[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 16947-16948]
[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

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ROBERT A. BORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 6, 2002

  Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, and my fellow colleagues of the United 
States Congress, we are here in the City of New York as representatives 
of a United States that is bound together as never before. It is a 
tragic bond, as it came at a cost of immeasurable suffering to the 
people of this great city, and to those who lost their loved ones in 
the Pentagon or on flight 93 that ended in Shanksville, PA. Today we 
are gathered in remembrance of the events that pierced our hearts one 
year ago.
  On September 11th, the terrible and violent acts perpetrated against 
our homeland took the lives of so many innocents. In the days after the 
attacks, the courage and strength of our rescue workers lifted the 
spirits of our nation. In the weeks and months following, an outpouring 
of generosity from every corner of our nation showed that we stand 
together. Thousands lined up to give blood in a gesture that Americans 
would share the essence of life with no regard for whom the recipient 
might be. The continuing work of the young men and women in our armed 
forces is a declaration that those responsible for such cowardly acts 
will not escape justice. Today, one year later, we can say that our 
wound are healing. Our nation has overcome a great deal, and it is 
unity that has helped us overcome our grief.
  We, as public servants, have come together to realize an even greater 
responsibility to our

[[Page 16948]]

nation. These memories are a reminder that we must remain vigilant 
while we rebuild and that we must never allow our greatest treasure, 
our liberty, to be vulnerable to the will of our enemies.
  We will never forget the innocent victims. We will never forget the 
heroes. It is with their memory in our hearts that we live each day 
with a greater sense of purpose and a deeper appreciation for the gifts 
that we in this nation share.

                          ____________________