[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 145 (Wednesday, September 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5416-S5417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Remembering September 11TH

  Mr. President, it is difficult to believe it has been 18 years since 
the September 11 attacks. That bright September morning is seared in 
our minds as if it were yesterday--the shock, the horror, the sense of 
unreality in the days that followed, the grief and loss but also the 
resolve and the unity of purpose.
  As always, where there is great evil, good rises up in response--that 
of the courageous passengers on Flight 93 who laid down their lives to 
protect their fellow Americans; Vietnam veteran and Morgan Stanley 
security chief Rick Rescorla, who successfully evacuated more than 
2,000 of his firm's employees from the World Trade Center and died 
returning to help evacuate others; Jason Thomas and Dave Karnes, two 
former marines who dropped everything and sped to the Towers and saved 
the lives of the two Port Authority officers they found who had been 
trapped in the rubble; National Guard pilots Heather Penney and Marc 
Sasseville, who scrambled their F-16s--weaponless--to meet the threat 
that was headed toward DC and who were prepared to sacrifice their 
lives by ramming their aircraft into Flight 93 before it could hit the 
Capitol or the White House; and the hundreds of first responders who 
ran toward the Towers, toward the inferno, and headed up the steps 
while civilians ran down.
  Then there were the countless ordinary Americans who were far away 
from New York and Washington who flooded blood banks and overwhelmed 
organizations like the Red Cross with their donations; who stormed 
Heaven with prayers for the missing and the injured and the suffering; 
and who proudly flew their flags and reached out to their neighbors.
  In the weeks and months and years to come, there was a 9/11 
generation of soldiers--those who signed up in the wake of September 11 
to fight back against the terrorists and those who were already 
serving. They deployed around the globe to fight terror and to defend 
freedom, and thousands of them laid down their lives. Eighteen years 
on, we remember the horror of that September day, but we are also 
lifted up by the memory of the heroes who came out of it.
  For those of us who serve in Congress, the anniversary of September 
11 is also a reminder of the obligation we have to provide for our 
Nation's defense and to ensure that we are prepared to meet and defeat 
any threat. In the Senate, I am proud that both parties have worked 
together over the past couple of years to rebuild our Nation's military 
after years of its being underfunded and the strains of the War on 
Terror.
  September 11 is also a reminder of our obligation to care for those 
who stand between us and danger--our soldiers, our veterans, our first 
responders, and our law enforcement officers. They take on a heavy 
burden so the

[[Page S5417]]

rest of us can live in peace and safety. We owe them a debt we can 
never repay. This year, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation to 
make the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund permanent to ensure that 
first responders whose health has suffered in the wake of their work at 
Ground Zero, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania will have the 
resources they need.
  While we are on the subject of veterans, like all of my colleagues, I 
am saddened that Senator Johnny Isakson is retiring at the end of this 
year.
  We were members of the same freshman class in 2004. During his time 
here, he has been a tireless advocate for veterans, and he will be 
deeply missed. Yet his hard work in the Senate as the head of the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs will continue to bear fruit, and we will 
continue to work to implement the VA reforms he shepherded to ensure 
our veterans receive the care they have earned.
  I was here in Washington, DC, on September 11, and I evacuated the 
Capitol Complex. One of the things I remember very clearly from that 
day were the Capitol police officers who directed us out of the 
buildings. We were running from the danger, and they were not. They 
were not going anywhere until they were sure every last man and woman 
had made his way out.
  Against that spirit of courage and self-sacrifice, evil will never 
ultimately triumph. May God bless all of those who stand between us and 
danger. May He bless the victims of September 11 and their families, 
and may He continue to bless the United States of America.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.