[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17181]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   EXPRESSING SENSE OF SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REGARDING 
     TERRORIST ATTACKS LAUNCHED AGAINST UNITED STATES, HOUSE JOINT 
                             RESOLUTION 61

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 11, 2001

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, December 7, 1941. September 17, 
1862. November 22, 1963. Pearl Harbor--The Day which Lives in Infamy. 
The Battle of Antietam--America's Bloodiest Day. The Assassination of 
President Kennedy--The Loss of America's Innocence. These dates have 
profound meaning in the Nation's eternal memory. They had an 
immeasurable impact on the American way of life, and the effects remain 
with us today. Transcending tragedy, the horrific events of these dates 
reach to a level that changes everything we know and ever will know 
about our world, our country, and ourselves.
  Hoping against hope, we prayed that this terrible list would not 
grow, but we must now add Tuesday, September 11, 2001 to the grim list.
  Mr. Speaker, yesterday our great Nation suffered the most violent and 
costly attack on American soil in our nation's history, and our lives 
will never be the same. The attack was aimed at the heart of our 
country, and the attackers hoped to break the spirit of our citizens.
  The cowards who attacked us clearly misunderstood the strength of 
character and resolve of the American people. We do not back down in 
the face of hardship, and we will prevail over our enemies, no matter 
how long it takes.
  Terrorists may shatter our buildings, but they cannot shatter our 
commitment to the values we hold most dear: freedom, democracy, 
liberty, opportunity. We must commit ourselves today not only to defend 
ourselves and punish those who attacked us, we must also commit to 
rebuild the lives and the innocence that have been shattered. As the 
scope of the devastation becomes clearer, our task will only grow more 
serious and important, but I know that we will rebuild our world.
  As we move forward to rebuild what has been shattered, we must put 
our world back together in a way that is mindful of not only our 
profoundly rich history and traditions but is also mindful of that 
which connects all of humanity. We are blessed by the assistance and 
efforts of countless rescue workers who are risking their lives to 
rescue victims; I commend their courageous work and believe that their 
efforts should be examples to us all as we each make our own 
contributions to the recovery efforts.
  Finally, we must not let feelings of anger and frustration rob us of 
the very things that make our country great. Make no mistake, we will 
find those responsible for these terrible attacks, and hold them 
responsible. In doing so, however, we must be thoughtful, careful, and 
deliberate. We must and will remain vigilant in the defense of the 
liberties of our citizens. America can be safe and free, and our best 
days remain before us. God bless America.

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