[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 111 (Friday, July 22, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4836-S4837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 237 which was submitted
earlier today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the title of the
resolution.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 237) expressing the sense of the
Senate regarding coming together as a Nation and ceasing all
work or other activity for a moment of remembrance beginning
at 1:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on September 11, 2011, in
honor of the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks
committed against the United States on September 11, 2001.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the Senate will proceed to
the measure.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that
the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to
reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate,
and that any statements relating to the measure be printed in the
Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 237) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 237
Whereas at 8:46 AM, on September 11, 2001, hijacked
American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the upper portion of
the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City,
New York;
Whereas 17 minutes later, at 9:03 AM, hijacked United
Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World
Trade Center;
Whereas at 9:37 AM, the west wall of the Pentagon was hit
by hijacked American Airlines Flight 77, the impact of which
caused immediate and catastrophic damage to the headquarters
of the Department of Defense;
Whereas at approximately 10:00 AM, the passengers and crew
of hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 acted heroically to
retake control of the airplane and thwart the taking of
additional American lives by crashing the airliner in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and, in doing so, gave their lives
to save countless others;
Whereas nearly 3,000 innocent civilians were killed in the
heinous attacks of September 11, 2001;
Whereas tens of thousands of individuals narrowly escaped
the attacks at the Pentagon and World Trade Center and, as
witnesses to this tragedy, are forever changed;
Whereas countless fire departments, police departments,
first responders, governmental officials, workers, emergency
medical personnel, and volunteers responded immediately and
heroically to those horrific events;
Whereas the Fire Department of New York suffered 343
fatalities on September 11, 2001, the largest loss of life of
any emergency response agency in United States history;
Whereas the Port Authority Police Department suffered 37
fatalities in the attacks, the largest loss of life of any
police force in United States history in a single day;
Whereas the New York Police Department suffered 23
fatalities as a result of the terrorist attacks;
Whereas the impact of that day on public health continues
through 2011, as nearly 90,000 people are at risk of or
suffering from negative health effects as a result of the
events of September 11, 2001, including 14,000 workers and
2,400 community residents who are sick, and tens of thousands
of others whose health is being monitored;
Whereas 10 years later, the people of the United States and
people around the world continue to mourn the tremendous loss
of innocent life on that fateful day;
Whereas 10 years later, thousands of men and women in the
United States Armed Forces remain in harm's way defending the
United States against those who seek to threaten the United
States;
Whereas on the 10th anniversary of this tragic day, the
thoughts of the people of the United States are with all of
the victims of the events of September 11, 2001, and their
families;
Whereas the lives of Americans were changed forever on
September 11, 2001, when events threatened the American way
of life;
Whereas in December 2001, Congress and the President joined
together to designate September 11 as Patriot Day (Public Law
107-89);
Whereas in September 2002, and each September thereafter
through September 2008, President Bush issued Proclamations
7590, 7702, 7812, 7929, 8047, 8174, and 8286 (67 Fed. Reg.
57125; 68 Fed. Reg. 53013; 69 Fed. Reg. 55717; 70 Fed. Reg.
54467; 71 Fed. Reg. 53959; 72 Fed. Reg. 51553; 73 Fed. Reg.
52773) proclaiming September 11 of that year, respectively,
as Patriot Day;
Whereas in 2009, Congress and the President joined together
to designate September 11 as a National Day of Service and
Remembrance under the Serve America Act (Public Law 111-13;
123 Stat. 1460);
Whereas in September 2009 and 2010, President Obama issued
Proclamation 8413 (74 Fed. Reg. 47045) and Proclamation 8559
(75 Fed. Reg. 56463) proclaiming September 11, 2009, and
September 11, 2010, respectively, as Patriot Day and National
Day of Service and Remembrance; and
Whereas September 11 will never, and should never, be just
another day in the hearts and minds of all people of the
United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes September 11, 2011, as a day of solemn
commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001, and a day
to come together as a Nation;
(2) offers its deepest and most sincere condolences to the
families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims of
the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks;
(3) honors the heroic service, actions, and sacrifices of
first responders, law enforcement personnel, State and local
officials, volunteers, and countless others who aided the
innocent victims of those attacks and, in doing so, bravely
risked and often gave their own lives;
(4) recognizes the valiant service, actions, and sacrifices
of United States personnel, including members of the United
States Armed Forces, the United States intelligence agencies,
the United States diplomatic service, homeland security and
law enforcement personnel, and their families, who have given
so much, including their lives and well-being, to support the
cause of freedom and defend the security of the United
States;
(5) reaffirms that the people of the United States will
never forget the challenges our country endured on and since
September 11, 2001, and will work tirelessly to defeat those
who attacked the United States; and
(6) on the 10th anniversary of this tragic day in United
States history--
(A) calls upon all of the people and institutions of the
United States to observe a moment of remembrance on September
11, 2011, including--
(i) media outlets;
(ii) houses of worship;
(iii) military organizations;
(iv) veterans organizations;
(v) airlines;
(vi) airports;
(vii) railroads;
(viii) sports teams;
(ix) the Federal Government;
(x) State and local governments;
(xi) police, fire, and other public institutions;
(xii) educational institutions;
(xiii) businesses; and
(xiv) other public and private institutions; and
(B) encourages the observance of the moment of remembrance
or prayer to last for 1 minute beginning at 1:00 PM Eastern
Daylight Time by, to the maximum extent practicable--
(i) ceasing all work or other activity; and
(ii) marking the moment in an appropriate manner, including
by ringing bells, blowing whistles, or sounding sirens.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be
permitted to speak for up to 15 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, there are so many things here we can
disagree about, but I wish to say thank you to all of my colleagues.
One hundred of us have joined together in overwhelming numbers to
support this historic legislation which creates a national moment of
remembrance to commemorate the tragedy of 9/11.
Few events, if any, have done more to change the course of American
history as much as the horrifying terrorist attacks on September 11,
2001--nearly 10 years ago. It was one of the worst days in American
history on our soil--a day that placed a permanent cloud over America
and the free world. Few, if any, Americans can forget where they were
that fateful Tuesday morning when our country was gripped with shock
and disbelief and it felt as though our world had turned upside down.
I was traveling at the time. I was in the Middle East. When the news
came that an airplane struck the trade towers, the first conclusion I
came to was it was a stray airplane from a nearby airfield, and that
was it. But the news
[[Page S4837]]
kept coming, and people in the streets of the city I was in were
tearing at the terrible news about what happened to America.
Almost 3,000 people, including more than 700 people from my own State
of New Jersey, were brutally massacred in that attack. That is more
American lives lost than on D-day when thousands of Americans stormed
Normandy.
Many of the victims were hard at work. On a typical weekday, 50,000
people worked in the Twin Towers, with another 200,000 passing through
as visitors. It is impossible to believe that these towering
facilities, with their huge infrastructure, could be burned, melted,
and brought to the ground. Many of the people who lost their lives lost
them saving others, including 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, and
other first responders, as they answered the call of others who
desperately needed their help. Some became heroes that day, such as
those on United Flight 93, who took on the hijackers who were in the
aisles to try and bring that airplane to its target. But the people
stood up and fought against them--heroes, brave and courageous--to
prevent that airplane from reaching its intended target.
Tragically, a decade after the Twin Towers fell, the toll of 9/11 is
still climbing. More than 85,000 first responders, cleanup workers, and
community residents are dealing with the aftermath of this tragedy.
There are victims who are being monitored or receiving medical
treatment after breathing the toxic fumes and the dust at Ground Zero.
As we all know, the wounds that came from 9/11 are not just physical.
witnesses of the tragedy saw people jumping from high stories of the
buildings because they could no longer stand the heat, the smoke. The
witnesses of the tragedy, the thousands of survivors who narrowly
escaped the attacks, and the families of the victims who will never see
their loved ones again still bear the scars of that awful day.
Life changed in countless ways for all Americans on September 11,
affecting every move we make. All of us are reminded of 9/11's legacy
almost every day as we wait in line to present our ID when we travel,
go to work, or when we hear news of further attempts on the lives of
Americans.
There are approximately 50,000 baggage checkers and screeners working
every day to keep us safe at airports across the country. In fact, the
Federal Department of Homeland Security--created in the wake of 9/11--
has more than 230,000 employees and spends more than $40 billion each
year protecting us from similar onslaughts.
As is Pearl Harbor, 9/11 can be described as a day that will live in
infamy. With Pearl Harbor, with all of its pain and sacrifice, an end
to that conflict finally came and normalcy was restored to our country
after some years. But our enemy today continues its search for ways to
bring pain and suffering to Americans. They keep searching for
technology and weapons, and 10 years later we are still fighting them.
As we near the 10th anniversary of 9/11, it is important for us to
remember what brought us to this point. That is why I am so proud and
grateful to see the Senate unanimously approve this legislation,
which--as we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11--calls on our
country to pause on September 11 for a moment of remembrance. What is
planned is that at 1 p.m. eastern time that day, all Americans will be
called upon to cease all work and activity and spend a moment in
silence reflecting on what happened on 9/11, 2001. Our local, State,
and national institutions--from sports teams and railroads to
broadcasters and places of worship--will be called upon to mark this
minute with church bells or sirens to recall the honor of those
victims. This will be a striking symbol of American solidarity,
signaling to the world that we remain united against those who threaten
our freedom. It will also be a powerful nationwide expression of
America's patriotic spirit and our refusal to forget the thousands of
innocent lives we lost in the destruction of 9/11.
Many of us recall the love of country we experienced in the days and
weeks and months after the attacks in 2001. During that period, it
seemed as though everywhere we turned, we saw an American flag. As a
nation, we were willing to set aside our differences to mourn our
losses and mourn the losses of friends and acquaintances and neighbors,
and we decided to work together to defeat those who threaten our way of
life. I believe the national moment of remembrance can help us
recapture that spirit of unity and remind everyone how strong we are
when we stand together.
I thank my colleagues for the outpouring of support for this
legislation and hope they will be able to encourage their constituents
to participate in this moment of remembrance. Every Member of the
Senate joined together as cosponsors to create this moment of
remembrance, representing all political views in every corner of this
great Nation. We want everybody to participate, including State and
local governments, the military, veterans organizations, the news
media, houses of worship, and sports teams.
The 9/11 Moment of Remembrance will be a way to pay tribute to the
lives lost and forever changed by the events in Pennsylvania, the
Pentagon, and at Ground Zero. Let there be no doubt: 9/11 changed our
country forever, and a tragedy of this magnitude demands memory and
vigilance. As a nation, we must keep alive the memories of the many
courageous Americans we lost that day. We must be vigilant on behalf of
the thousands of families who suffered incalculable losses--losses that
must never be forgotten. During the past decade, through our pain and
sorrow has come the realization that this vigilance must be maintained
so nothing like that can happen again.
So once again I say thank you to my colleagues for supporting this
measure. It will send a powerful signal to the rest of the world and
remind us how strong America is when we all stand together.
With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor, and note the absence of
a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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