[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 191 (Tuesday, December 13, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H8825-H8828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FALLEN HEROES OF 9/11 ACT
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 3421) to award Congressional Gold Medals in honor of the
men and women who perished as a result of the terrorist attacks on the
United States on September 11, 2001.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3421
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act''.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) the tragic deaths at the World Trade Center, at the
Pentagon, and in rural Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001,
have forever changed our Nation;
(2) the officers, emergency workers, and other employees of
State and local government agencies, including the Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey, and of the United
States government and others, who responded to the attacks on
the World Trade Center in New York City and perished as a
result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001 (including
those who are missing and presumed dead), took heroic and
noble action on that day;
(3) the officers, emergency rescue workers, and employees
of local and United States government agencies, who responded
to the attack on the Pentagon in Washington, DC, took heroic
and noble action to evacuate the premises and prevent further
casualties of Pentagon employees;
(4) the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93,
recognizing the imminent danger that the aircraft that they
were aboard posed to large numbers of innocent men, women and
children, American institutions, and the symbols of American
democracy, took heroic and noble action to ensure that the
aircraft could not be used as a weapon; and
(5) given the unprecedented nature of the attacks against
the United States of America and the need to properly
demonstrate the support of the country for those who lost
their lives to terrorism, it is fitting that their sacrifice
be recognized with the award of an appropriate medal.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Award.--
(1) Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf
of Congress, of 3 gold medals of appropriate design in honor
of the men and women who perished as a result of the
terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.
(2) Display.--Following the award of the gold medals
referred to in paragraph (1), one gold medal shall be given
to each of--
(A) the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania,
(B) the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New
York, and
(C) the Pentagon Memorial at the Pentagon,
with the understanding that each medal is to be put on
permanent, appropriate display.
(3) Design and striking.--For the purposes of the awards
referred to in paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Treasury
shall strike 3 designs of the gold medals with suitable
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the
Secretary.
(b) Duplicate Medals.--Under such regulations as the
Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may strike and sell
duplicates in bronze of the gold medals struck under this
Act, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of
[[Page H8826]]
the medals, including labor, materials, dyes, use of
machinery, and overhead expenses.
(c) National Medals.--Medals struck pursuant to this Act
are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31,
United States Code.
(d) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of
duplicate bronze medals under subsection (b) shall be
deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) and the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Meeks) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and to add extraneous material on this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit an exchange of
letters with the Ways and Means Committee regarding this bill.
House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means,
Longworth House Office Building,
Washington, DC, December 13, 2011.
Hon. Spencer Bachus,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bachus: I am writing concerning H.R. 3421,
the ``Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act,'' which is scheduled for
Floor action today.
As you know, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains
jurisdiction over matters that concern raising revenue. H.R.
3421 contains a provision that provides for the sale of
duplicate medals, and thus falls within the jurisdiction of
the Committee on Ways and Means.
However, as part of our ongoing understanding regarding
commemorative coin and medal bills and in order to expedite
this bill for floor consideration, the Committee will forgo
action. This is being done with the understanding that it
does not in any way prejudice the Committee with respect to
the appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional
prerogatives on this or similar legislation in the future.
I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming
this understanding with respect to H.R. 3421, and would ask
that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be
included in the Congressional Record during Floor
consideration.
Sincerely,
Dave Camp,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Financial Services,
Washington, DC, December 13, 2011.
Hon. Dave Camp,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Longworth House Office
Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Camp: I am writing in response to your letter
regarding H.R. 3421, the Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act, which is
scheduled under for Floor consideration under suspension of
the rules on Tuesday, December 13, 2011.
I wish to confirm our mutual understanding on this bill. As
you know, section 3 of the bill relates to the proceeds of
the sale of the medals. I acknowledge your committee's
jurisdictional interest in such proceeds as revenue matters
and appreciate your willingness to forego action by the
Committee on Ways and Means on H.R. 3421 in order to allow
the bill to come to the Floor expeditiously. Also, I agree
that your decision to forego further action on this bill will
not prejudice the Committee on Ways and Means with respect to
its jurisdictional prerogatives on this or similar
legislation. Therefore, I would support your request for
conferees on those provisions within your jurisdiction should
this bill be the subject of a House-Senate conference.
I will include this exchange of letters in the
Congressional Record when this bill is considered by the
House. Thank you again for your assistance and if you should
need anything further, please do not hesitate to contact
Natalie McGarry of my staff at 202-225-7502.
Sincerely,
Spencer Bachus,
Chairman.
I yield 3 minutes to the author and sponsor of this bill, the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster).
Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I rise today in support of the Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act, which I
introduced earlier this year in honor of the 10th anniversary of
September 11. I represent Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the area where
Flight 93 went down, and, more importantly, where the first
counterattack of the war on terror occurred.
It has been an honor for me to work closely with the Families of
Flight 93 over the years on key initiatives, including funding the
Flight 93 National Memorial and awarding the 9/11 heroes a
Congressional Gold Medal. The Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act would award one
collective Congressional Gold Medal to honor the heroes that perished
on 9/11, to be displayed at each memorial site--the Flight 93 National
Memorial in Pennsylvania, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum
in New York, and the Pentagon Memorial. The tragic deaths at the World
Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and in rural Pennsylvania on September
11, 2001, have forever changed our Nation.
The officers, emergency workers, and other employees of State and
local government agencies, including the Port Authority of New York and
New Jersey, and of the United States Government and others, who
responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and
perished as a result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, took
heroic and noble action on that day.
The officers, emergency rescue workers and employees of local and
United States Government agencies who responded to the attack on the
Pentagon and Washington took heroic and noble action to evacuate the
premises and prevent further casualties of the Pentagon employees.
And the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, recognizing
the imminent danger that the aircraft that they had boarded posed to
large numbers of innocent men, women, and children, American
institutions, and the symbols of American democracy, took heroic and
noble action to ensure that that aircraft could not be used as a
weapon.
Given the unprecedented nature of the attacks against the United
States of America and the need to properly demonstrate the support of
the country for those who lost their lives to terrorism, it is fitting
that their sacrifice be recognized with the award of an appropriate
medal.
Awarding this medal would give Congress and the American people an
opportunity to further pay tribute and honor the heroic men and women
that lost their lives that day. There would be no better gift this
holiday season to those who lost loved ones than passing this bill and
officially recognizing those that lost their lives that fateful day.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, the
Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act, and I want to thank the over 350 Members I
believe it was that signed on to this bill to make it possible that
we're here today, going to pass this and hopefully send it to the
President.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
This year represents the 10th year since our country was attacked by
terrorists and it forever changed our Nation. The events that took
place on September 11, 2001, will be forever embedded into every
American soul. I, being a New Yorker, on that day can recall with vivid
memory that I was in the city because it was an Election Day in New
York, a beautiful day in New York, and being pulled to the television
by some individuals that our Nation was under attack. I could then look
out from the venue where I was and literally see the two towers. Then
getting on the phone to talk to individuals, many and some of whom were
racing to the scene of the tragedy--not racing from it. Our first
responders were racing to it because they wanted to help their fellow
human beings. These were heroes, indeed, and we use the word ``heroes''
sometimes as a manner of course. But if you want to talk about a heroic
act, when and in the time of crisis, individuals willing to put their
own lives on the line to help a fellow human being, I tell you, the
first responders, the officers, the emergency workers and others indeed
are truly American heroes.
When you think about what took place, what must have taken place on
that fateful day, for the passengers and the crew of the United
Airlines Flight 93, think about what they must have gone through
knowing that there had been planes already attacking our Nation, but
yet they made a decision to sacrifice their lives and to make sure that
the plane would go down so that
[[Page H8827]]
no one, no other lives would be destroyed. That is the true meaning of
a hero.
Think about the government employees, both local and the United
States Government, who responded to the attack on the Pentagon in
Washington, D.C., who took courageous steps to protect fellow
Americans. They were heroes. And that is why on this 10th anniversary,
H.R. 3421, where we would have three coins to commemorate those heroes,
those sheroes of the day that the United States of America was attacked
by terrorists, is a way that we can come together and say we shall
never forget, and we shall honor those individuals who left their
families because of a vicious act but also in attempting to save many
other American lives.
And so, Mr. Speaker, I say that I thank all of the 328 cosponsors who
united together to say to those heroes, we shall never forget you, we
shall never stop thanking you, we will always, always hold your name up
high, and these coins are the commemoratives of those acts so that
children yet unborn will know of your heroic acts, and they shall never
ever perish from the minds of an American citizen, whether they are
here today or whether they will be born tomorrow.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today also in support of H.R. 3421, the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
Act, introduced November 14 by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Shuster). Remarkably in the short 4 weeks since its introduction, it
has obtained almost 330 cosponsors from this House of Representatives.
{time} 1910
The bill before us recognizes the heroism of the men and women who
died on September 11, 2001, that day just over a decade ago that
changed this country and in fact changed this world and changed it
forever. At three sites--seemingly unconnected on that clear, bright
morning--thousands of brave men and women died in the most agonizing
way and before our eyes. Each of them was a hero, and this bill awards
a Congressional Gold Medal in their memory.
There will be three designs, one for each of the attack sites in New
York City, at the Pentagon, and in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
And the medals struck for those sites will be displayed at the museums
there that preserve the memories of that frightful day.
After the award of the medals, bronze copies of the medals will be
available for purchase at a nominal price. Each design, which should be
reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and the Commission
on Fine Arts, is to capture the horror of that day and the majesty of
those heroic deaths.
This medal will be the second and final Congressional Gold Medal to
be approved during this session of the 112th Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I urge immediate passage of this bill, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from the great State of
New York, Carolyn Maloney.
(Mrs. MALONEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3421, the
Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act.
After 9/11, I have never seen this body so united and determined; and
this same determination and united spirit is behind the bill that we
are passing today, with well over 300 cosponsors.
This year marked the 10th anniversary of that tragic day where we had
innocent Americans murdered on our soil, invaded; the first act of
terrorism that we are confronting and combating today in this Congress.
The bill will symbolize in the gold coin the 9/11 site in New York,
the site at the Pentagon, the heroic flight over Pennsylvania, and will
have the gold coin put on display in the museums in these three
locations.
On 9/11, we lost thousands and thousands of Americans, innocent
Americans, who did what we did today, went up and went to work and were
murdered because they were Americans. It was outrageous. We will never
forget. This is another way that we can memorialize the heroic actions,
the heroes and heroines that worked hard to try to protect them, and
really recognize how outrageous it was that an American citizen was
murdered just for being an American.
Since 9/11, thousands and thousands more have lost their health. And
I thank this body for acting in the last Congress to provide health
care and compensation and monitoring for those who risked their lives
to save the lives of others.
No other act has changed this country as much as 9/11. We totally
reorganized our priorities, created a Homeland Security Department,
totally reorganized our intelligence gathering, and implemented 43 of
the 53 recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. It was this Congress at
its best.
The 9/11 Commission report, which was a bipartisan product, came
forward with concrete recommendations. Their report sold more copies
than ``Harry Potter.'' It was an important report, and this Congress
took that report and enacted those recommendations into law. With that
same bipartisan spirit, we should be attacking the economic challenges
that we confront today.
I compliment my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for sponsoring
and working on this legislation. It will mean a great deal to the men
and women that I have the honor of representing to have a bronze coin
that they can purchase to remember, to have their input into the
artistic framing of the message for these three tragedies in our
country. It is thoughtful, it is purposeful, and it is historic. I
thank my colleagues.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. I reserve the balance of my time and inform the
gentleman from New York that I am prepared to close.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Being a New Yorker, I still, to this day, as I walk the streets of
downtown Manhattan, cannot believe that the Twin Towers are not there.
I taught my daughters how to navigate the streets of New York looking
up at those towers as some look up to see the North Star. I will never
really, in my heart, conceive of the towers not being there, even as we
build this great memorial.
But when I think about the families, how they must feel--if I just
utilized them as a tool for my daughters and they're gone--but when you
think about the families whose loved ones are gone, we have to do
everything in our power so they know that we will always be thinking of
the ones that are not able to have dinner with them this evening.
These coins--when tourists come to visit the various sites or when
individuals want to purchase them for the commemorative event so they
can always remember these heroes--are a symbol of the United States
House of Representatives and Congress that in these kinds of times we
do come together and we will work together in a bipartisan manner to
salute Americans and others, because some lost their lives who were not
American citizens, that we shall never forget. And we thank them for
their courage, we thank them for their heroism, and we thank the
families for the sacrifices that they have made as a result of not
having those loved ones.
Let me also thank my colleagues and Mr. Shuster for introducing this
bill and working collectively together in a spirit of being Americans.
I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I represent Bucks County, Pennsylvania,
which is the home of a 9/11 memorial for Pennsylvanians, for Americans,
for all those killed on September 11, 2001. It is also the home of
Ellen Saracini, widow of Captain Victor Saracini, who was the pilot of
United Flight 175, which was crashed into the south tower at
approximately 9:03 that morning.
He went to work, along with 2,973 other men and women lost on
September 11, never imagining that they would not be returning home.
For Ellen Saracini and for the other 17 families from Bucks County who
lost a loved family member on that day, I want to thank my friend and
colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) for offering this bill. I was
proud to help
[[Page H8828]]
him introduce it, and I humbly ask my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3421, a bill
to award Congressional Gold Medals to the heroes of 9/11.
During the attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2,996
Americans lost their lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and
in a field in rural Pennsylvania. Many more might have perished had
hundreds of law enforcement officers, emergency workers and State and
local government employees, not sprung into action to help evacuate the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon and, in the case of the passengers
and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, averted greater disaster by
sacrificing themselves.
The three gold medals this legislation awards, will be permanently
displayed at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, the
National September 11 Memorial in New York and the Memorial at the
Pentagon as a constant and visible reminder of the exceptional acts of
heroism exercised on that tragic day.
As a cosponsor of H.R. 3421, I encourage my colleagues to join me in
support of the many heroic men and women who put themselves in harm's
way on September 11th, 2001 with this Congressional Gold Medal.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3421.
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. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
____________________