[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16352-16358]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATIVE JOINT MEETING OF THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES IN 
  REMEMBRANCE OF THE VICTIMS AND HEROES OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, AND IN 
RECOGNITION OF THE COURAGE AND SPIRIT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, FEDERAL 
             HALL, NEW YORK, NY, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2002

  The SPEAKER. The special ceremonial meeting will be in order.
  The invocation will be given by the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, 
Chaplain of the House of Representatives.
  The Chaplain of the House of Representatives, the Reverend Daniel P. 
Coughlin, offered the following invocation:
  Lord God, this is a day of history. Bless this exceptional joint 
meeting of the 107th Congress which commemorates the tragic events that 
occurred here last September 11. The gaping hole left in this city tore 
into the fabric of this Nation, but there was no greater suffering than 
in New York.
  Once again, we commend to Your loving mercy, the victims, survivors, 
and their families. We also honor those public servants and ordinary 
citizens who joined professionals in healing wounds and rebuilding 
lives in this proud city of life and diversity.
  Gathered in this historic place, You alone can renew us as You have 
in the past. May the vision of the Founding Fathers come alive again in 
this body politic to preserve the balance of power and assure the 
freedom of the law abiding people of this Nation.
  The Bible here, used by George Washington when sworn in as President, 
speaks to Your consoling word: ``I am with you.''
  Lord God, today is Rosh Hashanah. The traditional Jewish New Year 
prayer is for a good and sweet year. Many things You send us, Lord, are 
good, but they may hurt or are hurried. So with our Jewish brothers and 
sisters we pray today not only for a year of good

[[Page 16353]]

things, but a year of sweetness, a chance to relish the blessings of 
the world and the freedoms You give us, and to enjoy the sweet kindness 
and love of one another.
  May this be a good year for all Americans of all faiths, backgrounds, 
and traditions. We pray for a good year for America and for the world.
  Amen.


                          Pledge of Allegiance

  The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the Honorable Jerrold Nadler, 
Representative from New York, and the Honorable Harry Reid, Senator 
from Nevada, to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag.
  Mr. Nadler and Senator Reid led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows:

       I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of 
     America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation 
     under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

  The SPEAKER. Our National Anthem will now be sung by LaChanze.
  The National Anthem was sung by LaChanze.
  (Applause.)
  The SPEAKER. My colleagues, we are here in Federal Hall in New York, 
New York, pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 448 of the 107th 
Congress to conduct a special ceremonial meeting in remembrance of the 
victims and the heroes of September 11, 2001, and in recognition of the 
courage and the spirit of the City of New York.
  When representatives of the New York delegation introduced in the 
House and the Senate in 2001 Concurrent Resolutions that suggested that 
the Congress convene outside the seat of government to symbolize the 
Nation's solidarity with New Yorkers who epitomize the human spirit of 
courage, resilience and strength, my initial reaction of support was 
tempered by the realization that under article 1, section 5, clause 4 
of the Constitution, ``Neither House shall, without the consent of the 
other, adjourn to any other place than that in which the two houses 
shall be sitting.''
  There is no precedent for the convening of an actual session of 
Congress outside the seat of government, but on one special occasion 
the Congress has engaged in ceremonial functions outside the seat of 
government. Members of both houses traveled to Philadelphia on July 16, 
1987, for organized festivities surrounding the bicentennial 
anniversary of the Constitution pursuant to a similar Concurrent 
Resolution.
  On the strength of the precedent of the uniquely historical and 
national significance of that occasion, it is appropriate to dedicate 
another ceremonial gathering to a matter of transcendent importance at 
another place of basic institutional relevance to the Congress.
  Thus, we are gathered in Federal Hall where the First Congress met in 
1789 before moving the third session of that Congress to Congress Hall 
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1790.
  Ladies and gentlemen, we are, therefore, meeting here under that 
precedent.
  The Chair recognizes the Honorable Richard B. Cheney, the Vice 
President of the United States and President of the United States 
Senate.
  (Applause.)
  Vice President CHENEY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Each time Congress 
meets, we are mindful of the great charge that we have all been given 
as public servants. Assembled today in Federal Hall we are reminded of 
the ones who served before us and those who served first. It is a 
humbling experience to stand on the site where the First Congress met, 
where the first President was sworn, where the Bill of Rights was 
introduced.
  Every Member of the House and Senate and every citizen of this 
country can draw a straight line from the events in Federal Hall to the 
life we all know today. When Congress convened here, America was a 
Nation of scarcely 4 million souls. The tallest structure in the city 
was Trinity Church, which still stands at corner of Broadway and Wall 
Street.
  The rollcall of that First Congress included signers of the 
Declaration of Independence and men who marched in George Washington's 
Army. Two gentleman from Virginia still in their 30's served in that 
Congress. Their names were Madison and Monroe. All the Members knew 
that great responsibilities had come to them.
  As Vice President John Adams observed, ``A trust of the greatest 
magnitude is committed to this legislature and the eyes of the world 
are upon you.''
  In their actions, the Members of the First Congress met that test. 
And although this city was the Nation's Capital for only a short time, 
from those early days, the eyes of the world have continued to be on 
New York. One year ago, this great center of history, enterprise, and 
creativity suffered the gravest of cruelties and showed itself to be a 
place of valor and generosity and grace. Here, where so many innocent 
lives were suddenly taken, the world saw acts of kindness and heroism 
that will be remembered forever.
  When President Bush introduced Mayor Giuliani and Governor Pataki at 
the Joint Session last September, it was, said one New Yorker, as if 
the Members of Congress had recognized that these two men had come 
directly off the battlefield.
  Today, Congress gathers near that battlefield to honor the character 
shown and the courage shown in New York these last 360 days, and to 
remember every innocent life taken in the attacks of September 11. 
Since the hour of those attacks, we have been a Nation at war called 
once again to defend our liberty and our lives and to save humanity 
from the worst of wars. As a Nation born in revolution, we know that 
our freedom came at a very high price. We have no intention now of 
letting it slip away.
  The Members of the First Congress shaped events long into the future. 
The same is now asked of us. In the principles we stand for, the values 
we uphold, and the decisions we make we will set the course of this 
Nation and with it the future of human freedom and the peace of the 
world.
  It is not given to us to know every turn of events to come. We know, 
however, that we are the elected servants of a good, a just, and a 
decent people. May we always act in that spirit, confident in our 
founding principles, clear in our purposes, choosing wisely and bowing 
only to divine providence.
  The SPEAKER. The Clerk of the House of Representatives has laid upon 
the desk the list of representatives in attendance.
  Vice President CHENEY. The Secretary of the Senate has laid upon the 
desk the list of Senators in attendance.
  The list of Representatives and Senators in attendance is as follows:


       Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in Attendance

  The Honorable Anibal Acevedo-Vila
  The Honorable Gary L. Ackerman
  The Honorable Robert B. Aderholt
  The Honorable W. Todd Akin
  The Honorable Thomas H. Allen
  The Honorable Robert E. Andrews
  The Honorable Richard K. Armey
  The Honorable Spencer Bachus
  The Honorable John Elias Baldacci
  The Honorable Tammy Baldwin
  The Honorable Charles F. Bass
  The Honorable Ken Bentsen
  The Honorable Marion Berry
  The Honorable Judy Biggert
  The Honorable Rod R. Blagojevich
  The Honorable Roy Blunt
  The Honorable Sherwood L. Boehlert
  The Honorable John A. Boehner
  The Honorable Henry Bonilla
  The Honorable David E. Bonior
  The Honorable John Boozman
  The Honorable Robert A. Borski
  The Honorable Leonard L. Boswell
  The Honorable Kevin Brady
  The Honorable Henry E. Brown, Jr.
  The Honorable Richard Burr
  The Honorable Dan Burton
  The Honorable Ken Calvert
  The Honorable Shelley Moore Capito
  The Honorable Michael E. Capuano
  The Honorable Brad Carson
  The Honorable Michael N. Castle
  The Honorable Steve Chabot
  The Honorable Saxby Chambliss
  The Honorable Donna M. Christensen
  The Honorable Eva M. Clayton
  The Honorable Mac Collins
  The Honorable John Conyers, Jr.
  The Honorable John Cooksey

[[Page 16354]]

  The Honorable Jerry F. Costello
  The Honorable Christopher Cox
  The Honorable Philip M. Crane
  The Honorable Joseph Crowley
  The Honorable John Abney Culberson
  The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings
  The Honorable Jim Davis
  The Honorable Jo Ann Davis
  The Honorable Susan A. Davis
  The Honorable Tom Davis
  The Honorable Diana DeGette
  The Honorable Rosa L. DeLauro
  The Honorable Lincoln Diaz-Balart
  The Honorable John T. Doolittle
  The Honorable David Dreier
  The Honorable John J. Duncan, Jr.
  The Honorable Jennifer Dunn
  The Honorable Chet Edwards
  The Honorable Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
  The Honorable Jo Ann Emerson
  The Honorable Eliot L. Engel
  The Honorable Phil English
  The Honorable Anna G. Eshoo
  The Honorable Bob Etheridge
  The Honorable Lane Evans
  The Honorable Sam Farr
  The Honorable Mike Ferguson
  The Honorable Mark Foley
  The Honorable Randy Forbes
  The Honorable Harold E. Ford, Jr.
  The Honorable Vito Fossella
  The Honorable Rodney P. Frelinghuysen
  The Honorable Martin Frost
  The Honorable Richard A. Gephardt
  The Honorable Jim Gibbons
  The Honorable Wayne T. Gilchrest
  The Honorable Benjamin A. Gilman
  The Honorable Bob Goodlatte
  The Honorable Lindsey O. Graham
  The Honorable Sam Graves
  The Honorable Gene Green
  The Honorable Mark Green
  The Honorable James C. Greenwood
  The Honorable Felix J. Grucci, Jr.
  The Honorable Gil Gutknecht
  The Honorable Tony P. Hall
  The Honorable James V. Hansen
  The Honorable Jane Harman
  The Honorable Melissa A. Hart
  The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
  The Honorable Alcee L. Hastings
  The Honorable Robin Hayes
  The Honorable J.D. Hayworth
  The Honorable Wally Herger
  The Honorable Baron P. Hill
  The Honorable Earl F. Hilliard
  The Honorable Maurice D. Hinchey
  The Honorable David L. Hobson
  The Honorable Joseph M. Hoeffel
  The Honorable Rush D. Holt
  The Honorable Darlene Hooley
  The Honorable Stephen Horn
  The Honorable Amo Houghton
  The Honorable Steny H. Hoyer
  The Honorable Kenny C. Hulshof
  The Honorable Jay Inslee
  The Honorable Johnny Isakson
  The Honorable Steve Israel
  The Honorable Darrell E. Issa
  The Honorable Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.
  The Honorable Sheila Jackson-Lee
  The Honorable Christopher John
  The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson
  The Honorable Nancy L. Johnson
  The Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones
  The Honorable Paul E. Kanjorski
  The Honorable Marcy Kaptur
  The Honorable Ric Keller
  The Honorable Sue W. Kelly
  The Honorable Mark R. Kennedy
  The Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy
  The Honorable Peter T. King
  The Honorable Jack Kingston
  The Honorable Mark Steven Kirk
  The Honorable Dennis J. Kucinich
  The Honorable Ray LaHood
  The Honorable Nick Lampson
  The Honorable James R. Langevin
  The Honorable Rick Larsen
  The Honorable John B. Larson
  The Honorable Tom Latham
  The Honorable Steven C. LaTourette
  The Honorable James A. Leach
  The Honorable Barbara Lee
  The Honorable Sander M. Levin
  The Honorable Jerry Lewis
  The Honorable John Lewis
  The Honorable Ron Lewis
  The Honorable Frank A. LoBiondo
  The Honorable Nita M. Lowey
  The Honorable Frank D. Lucas
  The Honorable Ken Lucas
  The Honorable Bill Luther
  The Honorable Stephen F. Lynch
  The Honorable Carolyn McCarthy
  The Honorable Karen McCarthy
  The Honorable James P. McGovern
  The Honorable John M. McHugh
  The Honorable Scott McInnis
  The Honorable Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon
  The Honorable Michael R. McNulty
  The Honorable Carolyn B. Maloney
  The Honorable James H. Maloney
  The Honorable Jim Matheson
  The Honorable Martin T. Meehan
  The Honorable Carrie P. Meek
  The Honorable Gregory W. Meeks
  The Honorable Robert Menendez
  The Honorable John L. Mica
  The Honorable Juanita Millender-McDonald
  The Honorable Dan Miller
  The Honorable Jeff Miller
  The Honorable Dennis Moore
  The Honorable James P. Moran
  The Honorable Constance A. Morella
  The Honorable Sue Wilkins Myrick
  The Honorable Jerrold Nadler
  The Honorable Grace F. Napolitano
  The Honorable Richard E. Neal
  The Honorable George R. Nethercutt, Jr.
  The Honorable Robert W. Ney
  The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton
  The Honorable Charlie Norwood
  The Honorable James L. Oberstar
  The Honorable John W. Olver
  The Honorable Major R. Owens
  The Honorable Michael G. Oxley
  The Honorable Bill Pascrell, Jr.
  The Honorable Donald M. Payne
  The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
  The Honorable Mike Pence
  The Honorable John E. Peterson
  The Honorable Thomas E. Petri
  The Honorable David. D. Phelps
  The Honorable Joseph R. Pitts
  The Honorable Todd Russell Platts
  The Honorable Richard W. Pombo
  The Honorable Earl Pomeroy
  The Honorable Rob Portman
  The Honorable David E. Price
  The Honorable Deborah Pryce
  The Honorable Adam H. Putnam
  The Honorable Jack Quinn
  The Honorable Jim Ramstad
  The Honorable Charles B. Rangel
  The Honorable Thomas M. Reynolds
  The Honorable Bob Riley
  The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
  The Honorable Mike Ross
  The Honorable Steven R. Rothman
  The Honorable Edward R. Royce
  The Honorable Paul Ryan
  The Honorable Jim Ryun
  The Honorable Loretta Sanchez
  The Honorable Bernard Sanders
  The Honorable Jim Saxton
  The Honorable Bob Schaffer
  The Honorable Adam B. Schiff
  The Honorable Robert C. Scott
  The Honorable Jose E. Serrano
  The Honorable Pete Sessions
  The Honorable E. Clay Shaw, Jr.
  The Honorable Christopher Shays
  The Honorable Don Sherwood
  The Honorable John Shimkus
  The Honorable Bill Shuster
  The Honorable Rob Simmons
  The Honorable Nick Smith
  The Honorable Vic Snyder
  The Honorable John M. Spratt, Jr.
  The Honorable Cliff Stearns
  The Honorable Ted Strickland
  The Honorable John Sullivan
  The Honorable John E. Sununu
  The Honorable John E. Sweeney
  The Honorable Thomas G. Tancredo
  The Honorable Ellen O. Tauscher
  The Honorable John R. Thune
  The Honorable Todd Tiahrt
  The Honorable Patrick J. Tiberi
  The Honorable John F. Tierney
  The Honorable Patrick J. Toomey
  The Honorable Edolphus Towns
  The Honorable Jim Turner
  The Honorable Fred Upton
  The Honorable Nydia M. Velazquez
  The Honorable David Vitter
  The Honorable Greg Walden
  The Honorable James T. Walsh
  The Honorable Zach Wamp
  The Honorable Maxine Waters
  The Honorable Wes Watkins
  The Honorable Diane E. Watson
  The Honorable Melvin L. Watt
  The Honorable J.C. Watts, Jr.
  The Honorable Anthony D. Weiner
  The Honorable Curt Weldon
  The Honorable Dave Weldon
  The Honorable Ed Whitfield
  The Honorable Roger F. Wicker
  The Honorable Joe Wilson
  The Honorable Lynn C. Woolsey
  The Honorable David Wu
  The Honorable C.W. Bill Young

[[Page 16355]]

           Members of the United States Senate in Attendance

  The Honorable George Allen
  The Honorable Max Baucus
  The Honorable Robert F. Bennett
  The Honorable John B. Breaux
  The Honorable Sam Brownback
  The Honorable Maria Cantwell
  The Honorable Jean Carnahan
  The Honorable Lincoln D. Chafee
  The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
  The Honorable Susan M. Collins
  The Honorable Jon S. Corzine
  The Honorable Tom Daschle
  The Honorable Mike DeWine
  The Honorable Christopher J. Dodd
  The Honorable Russell D. Feingold
  The Honorable Bill Frist
  The Honorable Bob Graham
  The Honorable Judd Gregg
  The Honorable James M. Jeffords
  The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy
  The Honorable John F. Kerry
  The Honorable Mary L. Landrieu
  The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy
  The Honorable Carl Levin
  The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman
  The Honorable Trent Lott
  The Honorable John McCain
  The Honorable Barbara A. Mikulski
  The Honorable Frank H. Murkowski
  The Honorable Bill Nelson
  The Honorable Don Nickles
  The Honorable Jack Reed
  The Honorable Harry Reid
  The Honorable John D. Rockefeller IV
  The Honorable Paul S. Sarbanes
  The Honorable Charles E. Schumer
  The Honorable Richard C. Shelby
  The Honorable Gordon Smith
  The Honorable Olympia J. Snowe
  The Honorable Arlen Specter
  The Honorable Debbie Stabenow
  The Honorable Craig Thomas
  The Honorable Fred Thompson
  The Honorable George V. Voinovich
  The Honorable John W. Warner
  The Honorable Paul Wellstone
  The Honorable Ron Wyden
  The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the Honorable Benjamin Gilman and 
the Honorable Charles Rangel, Representatives from New York, and the 
Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Honorable Charles Schumer, 
Senators from New York, in a reading and presentation of House 
Concurrent Resolution 448.


      Reading and Presentation of House Concurrent Resolution 448

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, leaders of the House and 
the Senate, on behalf of Ben Gilman, Senator Schumer and Senator 
Clinton, and the entire New York congressional delegation, we would 
like to thank you for your support of this resolution that gives us in 
New York an opportunity to say thank you for the way you responded to 
the attack on our city and our State.
  You give our mayor and our governor an opportunity to be here on this 
historic event to say you did not treat us like New Yorkers, you 
treated us like Americans.
  The text of the Concurrent Resolution was read as follows:
  Mr. RANGEL. ``Whereas on September the 11, 2001, thousands of 
innocent people were killed and injured in a combined terrorist attack 
involving four hijacked aircraft, the World Trade Center, and the 
Pentagon;
  ``Whereas in the aftermath of the attacks, thousands more were left 
grieving for beloved family and friends, livelihoods were compromised, 
and businesses and property were damaged and lost;''
  Mr. GILMAN. ``Whereas the greatest loss of life, personal injury, and 
physical destruction occurred in and was sustained by the City of New 
York;
  ``Whereas Government and the American people responded decisively 
through the bravery, sacrifice and toil of the fire and rescue workers, 
law enforcement, building trades, caregivers, Armed Forces, and 
millions more who through their many expressions of care and compassion 
brought forth comfort, hope, and the promise of recovery;''
  Senator CLINTON. ``Whereas the City of New York attended to the 
aftermath of the destruction of the World Trade Center with profound 
respect for the victims and compassion to the survivors; and
  ``Whereas the City of New York has invited the Congress to meet at 
the site of the original Federal Hall, where the First Congress of the 
United States convened on March 4, 1789: Now, therefore, be it''
  Senator SCHUMER. ``Resolved by the House of Representatives (the 
Senate concurring), That, in remembrance of the victims and the heroes 
of September 11, 2001, and in recognition of the courage and spirit of 
the City of New York, the Congress shall conduct a special meeting in 
Federal Hall, New York, New York, on September 6, 2002.
  Passed by the House of Representatives, July 25, 2002.
  Passed by the Senate, July 26, 2002.''
  (Applause.)
  The SPEAKER. Without objection, the Members present, on behalf of 
themselves and the Congress of the United States, do hereby affirm the 
aforesaid Concurrent Resolution.
  Would Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki please come forward and 
accept the Concurrent Resolution.
  Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki of New York accepted the 
Concurrent Resolution.
  (Applause.)
  The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the Honorable Vito Fossella, 
Representative from New York, and the Honorable Susan Collins, Senator 
from Maine, in a reading and presentation of the commemorative plaque.


            Reading and Presentation of Commemorative Plaque

  Senator COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, on behalf of the 
United States Congress, we present this commemorative plaque to 
Director Mainella for her stewardship of our Nation's treasures, 
especially this building, Federal Hall.
  The plaque is inscribed as follows:
  ``Commemorative Joint Meeting of the Congress of the United States of 
America in Federal Hall, New York, New York, this Sixth Day of 
September, Two Thousand and Two.''
  Mr. FOSSELLA. ``Convened in remembrance of the victims and heroes of 
September 11, 2001, and in recognition of the courage and spirit of the 
City of New York.
  ``This gift to Federal Hall from the Congress of the United States of 
America was made from a section of Aquia Creek, Virginia, sandstone and 
used as an original building material of the United States Capitol. It 
was removed on the East Central Front extension in 1958.''
  The SPEAKER. Director Mainella, please come forward and accept the 
commemorative plaque.
  Director Mainella accepted the commemorative plaque.
  (Applause.)
  The SPEAKER. Billy Collins, Poet Laureate of the United States of 
America, will now read a poem written for this occasion entitled ``The 
Names.''


Reading of ``The Names'' by Billy Collins, Poet Laureate of the United 
                                 States

  Mr. COLLINS. This poem is dedicated to the victims of September 11, 
and to their survivors.

                             ``The Names''

     Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night.
     A fine rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze,
     And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows,
     I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,
     Then Baxter and Calabro,
     Davis and Eberling, names falling into place
     As droplets fell through the dark.

     Names printed on the ceiling of the night.
     Names slipping around a water bend.
     Twenty-six willows on the banks of a stream.

     In the morning, I walked out barefoot
     Among thousands of flowers
     Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears,
     And each had a name--
     Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal
     Then Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and Jenkins.

     Names written in the air
     And stitched into the cloth of the day.
     A name under a photograph taped to a mailbox.
     Monogram on a torn shirt.
     I see you spelled out on storefront windows
     And on the bright unfurled awnings of this city,
     I say the syllables as I turn a corner--
     Kelly and Lee,
     Medina, Nardella, and O'Connor.

     When I peer into the woods,
     I see a thick tangle where letters are hidden
     As in a puzzle concocted for children.
     Parker and Quigley in the twigs of an ash,
     Rizzo, Schubert, Torres, and Upton.
     Secrets in the boughs of an ancient maple.

     Names written in the pale sky.

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     Names rising in the updraft amid buildings.
     Names silent in stone
     Or cried out behind a door.
     Names blown over the earth and out to sea.

     In the evenings--weakening light, the last swallows.
     A boy on a lake lifts his oars.
     A woman by a window puts a match to a candle,
     And the names are outlined on the rose clouds--
     Vanacore and Wallace,
     (let X stand, if it can, for the ones unfound)
     Then Young and Ziminsky, the final jolt of Z.

     Names etched on the head of a pin.
     One name spanning a bridge, another undergoing a tunnel.
     A blue name needled into the skin.
     Names of citizens, workers, mothers and fathers,
     The bright-eyed daughter, the quick son.
     Alphabet of names in green rows in a field.
     Names in the small tracks of birds.
     Names lifted from a hat
     Or balanced on the tip of the tongue.
     Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory.
     So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the 
           heart.

  (Applause.)
  The SPEAKER. The Chair now recognizes the Honorable Richard Gephardt, 
Representative from Missouri and Democratic Leader of the United States 
House of Representatives.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, and my fellow 
colleagues of the United States Congress, today we speak of the 
unspeakable, we remember the unimaginable, and we reaffirm our utmost 
resolve to defend the birthright of this land and our gift outright to 
this world: Ideals of liberty and tolerance that will never die.
  Today, we say to the families who look to this September 11 and know 
that they will know the pain of their piercing loss all over again, we 
are with you as one, as the family of America. We pray that, for you, 
memory will bring hope as well as tears.
  We have faith that love out lasts life, and you prove it every day as 
you carry on the dream of a lost husband or a wife, for the child that 
was both of yours and, in the truest sense, always will be.
  We think of those last calls on cell phones from a doomed building or 
plane. Those last good-byes. Yet the life of a good person is like a 
wellspring that does not run dry. Nothing reminds us more powerfully of 
that than the rescuers of September 11, so many of them taken too, who 
rescued our national spirit and, amid the smoke and the darkness at 
noon, sent a flickering light that became a shining beacon for America.
  So we have wept together, we have prayed together, given to each 
other, and stood side by side since September 11 in common humanity and 
national purpose. The sorrow has been matched by strength. America is 
on a mission. Not retribution or revenge, not just to defeat terrorism, 
but to show once again that good can triumph over evil and freedom can 
overcome fanaticism, as we did in different forums in a global arena 
twice before in the past century.
  Some say that September 11, 2001, is another date that will live in 
infamy. Surely that is true, but it is also true that we have never 
known an assault like this, not just on our Armed Forces, but on our 
people. Not just on our buildings and our possessions, or even on the 
principles that we profess, but on the very foundation of this open, 
diverse, democratic society.
  We have grown accustomed, too accustomed, to war and slaughter in our 
world. But most always it was ``over there.'' One place it came before 
in the heartland was the homegrown terrorism that struck in Oklahoma 
City. Today, our caring and thoughts are there as well. And they are a 
half a world away with the young Americans who are on the front lines 
of freedom from fear.
  For all our differences, how remarkably one we are all today. From 
Ground Zero to a sacred field in Pennsylvania, to a shattered but now 
rebuilt wing of the Pentagon, and all across this broad land. On the 
fatal flights of September 11, courage and resistance knew no bounds of 
party or race or status. They included a young father, a conservative 
columnist, and a gay man.
  E Pluribus Unum.
  So while we discuss and debate the next decisions, on the fundamental 
issue let there be no doubt. In this great and faithful struggle there 
are no Republicans, there are no Democrats, there are only Americans. 
None of us, no matter how long we live or what else marks our time, 
will ever forget September 11. And all of us, in the name of those who 
were lost for a concept of liberty that must never be lost, and in the 
cause of civilization itself, are as determined as an earlier 
generation of Americans to gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God.
  (Applause.)
  Vice President CHENEY. The Chair now recognizes the Honorable Trent 
Lott, the Senator from Mississippi and the Republican Leader of the 
United States Senate.
  Senator LOTT. Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the 
Congress, and distinguished guests, on behalf of the Senate and a 
united Congress, it is truly an honor to stand in this place in this 
city, New York City, today.
  We are here to remember and to continue to mourn those that lost 
their lives, those innocent men, women, and children that were killed 
in that horrible event, September 11, a year ago.
  We are here to show our continued appreciation for those that 
struggled so mightily to free and to save those that were trapped in 
the aftermath of the experience here in New York City and at the 
Pentagon.
  But we are also here to express our recommitment to the people of New 
York and Pennsylvania and Virginia that we are with you. We will 
continue our efforts to help you to rebuild physically and spiritually, 
and to recommit ourselves to do everything in our power to make sure 
that America is secure against this horrible event or anything like it 
ever happening again.
  Over the years, New York City has been called many things, from New 
Amsterdam to the Big Apple. Today, the Congress of the United States, 
Congressman Rangel, call it home. We are here, we are comfortable here. 
We are here to stand with the people in this city because it is 
symbolic of how we stand together all across America.
  We came here a year ago, the week after the infamous date. We 
expressed our commitment and we have been working every since to keep 
that commitment, and we will continue to do so.
  This is a special place, as has already been said, because the First 
Congress began the work here that we continue this day. The work of 
ordered liberty, preserving, expanding the freedoms that now, as then, 
are the inalienable right of every person.
  Two centuries ago, there were those who thought this was all 
nonsense. In their ignorance and arrogance, they called America a 
doomed folly. But history overtook them and their crowns and armies are 
part of the dustbin of history. There are those like them today who 
cannot see beyond the limits of their own hatred. It is so hard for us 
in America to even understand why there would be this hatred. They do 
not understand that in the unending struggle against tyranny, divine 
providence by whatever name we use is always on the side of freedom.
  When the First Congress was meeting here in New York in January, 
1790, President Washington asked its Members for ``the cool and 
deliberate exertion of your patriotism, firmness and wisdom.'' As we 
face today's challenge to our country, we pledge to the people of New 
York just what we ask of them and all Americans: The cool and 
deliberate exertion of your patriotism, firmness, and wisdom.
  We have seen it in this city. We have seen it in America, and we are 
here to do our part in that effort. The duration of our present 
conflict and its eventual price may be in doubt, but there can be no 
doubt as to its outcome. From this city's day of horror, out of all the 
loss and sorrow, has come a strength. I have seen it all across 
America. A resolve. A determination which, from Manhattan, to 
Mississippi, now binds us together for the mighty work that lies ahead. 
Thank you very much.
  (Applause.)
  Vice President CHENEY. The Chair now recognizes the Honorable Tom

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Daschle, the Senator from South Dakota and Majority Leader of the 
United States Senate.
  Senator DASCHLE. Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, distinguished 
visitors and my colleagues, the United States Congress has come here to 
commemorate a shattering experience. One that has transformed America.
  The poet Yeats, after a moment of violent upheaval in his own 
country, wrote: ``All is changed. Changed utterly. A terrible beauty is 
born.''
  As we near the first anniversary of September 11 with profound 
sadness, our hearts ache for those who died and for their families and 
loved ones. At the same time, we are filled with an abiding sense of 
gratitude to the people who live and work in this great city, 
especially the courageous workers and rescuers, for the way they 
inspired and stunned a wounded Nation.
  In their countless acts of heroism and compassion, a terrible beauty 
was born. In an hour of horror and grief, they showed us how to go on.
  Here in New York, at the Pentagon, and in that lonely field in 
Pennsylvania, the wounds the terrorist inflicted were deep. But 
America's resolve was even deeper.
  Let history record that the terrorists failed. They sought to destroy 
America by attacking what they thought were our greatest strengths, but 
they did not understand the true strength of America is not steel, it 
is not concrete, it is our belief in the ideals enshrined in our 
Constitution and in our Bill of Rights. It is in our shared faith in 
liberty and our unwavering commitment to each other.
  So what happened on September 11 did not diminish our strength. It 
renewed it. We stand united today as proud citizens of the oldest and 
strongest democracy on earth. Our faith in that democracy and in our 
future is absolute and unshakable.
  Next Wednesday, September 11, an eternal flame will be lit in Battery 
Park. That flame will symbolize our determination never, ever to 
forget.
  We will never forget the heartbreaking loss.
  We will never forget the selfless heroism.
  We will never forget the terrible beauty that was born here one year 
ago.
  Thank you.
  (Applause.)
  The SPEAKER. We are gathered here today in this ceremonial session to 
pay tribute to the people of New York and to the people of New York 
City who have suffered great loss, but persevered in the face of 
adversity. In doing so, we pay tribute to the American spirit.
  It is altogether appropriate that we meet here today in Federal Hall. 
After all, it was here that the First Congress met to ratify the Bill 
of Rights and to inaugurate our first President of the United States, 
George Washington.
  As in 1789, when ordinary Americans did extraordinary things to 
create a new Nation conceived in liberty and dedication to freedom, on 
September 11, ordinary Americans exhibited extraordinary courage in 
fighting a horrific evil.
  New York lost hundreds of sons and daughters in that brutal attack on 
our Nation's freedom. She lost firemen and custodians, stockbrokers, 
police officers, construction workers and executives.
  We also suffered a great loss in Virginia when a plane slammed into 
the Pentagon, and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, when another plane 
that was headed for Washington, D.C., was brought down by the efforts 
of brave passengers.
  We still feel the loss of every single person who perished on that 
fateful day. But as we lament the loss of life, we can marvel at the 
bravery of those who rushed in to help.
  Such bravery was on display when Battalion Chief Orio J. Palmer and 
Fire Marshal Ronald Bucca of the New York Fire Department climbed to 
the 78th floor of the World Trade Center to organize a rescue. Their 
efforts saved the lives of dozens of people.
  Bravery was also on display when several passengers of United Flight 
93 decided that they would not let the terrorists complete their plans. 
They sacrificed themselves rather than let the terrorists win.
  Stories of uncommon heroism were common on September 11. The genius 
of America could be found in the sacrifices of these brave martyrs of 
freedom.
  As we remember September 11, we must look forward to the day when we 
complete the task at hand, when we vanquish once and for all the 
terrorists who seek to take away our Nation's freedom.
  We thank those Americans who serve in our Nation's Armed Forces who 
fight to preserve our freedom and still work to bring terrorists to 
justice.
  We elected Members of the 107th Congress, like those Members gathered 
in this location of the First Congress, simply reflect the desires of a 
people who cherish liberty and are willing to fight for freedom.
  Let us always remember those we lost on September 11, and may God 
continue to bless America.
  Thank you.
  (Applause.)


 ``God Bless America'' Sung by Chamber Choir, Stuyvesant High School, 
                             New York City.

  The SPEAKER. The Stuyvesant High School Chamber Choir will now sing 
``God Bless America.''
  The Chamber Choir, Stuyvesant High School, sang ``God Bless 
America.''
  (Applause.)
  The Members and guests sang ``God Bless America.''
  The SPEAKER. Ladies and gentlemen of the House and the Senate, this 
concludes the special ceremonial meeting of the Congress. Members are 
asked to remain in their seats and make their exit with the colors.
  The Chair will assure that the record of these proceedings will be 
printed in the Congressional Record.
  The proceedings are closed.
  The Colors were retired by the Color Guard composed of members of the 
New York City Fire Department, New York City Police Department, New 
York State Unified Court System Officers, Port Authority of New York 
and New Jersey Police, and the United States Capitol Police.
  [Whereupon, the Commemorative Joint Meeting of the Congress was 
adjourned.]
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise first to thank all my colleagues for 
voting to bring the Congress here to New York. Its been more than 200 
years since Congress last met in New York City. It is a fitting tribute 
that Congress has returned here at this most sorrowful time.
  The past year has been a tragic and very difficult time for me and my 
fellow New Yorkers. We watched in horror as terrorists hijacked two 
commercial airliners and slammed them into the World Trade Center. We 
watched in horror as the Twin Towers came down and dust and debris 
blanketed lower Manhattan. We watched in horror as the names of the 
more than 3,000 people murdered that day were announced.
  But, in the days and weeks that followed, we New Yorkers experienced 
something else. We felt the hopes and prayers of millions of Americans 
flow over us. We felt the pride of being an American swell and 
invigorate us all. We felt the determination of the greatest nation the 
earth has every known renew itself and commit to rebuilding.
  The terrorists intended many things with their attack. They sought to 
grievously wound our nation. And we were--we paid with the blood of our 
fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and brother and sisters. They 
sought to disrupt our economy. And they did--billions of dollars have 
been lost and will be spent on recovery.
  The terrorists also sought to incite fear into the hearts and souls 
of every American. But, they FAILED. Instead, they inspired a nation of 
freedom loving people to stand up to those who would seek to deny them 
their liberties, their justice, and the American way of life. They 
inspired us to fight back, so that our children's children will grow up 
in a world where they can safely speak their views, engage in the 
political system, and worship in their own way.
  As we meet here, in this historic location, I am reminded of one of 
our country's greatest Presidents, Abraham Lincoln. His words, spoken 
more than a century ago, are most fitting today: ``we here highly 
resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation 
under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the 
people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the 
earth.''

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