[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 186 (Friday, October 22, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5796-H5797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH'S REMARKS ON THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, and Members of the House, last month, on 
the 10th anniversary of 9/11, former President George W. Bush delivered 
remarks commemorating the heroism of the crew and passengers of United 
Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
  The former President's words were a welcome reminder, Madam Speaker, 
of what it looks like for an American leader to call us together in 
unity. His words were compassionate, inspiring, and patriotic.
  Madam Speaker, he and I have had many differences over the years when 
it comes to policy. During his Presidency, I opposed much of his 
governing agenda. He did the same, opposing many of Democrats' plans 
when we came into the majority in 2007.
  We respected one another, we were able to work together with one 
another, and we both had at the center of our philosophy the best 
interests of the United States of America and its people. We always 
approached each other with civility, with seriousness, and with a 
shared respect for each other's patriotism.
  We never questioned each other's love of our country or that we were 
doing what we thought was best for the safety and security of the 
American people.
  I hope that President Bush's message will inspire my friends on the 
other side of the aisle, from the former President's own party and, 
indeed, all Americans and all of us, to remember what that kind of 
leadership looks like after 4 years of a President who did not call us 
to unity, who did not encourage civility or common cause, and who 
furthered our divides instead of bridged them.
  I hope as well that we in this House can strive to heal the divisions 
in our country and embrace the kind of leadership that President Bush 
displayed last month and that together, as Democrats and Republicans, 
we can work toward a better tomorrow for all of our fellow Americans.
  Madam Speaker, I include in the Record President Bush's full remarks.

 Remarks by President George W. Bush at Flight 93 National Memorial in 
  Commemoration of the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11 on September 11, 2021

       ``Thank you very much. Laura and I are honored to be with 
     you. Madam Vice President, Vice President Cheney. Governor 
     Wolf, Secretary Haaland, and distinguished guests:
       ``Twenty years ago, we all found--in different ways, in 
     different places, but all at the same moment--that our lives 
     would be changed forever. The world was loud with carnage and 
     sirens, and then quiet with missing voices that would never 
     be heard again. These lives remain precious to our country, 
     and infinitely precious to many of you. Today we remember 
     your loss, we share your sorrow, and we honor the men and 
     women you have loved so long and so well.
       ``For those too young to recall that clear September day, 
     it is hard to describe the mix of feelings we experienced. 
     There was horror at the scale of destruction, and awe at the 
     bravery and kindness that rose to meet it. There was shock at 
     the audacity of evil, and gratitude for the heroism and 
     decency that opposed it. In the sacrifice of the first 
     responders, in the mutual aid of strangers, in the solidarity 
     of grief and grace, the actions of an enemy revealed the 
     spirit of a people. And we were proud of our wounded nation.
       ``In these memories, the passengers and crew of Flight 93 
     must always have an honored place. Here the intended targets 
     became the instruments of rescue. And many who are now alive 
     owe a vast, unconscious debt to the defiance displayed in the 
     skies above this field.
       ``It would be a mistake to idealize the experience of those 
     terrible events. All that many people could initially see was 
     the brute randomness of death. All that many could feel was 
     unearned suffering. All that many could hear was God's 
     terrible silence. There are many who still struggle with a 
     lonely pain that cuts deep within.
       ``In those fateful hours, we learned other lessons as well. 
     We saw that Americans were vulnerable, but not fragile--that 
     they possess a core of strength that survives the worst that 
     life can bring. We learned that bravery is more common than 
     we imagined, emerging with sudden splendor in the face of 
     death. We vividly felt how every hour with our loved ones is 
     a temporary and holy gift. And we found that even the longest 
     days end.
       ``Many of us have tried to make spiritual sense of these 
     events. There is no simple explanation for the mix of 
     Providence and human will that sets the direction of our 
     lives. But comfort can come from a different sort of 
     knowledge. After wandering long and lost in the dark, many 
     have found they were actually walking, step by step, toward 
     grace.
       ``As a nation, our adjustments have been profound. Many 
     Americans struggled to understand why an enemy would hate us 
     with such zeal. The security measures incorporated into our 
     lives are both sources of comfort and reminders of our 
     vulnerability. And we have seen growing evidence that the 
     dangers to our country can come not only across borders, but 
     from violence that gathers within. There is little cultural 
     overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent 
     extremists at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in 
     their disregard for human life, in their determination to 
     defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul 
     spirit. And it is our continuing duty to confront them.
       ``After 9/11, millions of brave Americans stepped forward 
     and volunteered to serve in the Armed Forces. The military 
     measures taken over the last 20 years to pursue dangers at 
     their source have led to debate. But one thing is certain: We 
     owe an assurance to all who have fought our nation's most 
     recent battles. Let me speak directly to veterans and people 
     in uniform: The cause you pursued at the call of duty is the 
     noblest America has to offer. You have shielded your fellow 
     citizens from danger. You have defended the beliefs of your 
     country and advanced the rights of the downtrodden. You have 
     been the face of hope and mercy in dark places. You have been 
     a force for good in the world. Nothing that has followed--
     nothing--can tarnish your honor or diminish your 
     accomplishments. To you, and to the honored dead, our country 
     is forever grateful.
       ``In the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks, I was 
     proud to lead an amazing, resilient, united people. When it 
     comes to the unity of America, those days seems distant from 
     our own. A malign force seems at work in our common life that 
     turns every disagreement into an argument, and every argument 
     into a clash of cultures. So much of our politics has become 
     a naked appeal to anger, fear, and resentment. That leaves us 
     worried about our nation and our future together.
       ``I come without explanations or solutions. I can only tell 
     you what I have seen.
       ``On America's day of trial and grief, I saw millions of 
     people instinctively grab for a neighbor's hand and rally to 
     the cause of one another. That is the America I know.
       ``At a time when religious bigotry might have flowed 
     freely, I saw Americans reject prejudice and embrace people 
     of Muslim faith. That is the nation I know.
       ``At a time when nativism could have stirred hatred and 
     violence against people perceived as outsiders, I saw 
     Americans reaffirm their welcome of immigrants and refugees. 
     That is the nation I know.
       ``At a time when some viewed the rising generation as 
     individualistic and decadent, I saw young people embrace an 
     ethic of service and rise to selfless action. That is the 
     nation I know.
       ``This is not mere nostalgia; it is the truest version of 
     ourselves. It is what we have been--and what we can be again.
       ``Twenty years ago, terrorists chose a random group of 
     Americans, on a routine flight, to be collateral damage in a 
     spectacular act of terror. The 33 passengers and 7 crew of 
     Flight 93 could have been any group of citizens selected by 
     fate. In that sense, they stood in for us all.
       ``The terrorists soon discovered that a random group of 
     Americans is an exceptional group of people. Facing an 
     impossible circumstance, they comforted their loved ones by 
     phone, braced each other for action, and defeated the designs 
     of evil.
       ``These Americans were brave, strong, and united in ways 
     that shocked the terrorists--but should not surprise any of 
     us. This is the nation we know. And whenever we need hope and 
     inspiration, we can look to the skies and remember.

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       God bless.

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