[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 4, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H2934-H2936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING BEVERLY ECKERT FOR 9/11 VICTIMS WORK

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 201) recognizing Beverly Eckert's service to 
the Nation and particularly to the survivors and families of the 
September 11, 2001, attacks.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 201

       Whereas on the morning of September 11, 2001, terrorists 
     hijacked and destroyed 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, DC;
       Whereas the passengers and crew aboard United Flight 93 
     acted heroically to prevent the terrorist hijackers from 
     taking additional American lives, by crashing the plane in 
     Shanksville, Pennsylvania and sacrificing their own lives 
     instead;
       Whereas thousands of innocent men, women, and children were 
     brutally murdered in the attacks of September 11, 2001;
       Whereas pursuant to Public Law 107-306, the 9/11 Commission 
     was formed to ascertain, evaluate, and report on the evidence 
     regarding the terrorist attacks;
       Whereas the 9/11 Commission was also required in Public Law 
     107-306 to make a full and complete accounting of the 
     circumstances surrounding the terrorist attacks, report on 
     the United States' preparedness for, and immediate response 
     to, terrorist attacks, and make findings, conclusions, and 
     recommendations for corrective measures that could be taken 
     to prevent, prepare, and respond to acts of terrorism;
       Whereas the 9/11 Commission stated in its report that it 
     ``interviewed more than 1,200 individuals'' to assist in 
     making its recommendations;
       Whereas one of the groups representing the victims, 
     ``Voices of September 11'', testified before the 9/11 
     Commission;
       Whereas Beverly Eckert was the widow of Mr. Sean Rooney, 
     who died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the 
     World Trade Center and following her husband's death, Beverly 
     Eckert co-founded ``Voices of September 11'', an advocacy 
     group for survivors and 9/11 families;
       Whereas Beverly Eckert was instrumental in the development 
     and growth of this important advocacy group, which now claims 
     more than 5,500 members;
       Whereas Beverly Eckert worked admirably with the 110th 
     Congress and was a key proponent in the final passage of the 
     ``Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 
     2007'' as the legislation to effectuate the recommendations 
     of the 9/11 Commission to prevent, prepare, and respond to 
     acts of terrorism; and
       Whereas the United States will forever be grateful for the 
     services of Beverly Eckert and mourn her loss: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) acknowledges Beverly Eckert's service to the Nation and 
     particularly to the survivors and families of the September 
     11, 2001, attacks;
       (2) recognizes Beverly Eckert's work to help bring about 
     implementation of the 9/11 Commission recommendations to 
     prepare, prevent, and respond to acts of terrorism; and
       (3) extends its deepest condolences to the family of 
     Beverly Eckert and the families of all those who lost their 
     lives due to the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution and 
yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H. Res. 201, which recognizes Beverly Eckert's 
service to the United States of America, particularly the survivors and 
the families of the attack on September 11, 2001.
  Ms. Eckert was the widow of Mr. Sean Rooney, who was killed in the 
World Trade Center on September 11. For many, the devastating loss of a 
partner, of a husband, would lead to a state of grief, anger, fear, 
paralysis.
  But Beverly Eckert turned the September 11 attacks into a clarion 
call of government accountability and transparency, Mr. Speaker. When 
there were questions about what led to the attacks, Beverly Eckert 
demanded answers.

[[Page H2935]]

  When some tried to dismiss her call for answers, she pressed on and 
cofounded the ``Voices of September 11,'' an advocacy group for 
survivors which now claims more than 5,500 members.
  This led to the creation of the National Commission on Terrorist 
Attacks upon the United States--or the 
9/11 Commission--and we all remember that commission led by former 
Congressman Lee Hamilton and, of course, Governor Tom Kean of New 
Jersey. Beverly Eckert did not stop there. She attended the 9/11 
Commission hearings and was there when the 9/11 Commission published 
its findings and recommendations.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to allow, because of time factors with some of 
the Members, two young ladies who are Members of this great body, who 
are always there first to recognize and sensitive to those people, the 
real heroes of America.
  I yield 2 minutes first to Ms. Slaughter from the State of New York.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. I thank both gentlemen for the time.
  As a New Yorker, obviously the events of September 11, 2001, are 
really seared in our memory, as I am sure they are in the memory of all 
Americans.
  On February 12, this year, 2009, the Nation was shocked and saddened 
by the devastating plane accident in Clarence, New York, a few miles 
outside of Buffalo. Our thoughts and prayers will always be with the 
family and friends who lost loved ones on Continental Connection Flight 
3407.
  Today, we are here to recognize one of the persons on that plane, 
Beverly Eckert, who also lost her life on that day. We thank her for 
her tremendous service to our Nation and particularly to the survivors 
and families of the September 11, 2001, attacks.
  Mr. Speaker, Beverly Eckert, as mentioned, was the widow of Sean 
Rooney, who died in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center 
and had been among the most visible faces of the victims' families in 
the aftermath of the attacks. Following her husband's death, she 
cofounded Voices of September 11, one of the first advocacy groups for 
the survivors of 9/11 and families.
  Beverly was instrumental in the development and growth of this 
important group, which is now supported by more than 5,500 members. 
Along with other members of the Voices of September 11, she testified 
before the 9/11 Commission to help report on the September 11 terrorist 
attacks.
  Beverly worked with the 110th Congress tirelessly, and she was a key 
proponent in enacting the 9/11 Commission's recommendations to prevent, 
prepare and respond to acts of terrorism. Simply put, Beverly's work 
helped to make our Nation safer and more secure.
  Beverly was a passenger on Flight 3407 on her way to Buffalo to mark 
what would have been her husband's birthday and launch a scholarship in 
his memory. We lost an inspiring and tenacious champion in Beverly, and 
we must continue to honor her memory and accomplishments.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. PASCRELL. I yield the gentlelady an additional 30 seconds.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. We must continue to honor her memory and 
accomplishments while carrying on her mission. Today we consider a 
resolution to acknowledge her service on behalf of the survivors and to 
recognize her work to help protect our Nation.
  The resolution also extends condolences to the families of all those 
who were lost on the Continental Connection flight.
  I urge my colleagues to support the resolution to honor the life of 
Beverly Eckert, commemorating her valuable service to the 9/11 
survivors and families in this country.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in honoring Ms. 
Beverly Eckert.
  Ms. Eckert lost her husband, Sean Rooney, on September 11, 2001. 
Since then, Ms. Eckert has been a tireless advocate for the families 
and survivors of these September 11 attacks. She is the cofounder of 
the nonprofit foundation Voices of September 11, which currently has 
more than 5,500 members.
  Ms. Eckert lobbied for the establishment of the 9/11 Commission, 
passage of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, 
establishment of the WMD Commission, and the development of a memorial 
to the victims of the September 11 attacks at Ground Zero.
  Ms. Eckert was a passenger on Continental Flight 3407, which crashed 
on February 12, 2009, near Buffalo, New York. Ms. Eckert, who grew up 
in Buffalo, was returning to her hometown to honor her husband on his 
58th birthday and establish a scholarship in his name.
  Ms. Eckert is survived by her three sisters, seven nephews and her 
one niece. My heart goes out to her family and friends. I hope they can 
take comfort in the fact that Ms. Eckert has been reunited with her 
husband.
  I honor Ms. Eckert and all those who lost their lives as a result of 
the tragic crash of Continental Flight 3407.
  I urge Members to support this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from 
New York (Mrs. Maloney).

                              {time}  1315

  Mrs. MALONEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his constant 
leadership and support for the 
9/11 families and for the reforms to make our country safer and to my 
good friend and colleague Louise Slaughter, who authored this 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution honoring 
Beverly Eckert, who died in a plane crash in Buffalo going to honor the 
memory of her husband on his 58th birthday.
  She told me the last time she spoke to him, he was in the burning 
towers and the fire was coming towards him. She was devoted to him. It 
broke her heart. But it did not break her spirit. She dedicated her 
life to making sure that other families did not suffer the same type of 
loss that she did by not protecting our citizens, by putting in place 
strong homeland security laws.
  As the co-Chair of the 9/11 Family Steering Committee, and I was the 
founder and Chair of the 9/11 Commission Caucus, we worked almost 
daily, first to support the creation of the 9/11 Commission; then to 
fund it, to give it subpoena power, to give it time to do its work. And 
when they came back with a report that had 47 recommendations to make 
Americans safer, she then dedicated her life to implementing them into 
law. I was one of the authors of the first bill that reorganized our 
intelligence, the first major intelligence reorganization since 1948, 
to share information so that we could better prevent another attack. 
And then H.R. 1, which rolled all the other recommendations to make 
America safer into the bill, H.R. 1, the first bill that the Democratic 
leadership passed in the last Congress, this passed with Beverly's 
leadership and support.
  She worked out of my office for 4 years. She would lead vigils in 
front of the White House. She was at 9/11 constantly raising the need 
and the importance to pass this important legislation. She was a 
spirit. She was a leader. She was one of the finest people I have ever 
met. And many, many people owe a great deal of gratitude for a safer 
America because of her work.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Instead of letting leaders in Washington pat themselves on the back 
for the 9/11 Commission, which we are apt to do, Beverly Eckert 
insisted on the implementation of the Commission's recommendations. 
When Ms. Eckert was told that the recommendations would be difficult to 
implement, she was not deterred. Where she saw there were problems, she 
demanded and worked tirelessly for solutions. She traveled to 
Washington and pushed for the passage of the implementation of the 
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act, as Mrs. Maloney and Ms. 
Slaughter pointed out.
  To sum up, Beverly Eckert was a tenacious citizen who nudged and 
prodded the leaders of this Nation to look at their mistakes and 
implement the steps to correct them. Ms. Eckert was not interested in 
partisanship, fear-mongering or saber rattling. Beverly

[[Page H2936]]

Eckert was a woman who made sure that the death of her husband and 
those who died on September 11 would not be in vain. In that process 
she taught us all why we should not give into the fear of terrorism.
  I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
this resolution honoring, Beverly Eckert, a great American. As a 9/11 
widow, Beverly Eckert rose above a daunting challenge. America has 
asked her to not only overcome her grief over losing her husband, but 
to take on a leading role as a advocate for other victims.
  Beverly Eckert, who died on February 12 in the crash of Continental 
Connection Flight 3407 in Clarence Center, N.Y., was co-founder of 
Voices of September 11, a group representing the victims of the 
September 11 terrorist attacks. Her husband, Sean Rooney, died in the 
World Trade Center. Under Eckert's leadership, Voices of September 11 
grew into an influential advocacy group of more than 5,500 members. 
Eckert supported the work of the 9/11 Commission and urged Congress to 
adopt its recommendations. Less than a week before her death, she met 
with President Barack Obama at the White House with other terrorist 
victims' families to discuss changes in the government's handling of 
terror suspects.
  As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Chair 
of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure I am well 
aware of the importance of keeping the memory of September 11, 2001 at 
the forefront of our conscious.
  This resolution honors Beverly Eckert for her service on behalf of 
September 11 victims and their families and recognizes her work to 
bring about the implementation of the 9/11 Commission recommendations 
to prevent and respond to acts of terrorism. It extends condolences to 
Eckert's family and the families of all those who lost their lives in 
the Continental Connection Flight 3407 crash.
  Certainly the irony of Beverly Eckert dying in a plane crash that 
appears to be weather-related is not lost on us. That does not diminish 
the breadth of her work over the last eight years. It is fitting that 
Beverly was greeted at the White House by President Obama just a week 
before she perished.
  It is my hope Mr. Speaker that we continue to honor Beverly Eckert 
and the other victims of Continental Connection Flight 3407 and the 
terrorist attacks of 9/11 by energizing our pursuit of the terrorists 
who hurt our nation. We can do this by bringing to justice the 
perpetrators of those attacks and the forces behind them.
  Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to our nation 
at this poignant time but also a moment where we can be reminded of the 
arduous task that this new administration faces in pursuit of 
terrorists and seeking to raise our profile as a nation of peace. We 
can be a leader in the fight against terrorism and still saving the 
world. We can only hope that Sean Rooney and Beverly are reunited in 
heaven.
  Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a constituent and citizen 
activist, Beverly Eckert who lost her life in the tragic crash of 
flight 3407 just a few weeks ago.
  In addition to being a beloved sister, aunt, and friend, Beverly, who 
lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attack on the World 
Trade Center, was an impressive activist and will be missed, both for 
her outspoken work on behalf of 9/11 victims and by those who knew and 
love her.
  After her husband died on September 11th, Beverly co-founded Voices 
of September 11, a group that serves those affected by the attacks and 
advocates for effective response to terrorism.
  In the days, weeks and years after the 9/11 attacks, Beverly was a 
tireless advocate for the victims' families. She spearheaded protests 
that led politicians to set aside more land for a memorial at Ground 
Zero, fought to ensure federal authorities would thoroughly probe the 
cause of the twin towers' collapse, and spoke eloquently again and 
again about her husband, Sean Rooney, and the many others who died that 
day.
  As a member of the Family Steering Committee, a group of relatives of 
victims of 9/11, Eckert helped to spearhead the public fight for a 9/11 
Commission to investigate the attacks.
  Throughout the years, Beverly remained active in the fight against 
terrorism. This winter she met with President Obama at the White House 
along with other relatives of those killed on 9/11 and in the bombing 
of the USS Cole to discuss how the new administration would handle 
terror suspects.
  Beverly's activism should remind all of us what the actions of one 
person can do. While she did not work alone, we all have her to thank 
for making us safer today. Her patriotism should be admired and her 
citizenship should serve as a model for us all.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 201.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________