[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 177 (Wednesday, November 1, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S6938]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
New York City Terror Attack
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I rise this morning with a heavy heart.
My city, my dear city of New York, no stranger to terrorism, was once
again its victim yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon, a man deliberately drove a rented truck into
groups of pedestrians and cyclists, killing eight and injuring about a
dozen more. Some of the injured were schoolchildren. These people were
biking or walking home, enjoying a brisk and beautiful New York autumn
day. It is tragic. It leaves a hole in your stomach.
Our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and we wish all
of the injured a full and speedy recovery. We are also grateful--deeply
grateful--to the New York Police Department and the first responders,
especially Officer Ryan Nash, 28 years old, who was the first on the
scene. He reacted quickly and decisively to bring down the attacker and
bring him into custody. Who knows how much worse the tragedy would have
been without his actions.
As one of thousands of New Yorkers who regularly ride on the path
where this attack took place--in the last month, I have ridden on it
twice--it hits close to home. My daughter went to the school near the
scene, Stuyvesant High School, and she used the bike path I don't know
how many times. This is our territory, our home.
The attacks are meant to confuse and terrorize, but, as the world
learned after 9/11 and will learn again, New York doesn't scare easily.
New Yorkers are resilient. We always bounce back. We won't let these
terrorists get their way or affect our way of life. We will never let
terror prevail.
True to form--something that made my heart swell with pride--the New
York City Halloween parade marched on last night. Thousands of school
kids went right into Stuyvesant today. The terrorists cannot stop us.
They cannot change our way of life. We love New York. We love America.
That bond holds us together.