[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 145 (Wednesday, September 11, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7599-H7600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     COMMEMORATING THE 18TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today, on the 
18th anniversary of September 11, 2001, to reflect on the events of 
that fateful day and to honor the lives lost and the heroes that united 
us.
  At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 roared over Lower Manhattan 
and into Tower 1 of the World Trade Center. Shortly after, Flight 175 
struck Tower 2.
  Our country was under attack. Many of us could never imagine such 
evil taking place in our own backyard.
  The terror did not stop in New York City. The Pentagon, center of our 
Armed Forces and national defense and our Nation's Capital, was also a 
target of evil. Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at 9:38 a.m. It was 
a turning point in our history and changed the way we would view the 
world forever.
  The fourth plane hijacked that day was United 93, crashing into a 
field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
  Here in the Capitol, as you exit the north side of the rotunda, a 
plaque displays the names of the 40 passengers and crew of United 93.
  One of those aboard was Flight Attendant Sandra Bradshaw. Sandra had 
always wanted to be a flight attendant and was living out that dream, 
traveling and meeting new people.
  At 9:30 a.m. on 9/11, she called her husband and told him that United 
93 had been hijacked. She said the crew and passengers had decided to 
try to take back the plane. Their sacrifice saved countless lives, and 
I can't help but think they may have saved this very building where we 
sit today from destruction.
  Our country's fight against terrorism did not happen on a battlefield 
on the

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other side of the world but over the skies of Pennsylvania, New York, 
and Virginia by ordinary American citizens.
  The courage and bravery of Flight 93 was not the only heroism on 
display that day. Firefighters, police officers, and first responders 
jumped into action without hesitation. When planes crashed, they ran 
in. When fires ignited, they ran in. When buildings collapsed, they ran 
in. Their courage never wavered.
  We will never forget the lives lost and must always remember the 
heroism that was shown. And while we cannot bring our loved ones back, 
we can honor their memory through acts of service.
  To maintain the spirit of unity and compassion that stem from the 
attacks, every year our country proclaims September 11 as Patriot Day. 
It is a great way to honor the souls we lost and pay tribute to all who 
sacrificed their lives.
  As President Bush said when he addressed the Nation: ``Terrorist 
attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they 
cannot touch the foundation of America. These attacks shattered steel, 
but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.''

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