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and
others, most recently the President, have concluded there was no
cooperation between Iraq and al-Qaeda on the September 11, 2001,
attacks or anything else. It is also inappropriate to link Iraq to the
global war against al-Qaeda. Iraq did not pose an urgent threat to our
national security. Iraq did not have ties to al-Qaeda. Iraq had not
attacked the United States, nor is there any evidence Iraq planned to
attack us. Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction, nor any
delivery system capable of attacking us.

I supported the war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan,
and I continue to support military action against al-Qaeda. But, to use
a resolution commemorating the anniversary of 9/11 to peddle
discredited theories about Iraq in order to cover for the failures of
the Bush administration in Iraq and justify the diversion of resources
from the war against our real national security threat--al-Qaeda--does
a disservice to the American people.
And, I think the inclusion of the PATRIOT Act in the list of
legislation that has helped in the war on terror is questionable to say
the least. The PATRIOT Act did make a few reasonable improvements in
our ability to go after terrorists using new technologies. But it also
contained provisions that do nothing to enhance our security while
posing a significant risk to the freedoms and liberties of law-abiding
Americans. It is for the latter reason that I opposed the bill.
A lot has been made of the PATRIOT Act supposedly knocking down a
wall that prohibited cooperation between the FBI and the CIA. In
reality, the so-called wall was not really a wall at all. It was not a
legal barrier, it was a cultural one. The PATRIOT Act was not necessary
to get the FBI and CIA to cooperate. A change in culture was. Even
today, cooperation among intelligence agencies and law enforcement is
not what it should be.
I will vote in favor of H. Res. 994 because I want to honor those I
mentioned at the outset of my statement--those who lost their lives in
the attacks, those who tried valiantly to save lives on that day, and
our men and women in uniform. But, I want to state for the record that
I disagree with some of the rhetoric in the resolution.
Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, today we join together to honor the nearly
3,000 people who perished in the heinous attach on our country five
years ago. The images of that day remain vivid in our minds, as do the
emotions we all felt--the shock the grief--as we realized that a
handful of terrorists plotting halfway around the world were capable of
destroying so many innocent lives on American soil. September 11, 2001,
shattered the illusion that our homeland would always provide safe
sanctuary from those who would do us harm.
Five years later, we also remember how the events of September 11
brought our country together. As we did after Pearl Harbor, American
showed its true colors. After the twin towers fell, we put aside our
political differences to unite behind a pledge to make our country
safer and to track down and punish those responsible for the attacks.
With the world on our side, we had a unique opportunity to marshal our
vast resources to destroy the al Qaeda terrorist network for good.
We made a good start. At home, we moved quickly to tighten airport
security and to reorganize our homeland defenses and intelligence
infrastructure to close gaps that enabled the terrorists to use our own
commercial airliners as weapons against us. Overseas, wording with our
allies, our military tools the fight to al Qaeda and the Taliban, who
had provided safe harbor to the terrorists and their training camps in
Afghanistan for far too long.
Today, however, it is clear that we have failed to finish the job we
needed to do. Instead of committing our forces to pursuing al Qaeda's
leaders--including Osama bin Laden, who is still at large--we embarked
on an unnecessary war of choice in Iraq that has squandered our
resources and the world's goodwill without making us measurably safer.
Domestically, we've spent billions to secure our airports, but we've
neglected the security of our ports and the cyber security of our
technological infrastructure and communications network. Chronic
underfunding and lax security standards have left our nation's ports
and cargo containers a soft underbelly, and the President's ongoing
failure to appoint an Assistant Homeland Security Secretary for Cyber
Security has created a leadership void in this critical sector, leaving
us vulnerable to a telecom disaster on the scale of an ``electronic
Pearl Harbor.''
It's not too late to change course to do what must be done to prevail
in the real war against terrorism.
We must recommit to finishing the job in Afghanistan, to fully
funding our counterterrorism intelligence programs at home and abroad,
to increasing the size of our Special Forces, to improving our human
intelligence capability and to securing nuclear materials around the
world.
Only then will we truly be able to say that we have fully honored
those who lost their lives on September 11.
Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, five years ago, democracy and freedom were
attacked when terrorists destroyed nearly 3,000 innocent lives in New
York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. We mourn the passing of those taken
too soon, celebrate the lives of the scores of volunteers and first
responders who helped victims and their families, and vow to never
forget the fateful day that changed the lives of millions of Americans.
Today, Congress had an opportunity to do the right thing and remember
September 11 without partisan motives or divisive tactics. Yet, H.R.
994 was motivated more by upcoming elections than honor and
remembrance.
Today's 9-11 resolution to honor the victims and heroes of 9-11
includes controversial legislation which criminalizes immigrant
families and strips Americans of those civil liberties which are the
very fabric of our democracy. It links the thoughts and prayers for
servicemen and women with efforts to deport the families of immigrant
soldiers--many of whom are not U.S. citizens. The resolution also
defends the practice of wiretapping--an invasion of privacy which
neither Congress nor the courts have either expressly or implicitly
approved and which undermines the right to privacy.
Debates about immigration and civil rights are important to the
future and fabric of our country. America needs comprehensive
immigration reform; policies which provide strong support for a more
intelligent and realistic approach to controlling immigration,
including enhanced border security, workplace and employer enforcement,
and earned legalization for immigrants with a path to citizenship. But

[[Page H6494]]

an enforcement only approach, such as H.R. 4437, has failed in the pass
and is doomed to fail again.
We need a new direction for America's security and there are several
steps that Congress must take now to keep our country safe. We must
guard against future attacks by implementing all of the 9-11 Commission
recommendations, screening 100 percent of containers and cargo bound
for the United States in ships and planes, and ensuring our first
responders have the training, equipment and technology they need. Yet
our Nation will be not become more secure by partisan resolutions
endorsing failed immigration approaches and programs which threaten our
civil liberties.
As we remember the past, we must look toward the future to ensure our
Nation and our world is safer. We must, at the same time, protect that
which makes America's democracy so great--our civil liberties, and lead
the world toward peace through diplomacy. Five years ago, families,
friends, and strangers joined together to care for the fallen. This
resolution is an attempt to divide that spirit. As we move forward, let
us not forget the spirit of community which we embraced that day and
work together to bring peace for future generations.
Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of this
resolution. It is critical that we, as a Nation, remember what took
place on September 11, 2001--a day when we ``woke up'' to the fact that
we were in a war that had been declared against us years before.
September 11th of every year should be a day to remember those who
were lost on that day. But September 11th should also be a day when we
reflect and remember why we are engaged in this War on Terror. We must
continue to fight--aggressively--to ensure the defeat of Radical
Islamic terrorists whose aim is to kill Americans.
As we commemorate the 5-year anniversary of that awful day, our
thoughts and prayers are especially with those who lost loved ones; the
spouses, children, and parents who are left behind. For their sake, and
the sake of all Americans, we must not allow the passage of time to
erode our resolve to remain vigilant in the War on Terror so that
Americans will not relive similar attacks in the future.
We, at home in the comfort and security of the United States, have
become complacent in our security. That is a dangerous place to be.
That is where we were for several years leading up to 9-11, when
several terrorist attacks on the U.S.--including attempts on our
homeland--took place. But our government failed to act with resolve.
We must remember what we felt the days immediately after 9-11 . . .
when we all felt, for the first time for many of us, that we were not
safe in our own country. The anthrax attacks, stories and rumors that
al-Qaida possessed old Soviet suitcase nuclear weapons--those were the
stories of the time.
Because of the Homeland Security measures we have implemented and the
War on Terror we are conducting--both militarily and non-militarily--we
are once again in a period of calm.
There are those who believe that this period of calm is the time to
pull back, and this undermines our resolve. No one wants to live in a
constant state of fear, but we cannot be lulled into adopting a
September 10th mindset.
It would be irresponsible to assume or ``hope'' that no one wants to
strike us, once again, and kill even more Americans than were killed on
9-11.
And kill us is what they want to do. They want to kill all the
``infidels''--a category that includes not just Americans, but people
of all the world's free nations, and even Muslims who reject their
militant vision for Islam. I fear that we have also lost the unity that
existed after 9-11.
We must remember--whether in political or personal spheres of life--
that we are all in this together. Whether Republican or Democrat,
religious or atheist, we are all targets of this radical group.
And we must remember that it matters not whether we are fighting in
Iraq--or any other country, for that matter--that makes us a target for
the terrorists. Countries that have nothing to do with Iraq and
Afghanistan are also experiencing terrorists incidents.
And while we are remembering the 5th Anniversary of 9-11, we must
also remember that Iraq is a central part of the War on Terror.
President Bush is correct when he stated earlier this week in his
address to the Nation that even if we pull out of Iraq, the terrorists
would not leave us alone. They will never leave us alone.
For al-Qaida, Iraq is not a distraction, it is the central
battlefield where the outcome of this struggle will be decided. Just
read the comments from their leaders, don't take my word for it.
If they win in Iraq, they will establish a safe haven for terrorists
and terrorist-training, much like Afghanistan was prior to 9-11. Iraq
would become a factory for terrorists and weapons of mass destruction
which they would export. This idea comes not from George Bush, but from
Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida itself.
There is a clear link--withdrawing our troops before Iraq is fully
stabilized would be a disaster for our safety here at home. We must
remain vigilant at home, finish the job in Iraq and Afghanistan, and
remain decisive in all our efforts in the War on Terror. Doing any less
will weaken our security.
September 11th should remind us that we have real enemies in the
world and that a September 10th mindset is unrealistic, irresponsible,
and will only jeopardize the lives of the American people. We must
remember that it was not the intention of the radical Islamic
terrorists to kill 2,973 people that day in 2001. It was their
intention to kill many, many more.
I will fulfill my oath of office to protect the American people from
all enemies, foreign and domestic. Again, we must not allow the passage
of time to erode our resolve to win the War on Terror.
On September 11, 2001 we finally woke up to the fact that we were at
war . . . let's not be lulled back to sleep and back to disunity.
I urge the adoption of this resolution.
Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I do not know if there is a more tragic day
in the history of our Nation than September 11, 2001. Three thousand
lives were snuffed out in the largest mass murder we have ever
witnessed.
We are still grieving what was lost that day. The heroics of the fire
fighters ascended the Twin Towers and the first responders who came to
the Pentagon will never be forgotten. The passengers of United 93, who
gave their lives to save ours, are heroes without parallel.
But I am saddened that the Republican leadership, rather than
honoring the heroes and the victims of that day decided to offer a
resolution that seems to be written by an RNC focus group rather than
out of respect for the solemnity of the day.
When I woke up on September 12, 2001 this nation was as united as I
had seen it since December 7, 1941. The intense partisan divide
vanished overnight and was replaced by a national consensus. Political
opportunism was replaced by notions of shared sacrifice for a common
good.
Internationally, America had the world's sympathy. From London, to
Tel Aviv, to Tehran spontaneous support rallies took place. American
tourists spoke of hugs and flowers from complete strangers; in these
days we had a chance to bring the world together.
Now we are more divided, more polarized, and more conflicted, at home
and abroad, then ever before. The unanimity of purpose that we had on
September 12 has been replaced by partisanship, and that partisanship
has interfered with the very important work we must engage in to make
this nation safe from terrorism.
Making America safe is work that cannot be reduced to simple slogans.
Five years after however, Republican leadership has offered rhetoric
but little more. We have yet to fully consider all of the bi-partisan
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Our ports still do not inspect
even ten percent of the cargo that comes into them; air cargo is
unscreened; and nuclear material across the world remains unguarded.
In Afghanistan, the war with Al Qaeda and the Taliban is at risk of
unraveling. Radicals are once again barring girls from schools; the
reconstruction has stopped; and terrorists are targeting the elected
government.
There have been victories, but much more needs to be done. Symbolic
resolutions are a poor substitute for concrete policy. Our struggle to
make America safe and to discredit the terrorist ideology will be a
long one. It takes more than rhetoric.
It takes actions like fully funding our security needs; making sure
our armed forces have the resources they need; supporting our
intelligence agencies; and having a foreign policy that changes
societies through good will and diplomacy rather than at gun point.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones
that day and those Americans who continue to risk their lives for our
safety here at home.
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues
in marking the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist
attacks. Today we pause, as the nation did on Monday, to honor the
brave Americans who lost their lives in New York, Washington, and
Pennsylvania on that tragic day.
As we debate this resolution we cannot help but remember the chaos,
fee and violence we faced 5 years ago. Terrorists struck the World
Trade Center and the Pentagon, symbols of our economic and military
strength, in an attempt to destroy our most basic freedoms and values.
Yet, as we look back we also vividly recall that in the midst of the
unprecedented horror of that day, we see the very best of America:
Firefighters and first responders rushing into danger, airline
passengers sacrificing themselves to save others, and Americans coming
together in unity and common purpose.
It is in this spirit that we not only look back at the past five
years but also look forward to

[[Page H6495]]

the difficult challenges ahead of us and the sober reminder that the
terrorist threat against our nation is still very real. Last month's
disrupted plot to attack airliners reminds us why it is even more
important today that we rededicate ourselves to securing our homeland
by fully implementing all of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission
and closing the gaps that still exist in our aviation, transit and port
security. While there may be disagreement over whether or not we are
safer today, we can all agree that much more needs to be done to
protect and defend the American people.
The War on Terror that started on that fateful day five years ago is
still far from finished. The threat posed by Al Qaeda and other
terrorist organizations remains very real. Osama bin Laden and many of
his allies are still at large, yet his trail has grown ``stone cold''
over the past two years and the CIA has shut down their unit
responsible for tracking him. Afghanistan has become the forgotten
front in the war on terror, pushed aside in favor of a war of choice
against a country that posed no real threat to our nation and in which
we find ourselves mired in a seemingly endless occupation. The Taliban,
the former rulers of Afghanistan who supported Al Qaeda's attack on our
nation, has grown again in strength as we have grown distracted by
Iraq.
This is a time of great consequence for our nation. Unfortunately,
slogans and partisan attacks have once again become substitutes here
for serious debate on the national security challenges we face. This is
clearly evident in the resolution before us, which contains divisive
language designed to score political points instead of bringing this
country together. As we move ahead, I hope that we can remember that
which unites us as Americans and not which divides us as partisans.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 994 states that America is safer
today than it was on September 11th, 2001. This is hardly clear
considering that the 9/11 Commission has given failing grades to how
the government has responded to security needs.
Today, NATO lacks the troop strength in Afghanistan to combat the
Taliban along the southern region. Today, we continue to fight a war of
choice in Iraq longer than we have fought World War II. Today, 2,673
soldiers have died while our military continues to be stretched. And,
today, Iran and North Korea continue to develop their nuclear
technology unabated.
Here at home the situation is also troubling. Instead of debating any
meaningful legislation for the American people, we spend our time
debating things such as Horse Slaughter and Indian Gaming. We have yet
to implement the 9/11 Commission's recommendations such as improving
emergency communication technology that directly led to the deaths of
many of our brave first responders on that sad day. Instead, the
Majority party prefers to attempt to score some political points rather
than doing the job the American people have sent us here to accomplish.
Today's resolution should have been a bi-partisan effort to honor
those who died and the family and friends they left behind. Sadly
though, the Majority party has made it yet another day of divisive
politics.
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the terrible
events of September 11, 2001. On that day, murderers hijacked four
planes. They flew two into the World Trade Center and one into the
Pentagon. Only the heroic actions of the passengers of United Flight 93
prevented the fourth from reaching its destructive destination in
Washington, DC. Nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives in these
senseless acts of violence.
Today, I stand with all America, and much of the world, to mourn and
remember that terrible day. We mourn our loved ones who are no longer
with us, but we remember the courage of the firefighters, police
officers and other first responders who rushed into burning buildings
to save lives. We mourn our lost innocence and sense of security, but
we remember the resolve of our Nation and the strength of our spirit. I
stand with all America looking to the future for a united strategy to
ensure the safety of our country and defeat of violent, radical
ideologies that threaten our way of life.
At this moment, we should be working together. We should be searching
for the unity that we felt after September 11th. Unfortunately, and
unlike the Senate which earlier this week passed a bipartisan
resolution that I support, the House Leadership decided to turn this
most solemn of moments into a bid to score partisan points.
This resolution is a disappointing attempt to justify failed foreign
policies that have not made our country safer. Five years later, world
opinion towards us is overwhelmingly negative. The war in Iraq was
based on inaccurate intelligence and incorrect assumptions about how
successful our exercise in democratic nation-building can be. Al-Qaeda
had no presence in Iraq before our invasion. The terrorist organization
is now firmly entrenched carrying out murderous attacks, recruiting new
members and gaining deadly combat experience. Iraq is stumbling towards
civil war because of the mismanagement of the civilian leadership at
the Pentagon.
We have not found Osama bin Laden and brought him to justice.
Instead, our flawed foreign policy provides bin Laden and his followers
with fertile ground for new terrorist recruitment and training.
We have failed to fully implement the recommendations of the bi-
partisan 9/11 Commission. We have not done enough to secure our ports
or major transportation networks. Thousands of tons of cargo arrive in
the U.S. each day without being thoroughly examined. Our borders are
porous and no real solutions to secure them have been reached.
Despite the great work and dedication of our first responders,
intelligence community and military personnel, this government has
failed to meet the challenges of making our nation secure. We have also
not offered any help to firefighters and other first-responders, who so
selflessly rushed to the aid of their fellow Americans, and now are
suffering from respiratory ailments and post-traumatic stress. As Tom
Kean, Co-Chair of the 9/11 Commission recently stated, ``We are not
protecting our own people in our own country. The government is not
doing its job.''
At such a solemn moment, we should make every effort to unite to
overcome the challenges that we face from a very real and terrible
enemy. The Senate drafted and unanimously supported a respectful,
honest and appropriate resolution remembering one of the worst days in
American history. I am disappointed that we could not do the same in
this body.
Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to a misguided
resolution that caters to partisan politics more than it honors the
victims of 9/11 and the sacrifices of our brave men and women in
uniform.
The fifth anniversary of a national tragedy should be a time for
bipartisan unity. But rather than follow the example of the Senate
Republican and Democratic leadership and introduce a 9/11 Anniversary
resolution designed to bring America together, House Republicans
insisted on a divisive and partisan resolution.
Unfortunately, H. Res. 944 praises both a Patriot Act that undermines
the most basic of our civil liberties and a hateful immigration bill
that makes the provision of humanitarian services to undocumented
workers a crime. It goes on to wrongly characterize Iraq as a ``front
line'' response to 9/11 and ineffectually attempts to equate the
distinct wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a single conflict.
I would have liked nothing more than to today vote to honor the
selflessness and sacrifice many demonstrated on and after the attacks.
I encourage Americans to make September 11 a day of national service.
But I cannot vote for a politically charged resolution that celebrates
policies my constituents and I vehemently oppose.
Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor
today to remember and honor the people who lost their lives in the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attack.
The victims of September 11th came from all walks of life and each
and every one of them is sorely missed by the friends, family, and this
country.
I would also like to honor the many brave first responders and
volunteers that selflessly rushed to help save lives during the attack,
and everyone who has worked to help individuals, families, cities, and
our whole country start to recover and heal in the months and years
since September 11th 2001.
Today the House was supposed to bring up a bill to honor the victims
of 9/11, and all those who helped to respond after the attack.
Instead, the Republican Majority has brought up H. Res. 994, a
politically divisive bill. A bill which is more of an exercise in self-
congratulation, than a solemn and respectful memorial. I regret to say
it, the Majority has, once again, chosen to use this occasion to score
political points, to drive a wedge between Americans by talking about
politics, instead of bringing us together as we were on September 11th.
This is not a time for partisanship.
This is a time to come together to honor the people who gave so much
on 9/11.
If we are going to use this occasion to talk policy, then we should
be looking ahead. Talking about what we can do in the future to prevent
another terrorist attack, like passing a law which implements ALL of
the 9/11 Commission recommendations.
There is much left that needs to be done on that front:
We need to ensure that all cargo and people passing through our
border are screened and accounted for.
We need a law to increase the security of our rail and mass transit
systems to ensure that we do not experience an attack like the ones
that occurred in Madrid, London, and Mumbai.
We need to ensure that our law enforcement agencies have
interoperable communication so that they can respond quickly and work
together to save lives during any incident.

[[Page H6496]]

Together, I am confident, that we can implement all of the 9/11
Commission recommendations and prevent future terrorist attacks. And if
we do that, we will truly honor the memories of 9/11.
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in reluctant opposition to this
resolution, as I strongly feel that we need to be careful about how we
commemorate the tragic events of September 11,2001. Several times over
the past four years I have voted in favor of these annual 9/11
resolutions because they simply commemorated the tragic event and urged
our continued vigilance in an increasingly dangerous world. I believe
using the event to promote particular legislation or foreign policies,
however, denigrates the memory of those who perished in that attack.
Much of the legislation referenced in this legislation is legislation
that I supported. For example, I voted in favor of the Border
Protection, Anti-terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005
and for the SAFE Port Act of 2006. I continue to support measures that
help secure our borders and thereby make us less vulnerable to future
foreign attack. However, I find it particularly unacceptable to heap
praise on the PATRIOT Act, as this bill does. This act expanded the
federal government's power to an unprecedented degree at the expense
not of foreign terrorists, but of law-abiding American citizens. It
opened average Americans up to wide-ranging government snooping and
surveillance in matters completely unrelated to terrorism. For example,
the ``sneak and peek'' provisions of the PATRIOT Act allow law
enforcement to enter someone's home without a warrant, search that
property, and never inform that citizen they had been there. Also,
libraries and book stores can be forced to provide the government with
citizens' borrowing and purchasing history without showing probable
cause. I see no reason to applaud such an un-American piece of
legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I believe we should show due respect the victims of the
attacks of September 11, 2001. Congress patting itself on the back over
legislation it has passed since then strikes me as disrespectful to
those who suffered and continue to suffer from the attacks on New York
and the Pentagon.
Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution
994, ``expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the
fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks launched against the United
States on September 11, 2001.''
The terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. on September
11, 2001, 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 5 years since the appalling acts of September 11th, our
country has been fighting a global war on terrorism to protect America
and our friends and allies. On July 22, 2004, the independent and
bipartisan 9/11 Commission provided a full and complete report to
Congress and the American public regarding the failures of the
government and included 41 recommendations to improve homeland
security. I praise the Commission for its excellent work, leadership,
patriotism, and service to our country. We owe it to the families of
the victims of 9/11 and to the citizens of our country to use the
report to make certain such attacks never happen again. That is why I
fully supported the unanimous and bipartisan recommendations of the 9/
11 Commission and supported passage of H.R. 10 in December of 2004 to
implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Almost 2 years
have passed since passage of H.R. 10, and yet the President still has
not fully implemented these recommendations.
In addition, despite the ongoing war in Iraq, I am very concerned
that the main threat against the United States, al Qaeda, is still a
global threat with global reach, and that the person who was directly
responsible for 9/11, Osama bin Laden, is still at large. I believe the
President has taken his eye off the ball in Afghanistan and is not
doing everything in his power to bring those responsible for 9/11 to
justice. It sends a terrible message to would-be terrorists who may be
interested in striking us that all they have to do is go in hiding and
lay low until our attention and resources are directed elsewhere.
Additionally, the big winners are countries with nuclear ambitions,
like Iran and North Korea. Our message to the world during the Iraq and
Afghanistan wars has been, if you have nuclear weapons we will not
attack you, but if you do we will stay away. This sends the message to
would-be terrorists that if they do not arm themselves, there is a
potential for the United States to attack.
The President should have, with the support of the American people
and international community which we enjoyed at the time, made it our
mission to never rest, never sleep until those responsible for 9/11
were brought to justice. Instead, he diverted precious resources and
personnel from Afghanistan and redirected them into Iraq. As a
consequence, Osama bin Laden is still at large, the Taliban are
reconstituting themselves, and al Qaeda remains a global threat.
Furthermore, last week NATO's top operational commander in
Afghanistan, U.S. General James Jones, appealed for 2,500 more troops,
saying the force was about 15 percent short of full strength. Once
again, the President has failed to respond to a call from military
commanders for reinforcements to try to quell the Taliban insurgency in
southern Afghanistan, by denying the request for more troops. If as the
President said on September 11, 2006, when speaking about bin Laden and
other terrorists is true, ``Our message to them is clear: No matter how
long it takes, America will find you, and we will bring you to
justice.'' Then we should be sending in these additional troops to
Afghanistan, not ignoring another plea from our military commanders.
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. I feel the best tribute we
as a Nation can give them and their families is to redirect our focus
to bringing those responsible for the attacks against us on September
11th to justice. The opportunity has not yet passed to make serious and
thoughtful change and to ensure that another tragedy does not befall
our Nation.
May God bless our men and women in uniform and their families during
this difficult time. May God provide his special blessings and care for
those who fell in the line of duty. And may God continue to bless these
United States of America.
Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the nearly
3,000 innocent victims of the September 11 hijackers. It is only right
that we remember September 11, its victims, and its heroes.
My East coast home is only a few blocks from the Pentagon. On that
day I could see the black smoke billowing from its side, smell the
acrid fumes of burning jet fuel, and hear the sounds of rescue and
recovery. The smoke eventually faded, but the memory never will.
The United States is safer today than it was 5 years ago, but we are
not safe. And we will not be safe until our enemies are defeated.
Just a month ago, British authorities, with help from United States
intelligence agencies, stopped a plot to blow up numerous airliners
flying from London to the United States. An al Qaeda tape released on
the anniversary of September 11 warned of renewed attacks.
Our enemies are plotting constantly, and we must remain constantly
vigilant.
Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago, we stood on the Capitol steps in a
bipartisan show of strength and solidarity. We vowed then--and in the
days, months, and years after--that cowardly thugs would not succeed in
destroying our resolve to live in freedom and peace.
That resolve remains. There are honest disagreements about how to
prosecute the war, but there is no disagreement that we will ultimately
succeed.
We are Americans. We do not bow to terrorists.
The heroes who died in four planes and three buildings on September
11 will never be forgotten. May they forever rest in peace.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in solemn support of this resolution
Five years after worst terror attack in U.S. history, the American
people's steadfast support for the families and victims of 9/11 is a
symbol of the perseverance that we, as a country, have maintained.
The memorial services held around the country on Monday were a
sobering reminder of the horror we, as a nation, faced that day.
Ground Zero in New York, the Pentagon here in Washington, and
Shanksville, Pennsylvania are sacred ground. I am proud to represent
Shanksville, Pennsylvania in Congress--the heroes of Flight 93 did what
all Americans hope and pray they would have the courage to do in the
face of terror. They stood up for freedom and sacrificed themselves to
save countless others. They were the first counter-attack in the War on
Terror.
Flight 93 was believed to be headed for the Capitol that ill-fated
day five years ago. Many of us here today may have been in mortal
danger had it not been for the brave passengers on that flight.
I would like to thank the heroes of Flight 93 and their families for
their sacrifice, for being the first line of defense against terror,
and for showing the world our strength, our resolve and our courage as
Americans.
My prayers are with the families of the victims of 9/11.
Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
support of H. Res.

[[Page H6497]]

994. This week, all Americans pause and remember the heroes of
September 11, 2001. We honor their sacrifices, recall their courage,
and pay tribute to their legacy. On that day five years ago, the
strength of our nation was challenged and our resolve tested. The
gallant actions of our fellow Americans showcased the resilience of our
spirit and reinforced our ideals of life, liberty, and democracy.
The United States today is a nation far different than it was five
years ago. We have come to recognize the dangers that hate and
terrorism impose upon peaceful and freedom-loving people worldwide. We
are better informed of terrorist threats and better organized to deter
these dangers. Most importantly, we have learned that the Global War on
Terror, this great struggle of our time, is a fight best waged on
foreign soil, out of the reach of American streets, American
neighborhoods, and American families.
As we pay tribute to the memory of September 11, 2001, Congress will
take up several measures to ensure that our homeland is secure. These
measures are designed to combat a new enemy that hides from sight,
attacks the weak and unprotected, and uses innocent civilians as human
shields. To prevent future terrorist attacks, we are working to disrupt
terrorist activities internationally and domestically, including
stopping terrorist networks and their financing schemes and securing
our borders and critical infrastructure.
September 11, 2001 was a watershed moment in American history, when
the defenders of freedom and democracy began the long struggle against
fear and tyranny. Five years later, we pause as a nation to honor the
memory of those who lost their lives that day and all those who have
since made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of liberty. In addition,
we honor the brave actions of all of our servicemembers during the War
on Terror. Day in and day out, our military forces are making
significant progress in weeding out violence and extremism, promoting
peace, and training domestic security forces. Their actions have
safeguarded life, liberty, and democracy for all Americans and
prevented fear and violence from taking hold in America.
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of
House Resolution 994, introduced by Homeland Security Committee
Chairman Peter King, observing the fifth anniversary of the September
11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States.
On September 11, 2001, we were brought face to face with an elusive
and dangerous enemy. As the world watched, America responded to these
heinous attacks with a united front. We could no longer pretend that
our oceans protected us from evil. We were determined to find the
terrorists and bring them to justice. We would leave no rock unturned.
While the face of America was strong, the hearts of America were
heavy. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that fateful day. The
families of those who lost loved ones continued to grieve, and America
grieves with them.
Five years later, we must maintain our resolve to defeat extremism
worldwide and protect American families here at home. I am grateful our
family is participating in the Global War on Terrorism with four sons
currently in the military and my oldest son, Alan, served for a year in
Iraq knowing this is the central front of the War on Terrorism as
proclaimed by Osama Bin Laden.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 996, the resolution is considered read
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. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 395,
nays 22, answered ``present'' 1, not voting 15, as follows

[Roll No. 440]

YEAS--395

Abercrombie
Ackerman
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Allen
Andrews
Baca
Bachus
Baird
Baker
Barrett (SC)
Barrow
Bartlett (MD)
Barton (TX)
Bass
Bean
Beauprez
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Boehlert
Boehner
Bonilla
Bonner
Bono
Boozman
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boustany
Boyd
Bradley (NH)
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Brown (OH)
Brown (SC)
Brown, Corrine
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Butterfield
Buyer
Calvert
Camp (MI)
Campbell (CA)
Cannon
Cantor
Capito
Capps
Cardin
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carson
Carter
Case
Castle
Chabot
Chandler
Chocola
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coble
Cole (OK)
Conaway
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Cramer
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cubin
Cuellar
Culberson
Cummings
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (KY)
Davis (TN)
Davis, Jo Ann
Davis, Tom
Deal (GA)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Doolittle
Doyle
Drake
Dreier
Duncan
Edwards
Ehlers
Emanuel
Emerson
Engel
English (PA)
Eshoo
Etheridge
Everett
Farr
Fattah
Feeney
Ferguson
Filner
Fitzpatrick (PA)
Flake
Foley
Forbes
Ford
Fortenberry
Fossella
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gerlach
Gibbons
Gilchrest
Gillmor
Gingrey
Gohmert
Gonzalez
Goode
Goodlatte
Gordon
Granger
Graves
Green (WI)
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Gutknecht
Hall
Harris
Hart
Hastert
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Hayworth
Hefley
Hensarling
Herger
Herseth
Higgins
Hinojosa
Hobson
Hoekstra
Holden
Holt
Hooley
Hostettler
Hoyer
Hulshof
Hunter
Hyde
Inglis (SC)
Inslee
Israel
Issa
Istook
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jefferson
Jenkins
Jindal
Johnson (CT)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Jones (NC)
Jones (OH)
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kelly
Kennedy (MN)
Kennedy (RI)
Kildee
Kilpatrick (MI)
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kline
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kuhl (NY)
LaHood
Langevin
Lantos
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham
LaTourette
Leach
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (KY)
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Lofgren, Zoe
Lucas
Lungren, Daniel E.
Lynch
Mack
Maloney
Manzullo
Marchant
Marshall
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy
McCaul (TX)
McCollum (MN)
McCotter
McCrery
McHenry
McHugh
McIntyre
McKeon
McMorris Rodgers
McNulty
Meehan
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Mica
Millender-McDonald
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller (NC)
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (KS)
Murphy
Murtha
Musgrave
Myrick
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Neugebauer
Northup
Norwood
Nunes
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Osborne
Otter
Oxley
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Payne
Pearce
Pelosi
Pence
Peterson (MN)
Peterson (PA)
Petri
Pickering
Pitts
Platts
Poe
Pombo
Pomeroy
Porter
Price (GA)
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Putnam
Radanovich
Rahall
Ramstad
Rangel
Regula
Rehberg
Reichert
Renzi
Reyes
Reynolds
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Ross
Rothman
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Ryun (KS)
Sabo
Salazar
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sanders
Saxton
Schiff
Schmidt
Schwartz (PA)
Schwarz (MI)
Scott (GA)
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sessions
Shadegg
Shaw
Shays
Sherman
Sherwood
Shimkus
Shuster
Simmons
Simpson
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Sodrel
Souder
Spratt
Stearns
Stupak
Sullivan
Sweeney
Tancredo
Tanner
Tauscher
Taylor (MS)
Taylor (NC)
Terry
Thomas
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Tierney
Towns
Turner
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Upton
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walden (OR)
Walsh
Wamp
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Waxman
Weldon (FL)
Weldon (PA)
Weller
Westmoreland
Wexler
Whitfield
Wicker
Wilson (NM)
Wilson (SC)
Wolf
Wu
Young (AK)
Young (FL)

NAYS--22

Baldwin
Blumenauer
Davis (IL)
Frank (MA)
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hinchey
Honda
Kucinich
Lee
Lewis (GA)
Markey
McDermott
McGovern
McKinney
Michaud
Paul
Schakowsky
Scott (VA)
Stark
Watt
Woolsey

ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--1

Capuano

NOT VOTING--15

Davis (FL)
Evans
Harman
Johnson, Sam
Keller
Lowey
Moran (VA)
Ney
Nussle
Owens
Solis
Strickland
Watson
Weiner
Wynn

{time} 1932

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois changed his vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
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
Stated against:
Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 440 on H. Res. 994--
9/11 Resolution, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I
would have voted ``nay.''

[[Page H6498]]

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