[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 21850-21851]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              PATRIOT DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, today is Patriot Day, so designated by a 
law enacted by this Congress in October 2001, that calls on the people 
of the United States to observe a moment of silence in honor of those 
who lost their lives that terrible day. It is a day of national prayer 
and mourning, a day to honor memories of the 3,016 men, women, and 
children who perished on September 11, 2001.
  In my south Texas congressional district, numerous cities, schools, 
and civic organizations are holding ceremonies today. I want to 
especially mention a few events like those being held at Pharr-San 
Juan-Alamo High School in Beeville VFW Post 9170, as well as in the 
Staff Sergeant Ernesto Garcia American Legion Post 633 in Mathis, 
Texas.
  In that moment of silence, we remember all of those who perished and 
pray for their families and loved ones who endure the pain and loss of 
that tragic day. We honor especially the heroic sacrifices of our 
firefighters, police and rescue personnel, military servicemembers, and 
the courageous passengers on Flight 93 who saved hundreds of more lives 
by stopping that fourth plane which crashed in Pennsylvania. They are 
the true heroes and patriots. And so are the tens of millions of 
Americans who on that day answered their Nation's calls by contributing 
to relief efforts and helping those in need.
  As we commemorate the terrorist attack on America 2 years ago, we 
also reaffirm our resolve as a Nation to fight the scourge of 
international terrorism, to destroy the abilities of al Qaeda to mount 
deadly attacks against innocent civilians in the United States, the 
Middle East, and beyond. Achieving that goal will require the concerted 
effort of all civilized nations. Even as we pay tribute to our troops 
defending our freedoms abroad, we applaud the President for turning to 
the United Nations to help in the major effort that lies ahead in 
rebuilding Iraq.
  In the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, Congress responded 
with unprecedented unity and speed. We authorized the President to use 
all necessary force to destroy the al Qaeda network and the Taliban 
government that provided it safe harbor in Afghanistan. We enacted 
legislation to strengthen our homeland security. New laws overhauled 
our airport security system, fortified our boarders, and provided our 
intelligence and law enforcement agencies with new tools to track down 
terrorists at home and abroad. And we worked together with the 
President to establish the Department of Homeland Security. But much 
more remains to be done to secure our homeland to make Americans safer 
and more secure.
  Providing for the common defense as set forth in the preamble to the 
Constitution is our first responsibility as Members of Congress. We 
need to improve the protection of our borders by hiring more border 
patrol agents and inspectors and by employing technology to monitor 
every mile of our borders around the clock. We also need more extensive 
security protections for our commercial ports, and we need to provide 
our first responders with the equipment and training they need to 
respond to another terrorist attack.
  As we remember 9/11, we also recognize that some positive things have

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come out of this tragedy. All across America we see a renewed sense of 
community, a feeling of patriotism and greater appreciation for the 
freedoms and the liberty that make our country great.
  In the aftermath of September 11, a Newsweek poll found that fully 78 
percent of the public felt more patriotism and love of country.

                              {time}  1315

  It is estimated that more than half of American households proudly 
display the flag on their homes or automobiles compared to 15 percent 
before September 11.
  A recent CNN-USA Today poll shows that an overwhelming majority of 
Americans, 70 percent, are extremely proud to be an American. They are 
proud of what our country stands for and proud to live in the greatest 
democracy in the history of the world.
  Mr. Speaker, let us hope that this renewed sense of patriotism, of 
fellowship with our local communities, of compassion for those in need, 
and respect for those who protect and defend us will strengthen, 
comfort, and sustain us in the great struggle that lies ahead.

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