[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 21854-21870]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE ON THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
   TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

  Mr. FRIST. Before we begin, on behalf of myself, the Democrat leader, 
and all of my colleagues, I send a resolution to the desk and ask for 
its consideration.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will read the resolution.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 224) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate on the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks 
     against the United States on September 11, 2001:

                              S. Res. 224

       Whereas on the morning of September 11, 2001, terrorists 
     hijacked and destroyed four civilian aircraft, crashing two 
     of them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New 
     York City, and a third into the Pentagon in Arlington, 
     Virginia;
       Whereas the valor of the passengers and crew on the fourth 
     aircraft, which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, 
     prevented it from also being used as a weapon against 
     America;
       Whereas thousands were killed and injured as a result of 
     these attacks, including the passengers and crew of the four 
     aircraft, workers in the World Trade Center and in the 
     Pentagon, rescue workers, and bystanders;
       Whereas September 11, 2001 stands as the deadliest 
     terrorist attacks ever perpetrated against the United States;
       Whereas by targeting symbols of American strength and 
     success, these attacks were intended to assail the 
     principles, values, and freedoms of the United States and the 
     American people, to intimidate the Nation and all who stand 
     with us, to weaken the national resolve; and bend our will to 
     their grotesque cause;
       Whereas in the darkest moments after the attacks, American 
     men and women demonstrated extraordinary courage and 
     compassion;
       Whereas local, State, and Federal leaders set aside 
     differences and worked together to provide for those who were 
     attacked and to protect those who remained;
       Whereas nations around the world provided material support 
     and moral support to the United States as it recovered from 
     the terrorist attacks; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the United States Senate--
       (1) recognizes September 11 as both a day to remember those 
     taken so suddenly and so ruthlessly, and a day for Americans 
     to recommit themselves to our great national purpose;
       (2) extends its deepest sympathies to the countless 
     innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
     attacks, their families, friends, and loved ones;
       (3) honors the heroic actions of first responders, law 
     enforcement personnel, State and local officials, volunteers, 
     and others who aided the innocent victims and, in so doing, 
     bravely risked their own lives and long-term health;
       (4) extends its deepest gratitude to the members of the 
     Armed Forces serving both at home and abroad who are 
     defending the United States from future attack;
       (5) praises the people of the United States for their 
     patriotism, compassion, prayers, and generosity in donating 
     time and money to support the innocent victims of the 
     September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, their families, 
     friends, and loved ones;
       (6) expresses thanks and gratitude to the foreign leaders 
     and citizens of all nations who have assisted and continue to 
     stand in solidarity with the United States against terrorism 
     in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
     attacks; and
       (7) reaffirms that the United States Senate will honor the 
     memory of those who lost their lives as a result of the 
     September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and will act to defend 
     the citizens of the United States in the face of all future 
     challenges.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today we honor the memory of the victims of 
the September 11 attacks. Many Americans will bow their heads in 
silence. Many will kneel before the Almighty in prayer. Others will 
take time from the regular course of their day to reflect in their own 
personal way upon the terrible events of 2 years ago.
  Regardless of how we pay tribute to those who perished, we all share 
a profound sense of sadness for their families and sincere hope that 
the wounds of those who still hurt may heal.
  We press on--we press on--because it is our nature to do so. Life is 
a precious gift. As long as God wills us to have it, we have a purpose. 
And as long as God wills this Nation to exist, we have the liberty to 
realize that purpose and make of our lives what we wish.
  Mr. President, at this time, I will ask the Democratic leader to join 
me at the bell of remembrance for the first moment of silence.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the hour 
of 8:46 a.m. having arrived, the

[[Page 21855]]

Senate will observe a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the 
tragedy on September 11, 2001.
  (Moment of Silence.)
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, it is a day to honor the memory of the 
victims of September 11, 2001. The essence of September 11 was and 
remains apparent to us all. The victims were innocent. They were simply 
going about their everyday lives--working at the desk, coming into 
work, answering the telephones, maybe answering an emergency call, 
checking on the children to make sure they got off to school, traveling 
on business, or possibly on vacation. All had families who loved them 
and all had futures yet to be lived. And now there is emptiness, not 
only for those 3,000 women and men and children affected on that day 
but for what they could have and would have become if that event had 
not occurred.
  There is little one can do to fill the immense void that is created 
by such a loss. We can remember. We must remember. But even the fondest 
and most vivid memory is but a whisper. Simply nothing--nothing--can 
replace a loved one's absence from the very special moments in life 
and, above all, the simple everyday pleasures.
  I recall the story of a woman whose husband was killed in the 
collapse of the World Trade Center Tower One. In the months after 
September 11, she did what so many of us would understand--she 
contemplated suicide.
  She said:

       When I lost my husband, I had no bottom, no basis to get up 
     in the morning. I knew I was going to do something terrible 
     if I didn't define a reason.

  Now she is an advocate for other families who lost loved ones in the 
September 11 attacks. She has found not only new strength but she has 
become the source of strength for others.
  In a recent interview, she said:

       The best legacy for all of the people who died is that 
     something better comes out of all of this, even with the 
     pain.

  The crumbling of the World Trade Center's towers into a massive cloud 
of black dust still haunts us. The explosive thunder of a plane 
slamming into the side of the Pentagon still haunts us. The image of a 
crater filled with the debris of embattled flight 93 in Shanksville, 
PA, still haunts us.
  All of these, and other horrific memories, will continue to haunt us 
for decades to come. They have become an inescapable part of our 
national conscience. But so must be the love, so must be the charity, 
so must be the caring, so must be the compassion, so must be the unity, 
and so must be the grace that poured and continues to pour from the 
American people in the aftermath of September 11.
  Remember the thousands of volunteers who rushed into lower Manhattan 
from all across America to help with those rescue and recovery efforts? 
Remember when we gathered just several yards from here on the steps of 
the Capitol to sing in unity with our colleagues from the House ``God 
bless America''? Remember the flood of letters and drawings 
schoolchildren sent and continue to send out of feelings and out of 
sympathy for the victims, out of love and patriotism for their country?
  I brought with me this picture drawn by Sara Deatherage who is a 
third grader from Knoxville, TN. She wrote:

       I chose the American Flag because I love America.

  Those of us who have the opportunity to serve in public office 
received scores, hundreds, thousands, and continue to receive scores, 
hundreds, and thousands of these signs, these signals of patriotism.
  Did September 11 change our lives and the course of our Nation 
forever? It, of course, did. It most assuredly did, and it did it in a 
horrific and still painful way. But it also brought forth the very best 
in the American people--an abundance of kindness, an abundance of 
caring, an abundance of compassion that is really unparalleled in our 
history.
  So let us fittingly and appropriately honor the memory of the victims 
of the September 11 attacks. Let us, again, express our deepest regrets 
to the families who lost loved ones. But let us also hew from the pain 
of that horrific day, September 11, 2001, a lasting and a better 
America.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The minority leader.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, last night, family members and friends of 
those who perished in the World Trade Center held a candlelight vigil 
at Ground Zero, creating what they called a ``circle of hope'' around 
that hallowed ground. Tonight, twin towers of lights will stretch once 
again from the ruins of the Trade Center up to the heavens. In a few 
moments, here in the U.S. Senate, we will observe the first of four 
moments of silence marking the exact moments, 2 years ago today, that 
the four hijacked airliners crashed into the World Trade Center, the 
Pentagon, and that lonely field in Shanksville.
  Later this afternoon, a new playground will open at Leckie Elementary 
School, here in the Nation's capital--a memorial to three bright sixth-
graders from Washington, D.C. and four district teachers--all lost when 
American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. This evening, in 
Mitchell, SD, people will gather to honor the firefighters and other 
emergency workers who perished on September 11, and those who toiled in 
the rubble for months after the attacks to try to bring order out of 
chaos. In countless other ways, in communities across our Nation and 
throughout the world--in churches, parks, town halls, and in the 
privacy of their own thoughts--people will pause to remember, to mourn 
and to honor the victims, the survivors and the heroes of September 11.
  Two years later, the enormity of the tragedy remains nearly 
incomprehensible. Just 3 days ago, a vial holding the blood of a young 
Brooklyn firefighter who died at Ground Zero was placed in a coffin, 
along with his uniform, at a Mass, making him the last of the 343 
firefighters killed at the World Trade Center to receive a memorial. A 
year ago, on the first anniversary of September 11, the names of all 
those who died at the World Trade Center were read aloud. It took 2\1/
2\ hours just to recite the names. First on the list was Gordy Aamoth, 
a 32-year-old investment banker who grew up in Minneapolis and always 
knew that he wanted to work on Wall Street. The last name on the list 
belonged to Igor Zukelman, a 29-year-old naturalized American who moved 
to this country from the Ukraine. The day he became an American, he 
called his mother and told her, ``You can congratulate me now, I'm a 
citizen.'' The terrorists of September 11 meant to strike at the heart 
of America. Yet their crime was more than an attack on America. It was 
an attack against humanity. Ninety-one nations lost citizens in the 
attack on the World Trade Center. Today, we remember and honor all of 
them.
  We also pray for those who were injured, especially the many who 
still suffer, and for the families and friends who lost loved ones, 
particularly the children who lost parents. We pray for ourselves and 
our Nation, that we may seek justice for the victims of September 11 
with wisdom. And we are also filled today with an abiding sense of 
gratitude for the heroes of September 11, especially the courageous 
firefighters and other rescue workers. In the countless acts of heroism 
and compassion, they inspired a stunned and wounded nation and showed 
us how to go on.
  This morning, the sky bears an eerie and almost disconcerting 
resemblance to that cloudless blue sky on this morning 24 months ago. 
Pilots have a term for visibility conditions like that. They call it 
``severe clear.'' In our memories, we all see with severe clarity the 
horrific images of September 11. Today and always, let us strive to 
remember, with equal clarity, the many acts of sacrifice and compassion 
we witnessed that day. Let us remember the unshakable unity we felt as 
a nation in the aftermath of that terrible day. Even more than that, 
let us resolve to continue to demonstrate that same commitment to our 
nation and to each other as we saw that day. In that way, we can defy 
the terrorists. We can honor those we lost. And we can keep their 
spirits alive.

[[Page 21856]]

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senate will observe a moment of 
silence.
  (Moment of Silence.)
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senate will come to order.
  The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, on this day, 2003, September 11, we 
remember the horrific events of September 11, 2001. We mourn the 
victims. We pray with the families who lost loved ones and we focus on 
redoubling our efforts to make sure that September 11, 2001, never 
occurs again, and to redouble our efforts to fight terrorism.
  We all recall the horrors of watching those planes crash into the 
trade centers, the plane which crashed into the Pentagon, and then the 
plane which struck my State, Pennsylvania, going down in Shanksville, 
Somerset County, a rural setting. No one will ever know for sure 
whether the plane which went down in Shanksville, PA, was headed for 
this Capitol. My own personal view is that it was, and this Capitol was 
spared because of the heroic efforts of the passengers who took matters 
into their own hands and saw to it that the terrorists were overwhelmed 
and the plane crashed.
  We remember those who perished and we console, to the extent we can, 
the families and loved ones of those who perished. On this day, we 
ought to focus on our responsibilities as Members of Congress to see to 
it that we do not have a repetition of 9/11. In my view, had we put all 
of the dots on the so-called board we might well have prevented 
September 11. Whether that is so or not, we ought to be absolutely sure 
that our intelligence agencies are working coordinately to do their 
utmost to prevent any recurrence.
  Then there is the fight against al-Qaida. I believe we are waging a 
successful worldwide fight in attacking al-Qaida and in bringing key 
operatives to justice. I believe the time is not too far away when we 
will find Osama bin Laden. As President Bush said, he will bring Osama 
bin Laden to justice or bring justice to Osama bin Laden.
  There is more we can do to fight terrorism, where Americans are still 
being killed--for example, in Israel by Hamas. We ought to reintensify 
our efforts to bring back the Palestinian terrorists to the United 
States and try them in our courts since we have an extraterritorial 
jurisdiction to do so, and to impose the death penalty.
  These are only a few of the thoughts which ought to be focused upon 
today as we pay solemn tribute to the victims of September 11 and 
dedicate ourselves to fighting terrorism and to prevent any further 
recurrence in the future.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I was struck when we took this moment of 
silence to remember the second plane slamming into the World Trade 
Center. Thinking back to that day and recalling the events when the 
first plane crashed, there was confusion and no one knew what was going 
on. No one understood. It was an accident. Who knows. But with the 
second plane came understanding. We knew this was not a plane that got 
off course, an accident, but there was a stunning realization that the 
world had changed. It was that second crash.
  In the next half hour now, there will be another moment of silence, 
and then another roughly a half hour after that. Within that hour's 
time of that realization, America mobilized. America did not fall back 
on its heels. We obviously saw the response of the firefighters and the 
police, of the average citizen in New York. We quickly would see that 
reaction at the Pentagon. Then we will have forever etched in our minds 
the realization that came over the passengers of flight 93 that America 
was under attack and they were in a position to do something about it.
  They did not hesitate. They were ordinary people, as all of the 
heroes of September 11 were, ordinary people who did not sign up to 
fight a war, who did not even know until the moment they were pressed 
into service that a war was about to happen. Virtually without 
hesitation, at the moment they realized that what they loved so much, 
so much that they without flinching were willing to commit everything--
everything, to a mission for which the only preparation was living in 
this country, was experiencing the freedom, was recognizing the 
privilege of being in America. And that privilege, that honor, and that 
freedom were worth that sacrifice.
  That is what they had been taught in their history courses. But more 
important, that is what they had seen in their common, ordinary 
American experience: That which we cherish so dearly in this country is 
worth sacrifice; if, by some odd set of circumstances, you are placed 
in a position to respond to protect that freedom, that you have an 
obligation to do so.
  That is really remarkable. It is really remarkable to think of these 
ordinary people, as Senator Frist said, going about their jobs, 
traveling on a plane, going on a vacation, riding to work, sitting in 
their offices answering the phone, responding to an emergency call--
going about their typical American lives--that within an instant they 
were able to put on the armor of defending this country.
  We are a blessed nation, and the people who represented us that day, 
the heroes that day, we can thankfully say were like us. That is the 
great pride I think all of us can take from the events of that day 
because they were not any different from the rest of us, and these 
ordinary people did extraordinary things to protect us.
  God bless them. We thank them.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Texas.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I think the words of the two leaders 
of the Senate and the two Senators from Pennsylvania have been poignant 
reminders of the day, 2 years ago, that rained terror on our country, 
and the different perspectives, just like the different perspectives 
all over our country, about that tragedy.
  This morning, the Senators who had constituents who were most 
affected in their States will have priority, speaking on the floor of 
the Senate, to talk about the effect on their constituents and their 
States, so the two Senators from Pennsylvania started our day of 
remembrance in a beautiful way.
  It is one of those days that you will always remember where you were 
and what you were doing. When the bell rang at 9:03, I remembered 
vividly that I was in my office, getting ready to go into a meeting. 
Someone told me there had been a plane going into one of the World 
Trade Center towers, so I turned on the television thinking it must be 
a pilot in trouble, maybe a small plane, maybe even a pilot in training 
makes a mistake. And as I watched the recap, I saw the second plane hit 
the tower, and the realization just chilled me to the bone because it 
was clear this was intended, which means, of course, that it was a 
terrorist.
  But even in that horrible moment of realization, none of us ever 
expected that those two towers would eventually crumble under the heat 
of the fire. None of us would have anticipated the next 5 hours of 
horror and then, in the thousands of hours following, what would happen 
to our country, because in fact 9/11/2001 will forever recall the worst 
that could happen to our country but, also, the best. The stories of 
hope and heroism that emerged from the rubble of Ground Zero, the 
Pentagon, and that Pennsylvania field continue to serve as reminders of 
all that is good and true in the human spirit.
  Mr. President, 9/11 evoked the pride and patriotism we felt as 
police, firefighters, and airplane passengers gave their lives to save 
countless others. It inspires us. It drives us. And it continues to 
guide our actions today.
  Our Nation is embroiled right now in a global war on terror, starting 
with -
9/11/2001. We are fighting to ensure that no such attack is again 
visited on us or any other nation. This war is a direct, decisive 
response to the attacks that murdered nearly 3,000 innocent people 2 
years ago today.
  Our mission is clear. We must choke the life out of the terrorist 
networks that seek to promote extremism and derail democracy. We have 
taken the battle to the mountains of Afghanistan, the sand dunes of 
Iraq, and to

[[Page 21857]]

Main Streets in the United States of America and abroad where 
terrorists have burrowed in. We know we must destroy them where they 
breed their hatred before they ever again visit terror on our homeland.
  Today, Iraq is the central front in that war. It is in that country 
where the enemies of freedom are making their stand. They have 
congregated in Iraq to thwart our efforts to bring a taste of democracy 
to an oppressed and battered people. They think they can shake the will 
of the civilized world. They are mistaken. Once again they have 
underestimated the American people and our allies.
  Last month, I visited with our men and women in uniform who are on 
the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. Day in and day out, they 
battle the enemies of freedom. Danger lurks around every corner, but 
for every ambush and every threat they face, they also see the liberty 
that is beginning to take root. They see the hope they are bringing to 
the Iraqi people.
  Our soldiers are committed, determined, and proud. Our country has 
called them to duty, and they have bravely answered the call. And they 
know their daily sacrifices are helping to build a safer world and a 
safer America--an America that is free of tyrants and terrorists. They 
deserve our unwavering support.
  As Congress contemplates the cost of our efforts on the war on 
terror, we must not be shortsighted. The financial cost of 9/11 has 
been estimated at a staggering $300 billion. But that pales in 
comparison to the immeasurable toll of human lives lost that day. This 
war, our just response to 9/11, has not and will not be fought on a 
shoestring budget. Failure is not an option. Success in rebuilding Iraq 
and Afghanistan is essential to eliminate terrorism and the threat it 
poses to our freedom and our way of life.
  We cannot do it alone. The nations of the world must join this fight. 
Their support financially and militarily is critical to eradicating 
terrorism from our society. This is not an American war. We have led 
the charge, but the cause of liberty does not benefit us alone. I am 
committed to working with my colleagues and the President to get the 
necessary funding up front and secure contributions from other 
countries that benefit from the campaign to root out terrorism.
  The victims of 9/11 from 86 nations around the world deserve no less.
  Today, as we honor the memory of those lost on September 11, know 
that our Nation is indeed more secure. Our vulnerability was exposed, 
but we responded with a steely resolve that has made us stronger, 
richer, and better. We will never be the same. But the Americans we 
have become will be the shining example of liberty and democracy for 
all the world to see.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, the terrorists who attacked us 2 years 
ago were not only lashing out at people and buildings, they were 
attacking who we are as Americans. And since that day we have had an 
extraordinary amount of attention paid in this country to just that 
question. I know in my Senate campaign when I said I thought it was 
time to put the teaching of American history and civics back in its 
rightful place in our schools so our children could grow up learning 
what it is to be an American, people responded to that. There was a 
hunger for thinking more about what makes this country special. Why 
were we attacked? What were the terrorists attacking?
  There are many ways to remind ourselves of what it means to be an 
American. One way is discussions like this. One is the speeches of our 
President, who has done a beautiful job of that. But another way is our 
schools.
  The late Albert Shanker, president of the American Federation of 
Teachers, once was asked: What is the rationale for a public school? 
Mr. Shanker's answer was that public schools were created--the common 
school--to teach the three R's, and what it means to be an American to 
immigrant children with the hope they would go home and teach their 
parents.
  Earlier this year, this body, by a vote of 90 to 0, passed a piece of 
legislation to create Presidential academies for teachers and students 
of American history and civics. I know that across America last night 
there were thousands of teachers who were thinking about this morning 
and what would they say to their students today about what happened 2 
years ago.
  If I were teaching today in school in America, these are four or five 
of the questions that I would ask my students.
  I would ask them: Is 9/11 the worst thing that ever happened to the 
United States? Of course, the answer to that is no. It helps to know 
American history to answer the question.
  Many of the Pilgrims died in the first winter. Soldiers walked 
barefooted across the Delaware River in our Revolutionary War. African 
slaves were thrown into the bellies of slave ships and brought in the 
most horrible conditions to this country. Those were really bad things. 
The Civil War saw families killing one another. Our World Wars saw 
millions killed. Twenty percent of Americans stood in line for a job in 
the 1930s.
  When I was a boy in our hometown in eastern Tennessee, we had an 
airbase nearby with jets there to defend us from missile attacks which 
could be launched by the Soviet Union, and those missiles could arrive 
in 45 minutes.
  So 9/11 wasn't the worst thing that ever happened to the U.S. It was 
a terrible, challenging thing. It was a tragic thing, but we can 
recover from it. The fact that we have done what we have over the last 
2 years reminds us of that.
  I would ask my students today: What makes America exceptional?
  I taught a course in American character at Harvard University during 
the last couple of years. I began the course by asking the student to 
list 100 ways our country is exceptional. They are not all good. We 
lock up more people in prison than any other country. We have more 
divorces and broken families. But many of the things are 
extraordinarily good. That has been recognized all throughout our 
history.
  One of the greatest--perhaps the greatest--is the fact that we have 
taken all of this variety and diversity and turned it into one country. 
No other country is able to do that. Diversity is magnificent. But 
Jerusalem is diverse. What is different about the United States of 
America is that we have united all of that diversity into one country.
  That needs to be taught as well.
  I would ask my students: Why is it if you move to Japan or France, 
you cannot become Japanese or French; but if you come to the United 
States and want to be a citizen you have to become an American? It is 
because our identity is not based on our race or ethnicity or religion 
or background.
  The historian, Richard Hofstadter, wrote: ``It is our fate as a 
nation not to have ideologies, but to be one.''
  I would ask our students: What are the principles that unite us as a 
country? If it is not our race, and if it is not our religion, what is 
it? E pluribus unum, equal opportunity and liberty usually comes first; 
individualism, rule of law, free exercise of religion, no state church, 
laissez faire, and a belief in progress.
  Someone needs to teach these principles. Our schools can do it.
  We agree on these principles.
  I would ask our students: Why, if you were watching C-SPAN last 
night, were Senators arguing so much with each other? Why wasn't it 
unanimous?
  It is because most of our politics is about applying principles we 
agree on in ways that conflict. We believe, for example, in God we 
trust. But on the other hand, we don't trust government with God. We 
have an argument when we put Federal money into faith-based 
institutions.
  I would suggest that the schools across America might consider an 
idea called ``Pledge Plus Three.'' Why not start each school day with 
the Pledge of Allegiance, as we do in the Senate, followed by a teacher 
or student sharing for 3 minutes their own idea about what it means to 
be an American?
  In the course I taught at Harvard, the student who best understood 
American identity was the student from the

[[Page 21858]]

Ukraine. She had the best idea about what it meant to be an American.
  Finally, I would invite those students in my class today to go with 
me down to the Federal courthouse--say in Nashville, but it could be in 
any city in America where there is a Federal court--and watch, as I did 
2 years ago, 77 students from all over the world raise their right hand 
and take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. It is quite a 
weighty thing to see them say that they ``absolutely and entirely 
renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, 
potentate, state, or sovereignty.'' That is the first part of the oath.
  It reminds us who we are as Americans.
  September 11 was a tragic day, but it brought out the best in us. One 
of the great lessons is that it helps us remember to teach one another 
what is exceptional about our country, and what it means to be an 
American.
  Thank you.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Wyoming.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, today we mark the second anniversary of one 
of the darkest days in our Nation's history from the initial attack on 
the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, to the forced plane crash in 
Pennsylvania. Each moment of September 11, 2001, is forever etched on 
our minds.
  Although our wounds are still too fresh for us to view the date from 
the perspective of history, the last 2 years have given it a certain 
distance.
  When terrorists attacked the symbols of our Nation's unity and 
strength, they failed to realize that they are just symbols of our 
strengths. The real strength of our Nation comes from our people--not 
our buildings. By attacking us on our own soil, they served not to 
weaken but to strengthen our resolve that this and other acts of terror 
would not stand, and we would answer with great and awesome strength.
  On this September 11, 2 years after, we remember those who died on 
those three battlefields, as well as the brave soldiers from Wyoming 
and across the Nation who have given their lives since then to end the 
threat of terrorism wherever it is found.
  We will all continue to remember September 11 in our own way. Some 
will join family and friends at public memorials to pray for peace. 
Others will honor this day by remembering it in the silence of their 
hearts. However we remember this fateful day, we will never forget the 
lessons learned and their terrible cost. For me, it was the realization 
that we are truly one nation, under God, indivisible, and that we must 
remain so in the face of any threat to ensure our country remains 
strong, united, and free.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, there are moments in our lives in the 
Senate that we shall never forget. This morning is one I am privileged 
to share with my beloved colleagues in this Chamber on both sides of 
the aisle a few moments to draw from our hearts and from our memory and 
reflect upon September 11, 2 years ago.
  We were here that day, prepared to go into our regular routine, when 
we were told to evacuate. We did that in an orderly and calm way. 
Wherever we could gather, we tried to follow the situation as best we 
could.
  Several hours later, after the plane had crashed into the Department 
of Defense, I called the Secretary of Defense. I spent over 5 years of 
my life in that building. I wanted to come over and join him and the 
men and women in uniform of our country to do what little I might be 
able to do to bring about a reassurance not only to those on site at 
the Pentagon but around the world. I did that, joining the Secretary 
and then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Shelton, in the command 
and control center deep into the basement of the Pentagon. We talked to 
the President on two occasions. I remember so well he had a firm hand 
on the situation, as did those in the Department of Defense.
  We observed firemen, policemen, Red Cross workers and all doing the 
best they could to remove the bodies and care for the wounded. Military 
and civilian alike in that building showed extraordinary heroism that 
day. I was deeply humbled to stand there and observe that.
  Later, the Secretary and the Chairman of the JCS went in to address a 
very large gathering of press. As they concluded their remarks, they 
invited me to say a word. I had nothing prepared but simply spoke from 
the heart. As I go back over the written text of what I said, I am 
reminded of how this has come true.
  I said:

       This is indeed the most tragic hour in American history, 
     and yet I think it can be its finest hour, as our President 
     and those with him, most notably our Secretary of Defense, 
     our Chairman, and the men and women of the Armed Forces all 
     over the world stand ready not only to defend this Nation and 
     our allies against further attack but to take such actions as 
     directed in the future in retaliation for this terrorist 
     act--a series of terrorist acts, unprecedented in world 
     history.
       We call upon the entire world to step up and help, because 
     terrorism is a common enemy to all, and we're in it all 
     together. The United States has borne the brunt, but who can 
     be next? Step forward and let us hold accountable and punish 
     those who have perpetrated this attack.

  I believe those words have proven to be true. Certainly great 
leadership from our President and the men and women of the Armed 
Forces, indeed, the world, has gathered to join us on the battlefields 
of Afghanistan, where I and many Members have visited, as well as the 
battlefields of Iraq where just weeks ago I accompanied Members of this 
Chamber to be with our men and women of the Armed Forces.
  Our Nation stands tall. It has been and will continue to be our 
finest hour.
  Now, Mr. President, we observe a moment of silence in reverence for 
those men and women, civilian and military, who lost their lives at the 
Department of Defense in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the hour 
of 9:38 a.m. having arrived, the Senate will observe a moment of 
silence in honor of the victims of the tragedy on September 11, 2001.
  (Moment of Silence.)
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senate will come to order.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, may I at this time yield the floor to my 
distinguished colleague, Senator Allen.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I call attention to the fact that I 
have been on the floor waiting. I will follow the instructions of the 
Chair.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the Senator 
from Virginia had the floor.
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Virginia, Senator 
Warner, for yielding.
  I wish to share my views, my sentiments 2 years after these events. 
The fact is, we are 2 years exactly to the minute after American 
Airlines flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.
  I keep the remembrance with me of Captain Chic Burlingame, who was 
the captain, who fought the terrorists on that plane. I think of him. I 
think of the passengers. One of the passengers was the father of a 
young boy who lived in our neighborhood and played with our kids.
  This is a tragic and vile act that hit the World Trade Center, that 
hit Virginia at the Pentagon, 2 years ago to this moment. Also, at this 
very time, there was another plane coming from the north that was 
undoubtedly going to be hitting either this Capitol Building right 
here, maybe the CIA, maybe the White House, and there was great bravery 
on that plane to avert further loss of life.
  I heard my good colleague, Senator Warner, who has had such a life 
experience in a variety of conflicts, and everyone was talking about, 
How does this fit into history? When he says this

[[Page 21859]]

is a moment, dire moment in our history, it means a great deal. It 
struck us all that this was like Pearl Harbor; and it was. Pearl Harbor 
brought the United States into World War II. The attacks on New York 
City, on the World Trade Center, on the Pentagon in Virginia brought 
the United States of America into the War on Terrorism.
  We reflect back on these fresh memories, but it has been a long 2 
years. We reflect back on the bravery, on the courageousness, and on 
what has transpired. We work to make sure we are more secure here at 
home as well as abroad.
  If you look at the legislation we have passed in this body for the 
last 2 years, on issue after issue, we have worked to make Americans 
more secure, whether it is port security, whether it is securing 
greater communications in the DC area, with the Northern Virginia 
communities and Maryland and DC working together so the first 
responders have better communication, as they position themselves in a 
situation that hopefully will never occur again, such as at the 
Pentagon.
  We worry about procurement matters and making sure the technologies 
that are available in the private sector are made available and 
utilized by our Federal and State and local agencies to analyze the 
volumes of data.
  We care about our port security. We care about our pilots. We care 
about our airports, Metro, and so forth. All of those things do matter.
  Indeed, in this war we, of course, appreciate things we once took for 
granted on September 10, 2001, the concepts that have propelled this 
country, of individual rights, of life, of a strong national defense to 
meet the ever-changing dangerous world threats.
  We have appreciated them now more than ever. And it is not just in 
New York City and in this area, but everywhere. You can be in 
Independence, VA, you can be in Jackson, WY, you can be in Sioux City, 
IA, and you know people appreciate the firefighters, volunteer 
firefighters, rescue squad people, because of the inspiration of those 
not just at the Pentagon but particularly the thousands who went in to 
save thousands of lives in New York City.
  In fact, you see the letters ``NYPD'' or ``NYFD,'' and that means 
something to everyone, no matter where you are in the country, for 
those courageous acts.
  It does remind me of what the Bible tells us, that:

       Greater love hath no man than this, that he would lay down 
     his life for his friends.

  That is what those firefighters and rescue personnel were doing in 
New York City in those Twin Towers. That is why there is an 
appreciation for those wonderful people whom we salute and remember 
today and forever with their bravery. Those acts of heroism are always 
on our minds.
  We have made our country more secure. We are taking the war to the 
terrorists abroad. We still have work to do. We have to persevere in 
many ways in securing and sustaining our country.
  We have also seen in the days following September 11, 2001, a 
redefinition of this country and a respect for what makes this country 
great while we also track down the terrorists.
  We also are a compassionate country, caring for the families who lost 
loved ones in these tragic attacks. Here on the Senate floor, Louise 
Kurtz is an individual whom I have brought up. Senator Warner brought 
up those working at the Pentagon.
  Louise Kurtz is a woman from the Fredricksburg area of Virginia. She 
was severely burned. Her ears were burned off. Most of her fingers were 
burned off. Last year at this time we were at the Phoenix Project of 
the rebuilding of the Pentagon. She was there. She is recuperating. She 
wants to get back to work. Because of Federal laws, though, she gets 
diminished retirement benefits.
  So working with Kay James at the Office of Personnel Management, we 
crafted a bill last year. The Senate passed it. The House didn't take 
it up. We passed it again this year, with the help of my colleague, 
Senator Warner, and particularly Senator Collins of Maine. We passed it 
again, and I am happy to say, finally, the House took it up yesterday 
and passed that bill to help out folks like Louise Kurtz and others who 
are serving our country. If they are injured in the line of duty, while 
they are recuperating they should not have their retirement benefits 
diminished. I am hopeful some time today this measure will get to the 
President's desk, to get it finally acted upon in a way that, on the 
second anniversary, those brave civilians will be properly treated.
  More importantly, the thing that has really inspired, I think, all 
Americans is the great American spirit that has guided our Nation 
through this time of terror and tragedy. We now, of course, are so 
appreciative of the men and women in uniform who are in dangerous, 
precarious places in Iraq and Afghanistan taking the war for our 
security to the terrorists overseas.
  We are grateful for those who are active, those who are in the Guard, 
those who are in the Reserve, and their families and their employers 
back here at home, who are all patriots, as they send their sons and 
their daughters abroad to protect us.
  One of Virginia's most prominent sons, George Washington, our 
Nation's first President, knew the strength of America's spirit and 
ordered his Army to be encouraged by saying:

       Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and 
     the aid of the supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is; to 
     animate and encourage us to great and noble actions.

  We saw great and noble actions on September 11, 2001, and we have 
seen great and noble actions over the past two years.
  We must be mindful, appreciative, and grateful for those patriots who 
lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and we must be equally grateful 
and appreciative for those who are serving us now.
  So I thank my colleague, Senator Warner, for his sage and steady 
advice. We have worked together. This is a day that actually brings all 
Americans together, regardless of which region, which State, or which 
political party you come from, in remembering what is good and 
wholesome about this country and uniting us for the benefit of the 
people.
  As we remember those whom we lost on September 11, I urge my 
colleagues to join me in saluting those heroes, the family members, and 
the survivors who remain. And let us be encouraged, as was President 
Washington, to higher goals, ``to animate and encourage us to great and 
noble actions.''
  Let's be encouraged to those greater actions because we will always 
remember, and we will always stand strong for freedom. Because together 
we must make sure liberty and justice not only endure but prevail.
  I thank you, Mr. President, and yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The senior Senator from Virginia.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my distinguished colleague. How 
privileged, how humble we are to stand here in these 200-plus years of 
this Senate, and to be here on behalf of the people of the Commonwealth 
of Virginia. It is a great privilege.
  I thank my colleague and I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from New Jersey.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I commend my colleagues from Virginia 
for their comments and for the recall of their memories regarding that 
terrible day.
  Today we commemorate the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks 
we now refer to as 9/11. It is a day heavy with sadness for me 
personally. Before I became a Senator, I was a commissioner on the Port 
Authority of New York and New Jersey, and had offices on the 67th floor 
in the Trade Tower. The Port Authority lost 84 of its people on 9/11, 
including 37 brave police officers who gave their lives as they tried 
to save the lives of others.
  Fifty-one of those Port Authority employees lived in the State of New 
Jersey. I knew many Port Authority employees and others who died on 
this date 2 years ago. And I know many more families who lost a loved 
one. One of my oldest daughter's dearest friends perished that day. 
They had worked together on Wall Street before she went

[[Page 21860]]

to Cantor Fitzgerald. That firm lost nearly 700 people out of the 1,000 
who worked for it on the morning of 9/11. The husband of my daughter's 
friend searched hospitals for 3 weeks looking for a sign that perhaps 
his wife had escaped death in that terrible calamity.
  Because of its proximity to New York, my home State of New Jersey 
suffered catastrophically. Of the 3,025 innocent people who lost their 
lives on 9/11, nearly a quarter of them--700 in all--came from my home 
State.
  Thirty-seven of them came from a single town, Middletown, NJ. 
Yesterday, a 2-acre memorial garden next to the train station was 
dedicated in a private ceremony for the victims' families.
  The author Gail Sheehy just published a book entitled ``Middletown, 
America: One Town's Passage from Trauma to Hope.'' For the past 2 
years, she has followed the lives of survivors and widows, of parents 
who lost children and children who lost parents. She has spoken with 
the town's religious leaders, with mental health professionals, and 
others in the community. I have not had a chance yet to read her book, 
but it is described as a wonderful testament to individual acts of 
heroism and kindness and to the courage and hope and resilience of 
people who have suffered a terrible loss and grieve but who, somehow, 
are soldiering on.
  As we remember 9/11, we remember people such as Fire Department 
Chaplain Mychal Judge, who was killed by falling debris in the lobby of 
Tower 1. Father Judge was the first official casualty at the World 
Trade Center and one of 343 New York City Fire Department casualties.
  We remember people such as a fellow named Abe Zelmanowitz, a computer 
programmer who might have been able to escape from the 27th floor of 
the north tower, where he worked for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, but he 
refused to abandon his friend, Ed Beyea, a quadriplegic confined to a 
wheelchair, who could not make it down the stairs. Abe stood by his 
side until the end came.
  We remember people such as Todd Beamer, Tom Burnett, and Jeremy 
Glick, and the other passengers and crew of United Flight 93, who 
crashed their airplane in a field near Shanksville, PA, rather than 
allow the hijackers to crash it in Washington--perhaps into this very 
building where we now stand.
  So 9/11 revealed the very best in people. But, of course, we have to 
remember what caused it also. And that reveals the very worst in 
people--19 of whom had the insane belief that their suicidal/homicide 
actions would send them straight to paradise.
  Mr. President, 9/11 did more than that; 9/11 shocked us to our very 
core. We suffered terrorist attacks before 
9/11, including one on the World Trade Center itself. But not since 
Pearl Harbor has the collective psyche of our country been so shocked 
out of its complacency.
  The results of that shock are plainly visible. Terrorism has scarred 
America--permanently. People are mourning their loved ones, and they 
will do that for the rest of their lives. We endure long lines at the 
airports. Washington looks like a fortress. Our civil liberties have 
taken a beating reminiscent of the Palmer Raids after World War I, 
Japanese-American internment during World War II, and McCarthyism 
during the Cold War. And tens of thousands of our young men and women 
are in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Mr. President, 9/11 shocked us into learning that our 
``invincibility'' had been pierced. We crave the sense of security we 
enjoyed before 9/11, but deep down we know we are not likely to get it 
back soon.
  We now know to take our security more seriously. There are terrorists 
who glory in the maiming and killing of innocent men, women, and 
children. They hate everything about us--our families, our country, our 
way of life--so much that they would deprive their own families of 
their presence as a beloved son, brother, or father, so they can act on 
their murderous desire.
  9/11 shattered illusions we had about our safety. But being stripped 
of our illusions, we have the opportunity now to forge ahead truly 
knowing that the war against terrorism will be long and tough. We have 
the opportunity now to forge ahead truly knowing that the struggle here 
at home to preserve our civil liberties, the very things we are 
defending, will be a challenge.
  For the better part of the last century, we fought against fascism 
and totalitarianism. I had the privilege of serving in Europe during 
World War II. I was so young that I didn't understand the big picture. 
But I understood very clearly my obligation and my role.
  When the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union was dissolved, 
many Americans thought the conflict was over; they thought we had won. 
That was an illusion. The conflict is not over. It has simply shifted 
to a new front.
  We now know we are fighting a new enemy--an utterly ruthless enemy--
that wants to make our home front the front lines, an enemy that 
deliberately targets noncombatants, and an enemy that has absolutely no 
sense of propriety or decency while it wages war against innocent 
people.
  It is important to fight this enemy without any illusions if we want 
to win. That means no premature declaration of ``mission 
accomplished.'' That means a full accounting of what the cost of the 
war is going to be. That means an honest acknowledgment of the limits 
of our power and the humility to enlist our allies in our cause.
  What we experienced on 9/11 is a permanent wound on our society. 
People struggling to face the future will never stop mourning the past. 
Our daily lives have been forever altered. But we are survivors. It 
takes courage to survive. Armed with that courage, we endure the pain 
and look beyond the smoke, rubble, and grief to rebuild--rebuild 
something that is stronger than what went before.
  We will defend ourselves, our country, and our liberties--the things 
that terrorists despise. Despite the difficulties, despite the 
casualties, despite the setbacks that we will suffer, this war against 
terrorism must be fought and is worth the fight.
  Even though he wrote in an earlier age, the poet Archibald MacLeish 
summed up what is at stake when he said:

       There are those who will say that the liberation of 
     humanity, the freedom of man and mind, is nothing but a 
     dream. They are right. It is the American dream.

  America is the last, best hope for mankind. That is the dream. It is 
up to all of us to make sure it is not an illusion. This is the best 
way to honor the memory of those who perished 2 years ago and assuage 
the grief we feel when we reflect on that terrible day.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Texas is 
recognized.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I know we have a moment of silence to be 
observed at 10:06. I will make a few remarks preceding that and, if 
necessary, I will complete those following the moment of silence.
  Mr. President, I wish to say a few words to supplement the eloquent 
comments made by the Senator from New Jersey, the two Senators from 
Virginia, and the others who have spoken today on the second 
anniversary of the tragedy of September 11.
  I was not serving here in Washington at that time, as many were, but 
as were so many Americans, I was at home in Texas preparing for work 
when I heard the terrible news and then saw the terrible images--the 
clouds of flame from a plane that ripped a hole in the bright, blue sky 
and took down the World Trade Center in New York. I will never forget 
that site as long as I live, nor should any of us forget it.
  I know many of my friends and colleagues who were here on that 
horrific day feel a very deep and personal debt to the heroes of 
September 11, particularly those on Flight 93. As was noted, the brave 
passengers on that flight did more than just save the lives of their 
fellow citizens. Absent their courageous sacrifice, it is likely that 
Flight 93 would have reached its final destination in this very 
building, an attack that would have virtually eliminated an entire 
branch of the United States Government.
  Even as we dedicate ourselves to fighting terror at home and abroad,

[[Page 21861]]

even as we hope and pray that the tragedy of September 11 will not be 
repeated, we must always remain conscious of our oath as Senators, as 
representatives of the people, to support and defend the Constitution 
and laws of the United States, and make sure the Constitution has 
representatives here arguing for laws and appropriations and defense 
that is needed on behalf of the American people.
  In the aftermath of September 11, it is clear that our current system 
of providing for the continuity of our Government in the event of a 
disaster is inadequate to address the reality of a post-9/11 world. As 
unthinkable as another attack of that magnitude might seem, we in this 
branch must be ready for the worst. We must provide for the stable 
continuance and function of Government, despite all possible 
calamities.
  Even if we in this body fall, we should not leave our Nation's 
citizens without representation, without order, without defense. We owe 
it to the American people to ensure that our Government remains strong, 
even in the face of disaster.
  Two years ago, our Nation was attacked by evil men who wanted to 
leave us weak, vulnerable, and divided. Instead, they saw a world 
strong, determined, and united. They gravely underestimated America's 
resolve. America will never surrender to tyrants or terrorists. We will 
not cut and run in the face of danger.
  Instead, we are taking the fight to freedom's enemies, fighting in 
Afghanistan and Iraq and wherever else necessary so that terrorists can 
no longer export their evil to our streets or those of our allies. Many 
challenges lie ahead, but now is not the time to stop or show a lack of 
confidence or resolve.
  While we mourn our dead and wounded in the war on terror, we must 
remain dedicated to finishing the job in Iraq and Afghanistan and 
wherever terrorists or their allies spread their doctrine of hate. Here 
at home, we must support our brave men and women in uniform who put 
their lives on the line every day for the cause of security and 
freedom.
  Two years later, it is clearer now how the world grew so much smaller 
on September 11. We can no longer allow for the evildoers to plot and 
scheme in nations on the other side of the globe. We cannot wait to be 
attacked again. We cannot allow for another tragedy.
  We must hunt down the enemies of freedom wherever we find them, or we 
risk the spilling of blood again on our own soil. Like the passengers 
on Flight 93, we must not sit back and allow our destiny to be 
determined by freedom's enemies. No, we must take the fight to them. 
The minions of terror have shown their capability for inhumanity, and 
we cannot underestimate their desire to do so again.
  In July, Prime Minister Blair, speaking before a joint meeting of 
Congress, reminded us of our duty as a powerful nation to take great 
care regarding what kind of world we leave for our children. I believe 
that task falls to us at this moment in history to continue spreading 
the blessings of liberty.
  Mr. President, I understand in 1 minute we will observe a moment of 
silence, and certainly I will pause in my remarks to do so. But I will 
say before then that I believe now that the task falls to us at this 
moment in history to continue making sure that others may enjoy the 
blessings of liberty that we in this country even on occasion take for 
granted.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the hour 
of 10:06 a.m. having arrived, the Senate will observe a moment of 
silence.
  (Moment of silence.)
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, and in our own 
streets and cities, we must labor on undeterred, always confident in 
pursuit of our ultimate goal. We seek not domination, not occupation; 
we seek a just, free, and peaceful world for ourselves, for our allies, 
and for future generations, no matter where they may be found on this 
planet.
  The passengers on Flight 93 were everyday Americans, men and women 
with jobs, with families and dreams. Like all of us, they made promises 
to their loved ones before they boarded that plane; perhaps promises of 
vacations and baseball games, of presents and anniversaries, 
birthdays--small promises and big ones.
  We know that some promises don't come cheap. Some cost us nothing. 
Others require that we risk all, even our very lives.
  The crash site of Flight 93 in the quiet hills of Pennsylvania is 
filled with memories of the promises those heroes made and will, sadly, 
never keep. But we have made a promise that we are dutybound to keep--
we, the living--a promise to the Nation we love and to all our 
countrymen and to the loved ones these heroes left behind: a promise 
that says the story of freedom will not end here in the violent acts of 
evil men. It will persist, it will endure, and it will not be 
destroyed.
  Those of us left behind must fulfill that promise. We must prepare 
for all contingencies as we continue to hunt the agents of terror and 
dedicate ourselves, once again, to ensuring that the promise of freedom 
shall not perish from this Earth.
  I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I really do appreciate the opportunity to 
come this morning and say a few words about this momentous event that 
is in the minds and hearts of every American today. I thought rather a 
lot about what I ought to say. I certainly do not want to be guilty of 
presumption to lecture to the American people about what they ought to 
reflect upon as we all remember this attack upon our Nation that today 
is 2 years old.
  We are going to talk about it tonight at our dinner table. I have 
three children. We are going to spend a few minutes--which is about all 
that young children spend thinking about anything, I guess--talking 
about this. I think it is important, and I thought maybe what I could 
do and would be appropriate to do is to share what our family is going 
to talk about tonight, at least if the dad in that family has anything 
to say about it.
  I think this is a good opportunity for us to reflect upon what a 
nation is and what America is as a nation. We are not just a place 
where 250 million people happen to live together. We are not like a big 
apartment complex, where the only thing people have in common is the 
proximity of their living arrangements. Any nation, especially America, 
which, as rich as we are in cultural and ethnic diversity and different 
traditions that have added to our national life, is also a nation that 
is held together by some common beliefs. We don't have a monarchy here, 
thank God. We don't have an established religion that defines us as a 
nation. We do have a commitment to certain shared values, certain 
transcendent codes about how people should live in a decent and 
civilized country.
  Those codes have a claim, by common recognition, on our actions. Each 
of us, even if we don't realize it, makes hundreds of decisions every 
day in response to those shared beliefs. Maybe at the core of those 
beliefs is a common recognition on the part of the people of this 
country that human beings have an inherent dignity. As the Framers of 
the Declaration of Independence said: They are endowed by their Creator 
with certain inalienable rights.
  Inalienable means you can't give it away, you can't sell it, and it 
can't be taken from you. The rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit 
of happiness--we are equal in the possession and the enjoyment of these 
rights. Pursuit of happiness is just the right to participate in an 
orderly fashion in the institutions of private, social, and economic 
life, and in the political activities of the day.

[[Page 21862]]

  One thing Americans recognize is that we as a people, and indeed 
people all over the world, are, by virtue of our humanity, in 
possession of these rights and they cannot be taken away.
  I believe very strongly that we were attacked 2 years ago precisely 
because that is what we believe. It was an attack upon this common 
heritage and because we stand for that in this world. It is because we 
stand for that, that hundreds of millions of people around the world 
look to this Nation as a beacon of hope--what Lincoln called the last 
and best hope of all mankind. I certainly agree with that, in the 
secular sense of it anyway. That is the reason we were attacked.
  I want our family tonight to reflect upon three things. First, I want 
us to take satisfaction as Americans--and I hope all Americans will 
take satisfaction--in what we as a nation have achieved in the war 
against terrorism this last year. We are safer than we were 2 years 
ago--not in the sense that attack is impossible; that is not true. But 
in the sense that it is less likely to succeed than it was 2 years ago. 
That is because of the resolution of the American people which has 
motivated this Congress, in a bipartisan way, and the President of the 
United States to conduct this war against terrorism with vigor.
  We have put thousands of these terrorists in places where they cannot 
hurt us and our families anymore. We have built a great international 
coalition, in which we are at the center, that is every hour of every 
day organizing its intelligence and its police forces with the utmost 
vigor to track these people down and put them away. We have taken the 
fight to the enemy in Afghanistan and now in Iraq, where our men and 
women are heroically defending this Nation.
  It is hard to plan an attack on us here at home when you never know 
when the 101st Airborne may be descending on you in Iraq or the FBI may 
be descending on one of your cells or one of our Allied Nations with 
our police forces may be chasing you around the corner.
  I want us as a nation, and we will as a family, to resolve to 
continue this fight until we win. I believe we are winning. I believe 
we will win. I do not believe this Nation is going to quit.
  We are going to have our squabbles about how we ought to conduct it. 
Other people are going to look at us and wonder how we can continue 
with all this in-fighting. There are many people around the world who 
consider us to be, as Winston Churchill quoted somebody referring to 
us, as ``a numerous, remote, and talkative people.''
  We certainly are numerous, sometimes we are remote, and we are often 
talkative. But no one should mistake the resolve of every American, and 
every Member of this body, to continue this fight until the end, until 
we remove the shadow of this tyranny, this ruthlessness, and this evil 
not just from this country but from the lives of everybody around the 
world who loves freedom.
  The third thing I want our family to do, and I hope America will do, 
is reflect on the sacrifice of those who are fighting this war on the 
front line. There is a sense in which we are all fighting this war. I 
was asked by the press a couple of days ago how it has affected the 
lives of people on a day-to-day basis. I said, you know, in your 
personal lives it has, to some extent, every time we go into a Federal 
building or fly on an airline. But in people's business or trade or 
jobs, it has affected it a lot. Almost everybody's job has been 
affected to some degree, if you stop to think about it. The computer 
system is different because you or your employer may be cooperating 
with Federal authorities in some way, or tightening up security.
  There are just all kinds of ways in which our lives are different. 
There is a sense in which we are all fighting this. But I want us to 
think about the sacrifices of the people on the front line and 
especially to reflect upon those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, those 
who gave everything they had to give: the firefighters who fell in the 
towers, the men and women who have given their lives in the battle 
against terrorism in Afghanistan and now in Iraq.
  I often--not often, but too often, I guess, in the sense it happens 
too much--have occasion to communicate with somebody from Missouri who 
has lost a loved one in that struggle. I think a lot about what to say 
to them. In a sense, there is no way in which words can possibly begin 
to assuage the grief they feel. But one of the things I do try to 
remind them is to take comfort from what this sacrifice of their loved 
one says about the things their loved one held dear. These men and 
women who have died in this fight knew when they went into it that they 
were putting their lives on the line. I am not saying they talk about 
it all the time. I don't think they do. They are not the kind of people 
who wear their feelings on their sleeves. But they know why they are 
doing what they are doing. They know the risks. They know the potential 
cost. And they know, and have resolved in their hearts, why it is worth 
it.
  In conclusion, I hope that those who are close to those who died--
and, indeed, all of us--will reflect today that the sacrifice of those 
who have fallen is a measure of the love they have for their families 
and the value they place on the freedom of their country.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mrs. DOLE. Mr. President, today we remember the thousands of people 
who so tragically lost their lives in the September 11 attacks. It was 
just 2 years ago today that terrorists launched an assault on America 
and everything she stands for--her freedom, her liberty, her democracy. 
Our hearts were broken, our lives were ever changed and left with the 
jarring memories of that day, those moments which seemed to last 
through eternity. We will never forget.
  Because these tragedies, those centered in New York, Pennsylvania, 
the Pentagon, touched the hearts of each and every American across the 
country, together we mourn. In our collective grief we became the 
embodiment of an American family, from New York to California to 
Mississippi to my home State of North Carolina, where we struggled to 
come to grips with the deaths of several of our own.
  Today we pause to remember these men, women, and children and honor 
their lives--the mothers and fathers, the sons and daughters. I recall 
something that was said shortly after the attacks by Fred Cranford, of 
Drexel, NC. He and his wife lost their 32-year-old son, LCDR Eric 
Cranford, at the Pentagon. Yet even in the midst of a grief most of us 
cannot even imagine, Fred Cranford said: Even out of evil, God can 
bring good things.
  Two years ago, the very personification of evil sought to tear us 
apart, but today the United States stands strong, dedicated, committed, 
and more than ever we are a nation united against terrorism.
  We are the most powerful country on the face of the Earth, but 2 
years ago our lives changed forever. September 11 and its aftermath 
have demonstrated that America cannot ignore events in far-flung places 
such as Afghanistan and Iraq. We can and must act when our security is 
threatened. Our leadership was decisive and our leadership will 
continue to be necessary as the war on terror proceeds.
  This Nation dedicated itself to winning the global war on terror. We 
must remain dedicated. And that means continuing to work with the 
international community to help the Iraqi citizens stabilize their 
country and establish their government.
  Recently, in an editorial in the Washington Post, Ambassador Paul 
Bremer outlined a clear and well-defined course of action in Iraq. As 
he noted, there will be bumps along the way, but it is critical for us 
to stay the course--stay the course. One particular paragraph stood out 
to me, and his poignant words bear repeating:

       Gone are Saddam Hussein's torture chambers. Gone are his 
     mass killings and rape rooms. And gone is his threat to 
     America and the international community.

  As we go forward, it is this that we should keep in mind. Certainly 
the operation in Iraq is proving to be a dangerous and more grinding 
conflict. The

[[Page 21863]]

President addressed the fact candidly and resolutely in his address to 
the Nation Sunday night. But eliminating terror is more than removing 
the leaders of an evil regime from power. Terrorism must be torn out by 
its roots, ensuring that there is no toehold for its sponsors to 
reestablish their violent ways.
  More than words, more than negotiations, the President's supplemental 
spending request sent an unmistakable signal to these sponsors of 
terror, to the liberated Iraqi citizens, and to the world that the 
United States of America is staying the course. Attacks on United 
States troops and other targets in Iraq are aimed at undermining the 
efforts of democracy. But these will not cause us to shy away from our 
commitment because we know that failure to follow through in our 
mission could leave a lethal void, a void that would rapidly be filled 
by terror and its supporters.
  A routine criticism, even from the start of actions in Iraq, is that 
inadequate resources were dedicated to the Iraqi theater. The 
supplemental requested by the President not only gives our men and 
women in uniform the resources they need to succeed in their mission in 
Iraq and in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the war on terror, it also 
targets funds to help build safe, stable, and self-governing societies 
in nations that have been torn apart by the self-serving regimes of 
rogue leaders such as Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden.
  For our soldiers engaged in these military operations, the 
supplemental must equate to equipment that will ensure their safety, 
supplies that will make their mission achievable, and something else 
which is essentially priceless--time, even if only 2 weeks, to get away 
from the tireless effort necessary to maintain peace in Iraq.
  These men and women in uniform deserve our highest respect and 
admiration for the often difficult and dangerous jobs they do. Our 
troops deserve the very best--the best equipment, the best training, 
the best housing, and the best leadership.
  I have a great deal of confidence in our current leaders--President 
Bush, Vice President Cheney, National Security Adviser Rice, General 
Myers, and my old colleagues Secretary Rumsfeld and Secretary Powell. 
They understand how and when to ask our military to go into action. But 
our men and women in uniform must be given the tools to do the jobs we 
ask of them. To them I say, Congress will not let you down.
  Also, it is clear we cannot transform Iraq without more help from the 
Iraqi people themselves. That is why it is so important that sufficient 
funds are dedicated to training and equipping an Iraqi police force and 
helping the Iraqis establish a strong judicial system.
  I look forward to hearing how the State Department plans to work with 
the United Nations to jointly provide assistance and further these and 
other goals. The evolving Iraqi Government needs the support of the 
entire international community to gain a credible foothold. While it is 
important in the near term for the United States to retain control over 
the military forces to ensure this fledgling government can grow strong 
without the fear of terrorist sabotage, it is just as important for the 
long term that a sound structure is put in place so that the Iraqis can 
govern themselves and ensure their citizens' security when coalition 
forces leave.
  While it has fallen off the front pages of the daily news, 
Afghanistan remains a key component to peace in this region. In the 
most recent military operations, United States troops engaged fighters 
in the southern part of the country who were suspected of being 
Taliban. Members of this military operation are part of a campaign to 
combat a major Taliban regrouping effort.
  Again, we cannot afford to leave a void for terror--not for a lack of 
patience or a lack of resources. The war against terror continues in 
Afghanistan and Iraq, and it will require a sustained commitment of 
time and resources similar to our commitment in rebuilding Germany and 
Japan after World War II--a commitment that resulted in the hard 
lessons learned after World War I.
  This effort will be difficult and costly, but it is critical to our 
national security here at home. We must continue fighting the war on 
terror in Iraq and Afghanistan lest the fight return again to American 
soil.
  Two years ago, more than 3,000 innocent lives were lost in a terrible 
strike against America. We must vow in their honor that our spirit will 
continue to triumph and ensure those families that America will not 
shrink from those who seek to destroy our values. We will continue to 
be a good and great Nation, because we are a good and great people.
  God bless this great land of the free--America.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today in remembrance of the 
victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on our country. On 
this second anniversary of that fateful day, many of the emotions we 
felt are still very real. We continue to feel grief for those who were 
lost. We continue to feel admiration for the bravery of our policemen 
and firefighters. And we continue to feel shock over that day's 
inconceivable violence. The reality is that these emotions may be at 
the front of America's conscience for years to come, but it is my hope 
today that for those families who lost loved ones, each passing day 
brings with it some measure of healing.
  In addition to the emotional impact of the attacks, September 11, 
2001 also had a profound effect on U.S. national security policy. The 
use of asymmetrical means by terrorists to inflict mass casualties 
altered our traditional view of who terrorists are and how we must 
confront them.
  No longer do we view terrorist acts as isolated events committed by a 
few extremists. Rather, 21st century terrorists have shown themselves 
to be organized, well-financed, and deeply committed to a doctrine of 
violence. We know this doctrine is aimed at undermining our economy, 
our infrastructure, and our sense of personal security. We also know it 
is based upon a willingness to employ weapons of mass destruction 
against civilian targets.
  This reality has forced both our political leaders and military 
planners to rethink the American premise about where and how to use 
armed force. And the result is that the specter of another WMD attack 
against our population means we can no longer subscribe to the long-
held principle that the United States will attack only after being 
attacked. Instead, we must act preemptively to best protect innocent 
Americans from a replay of the 
9/11 tragedy.
  Preemption means taking the offensive. It means taking the battle to 
the terrorists before they attack us. It requires good intelligence and 
cooperation from our friends and allies from around the world. And 
immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, many nations 
pledged such cooperation and actively supported our actions in 
Afghanistan.
  For example, President Chirac of France was the first head-of-state 
to visit the United States after the attacks, pledging to join in the 
fight to defend civilization from the scourge of terrorism. Indeed, no 
country showed a greater outpouring of sympathy for the United States 
in the immediate aftermath of the attacks than did France. Similarly, a 
poll conducted in Germany in the autumn of 2001 showed that after the 
attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, an increased number 
of Germans, 58 percent, saw the U.S. as Germany's most important 
partner. To be sure, this solidarity was greatly appreciated during our 
dark time of September 2001.
  The tragedy that America experienced, and that elicited such 
international sympathy, was the same tragedy that prompted us to adopt 
this preemptive military doctrine. It was the tragedy of September 11 
that made us say to governments who would sponsor terrorism and supply 
terrorists with weapons of mass destruction, ``disarm or we will act to 
disarm you before your weapons can hurt our people.'' And this is what 
led us to act against Saddam Hussein, a proven killer who steadfastly 
refused to prove he no longer had WMDs that the world knew he had after 
the Gulf War.
  Many of our coalition partners understood the imperative of acting

[[Page 21864]]

against a thug like Saddam Hussein in a post 9/11 world. They 
remembered the pain we endured and knew our actions in Iraq were a 
direct response to preventing a similar tragedy. But other nations did 
not recognize a link between illegitimate regimes like Iraq's and the 
terrorist threat facing the civilized world. The war on terror will 
continue to be difficult and will require tough decisions like those 
faced in deposing Saddam Hussein. It is my hope that all of our allies 
will join in a unified front in this war both in good times, and in 
bad.
  I want to say in closing how proud I am of many of the contributions 
that my home State has made in executing the war on terror. It was our 
F-117 stealth aircraft pilots who answered the President's call to take 
the first action against Saddam Hussein's regime. Furthermore, New 
Mexicans have fought and died heroically in both Afghanistan and Iraq. 
For that, we owe our deepest gratitude and respect.
  Our national laboratories have also made immense contributions to the 
war against terrorism, both ahead of 
9/11 and with increasing emphasis 
post-9/11. They provided critical support in identifying strains of 
anthrax, and a biothreat detection system that was fielded at the 
Olympics as well as locations around the District of Columbia. Sandia 
invented the material that was heavily used in ridding the Hart 
building of anthrax concerns. Both labs have led the national efforts 
to control materials suitable for weapons of mass destruction. From 
weapons grade materials to materials suitable for dirty bombs, the labs 
have developed detectors and technologies to help secure and dispose of 
these materials. The systems used in monitoring international trade for 
any radioactive materials that could become weapons against us are 
largely from the New Mexico labs. They are providing computing 
resources through the National Infrastructure and Analysis Center of 
NISAC to model complex events that could threaten our Nation and 
develop mitigation strategies.
  I close by again remembering all the brothers and sisters we lost on 
September 11, 2001, and all those who have sacrificed in the ensuing 
war. Let our enemies not doubt that we will continue to pursue them 
wherever they may hide and will not stop until our victory is complete. 
God bless our soldiers and their families, and may God bless America.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, the images of September 11, 2001, remain 
etched in our minds and our hearts. On this second anniversary of the 
attack, we commemorate those who died in the attacks and the unwavering 
spirit of those who survived. We remember the true heroism that emerged 
out of tragedy, how strong and united we can be, how we can set aside 
differences for the greater good and work together.
  Californians were part of each tragic moment of that day. Some were 
trapped in the World Trade Center. Some were at work in the Pentagon. 
And the fates of others were sealed as they boarded planes bound for 
San Francisco or Los Angeles. All four planes used by the terrorists on 
September 11 were headed for my State of California.
  I want to remember the more than 50 Californians who were victims of 
the September 11 attacks. Their memories will live on and their 
legacies will live on, as will the memories and legacies of every 
innocent victim who we lost on that tragic September day.
  The people of California join the Nation in mourning the loss of 
these Americans:
  David Angell; Lynn Angell; David Aoyama; Melissa Barnes; Alan Beaven; 
Berry Berenson; Dr. Yen Betru; Carol Beug, Mark Bingham; Deora Bodley; 
Touri Bolourchi; Daniel Brandworst; David Brandhorst; Ronald Gamboa; 
Charles ``Chic'' Burlingame; Thomas Burnett; Suzanne Calley; Jeffrey 
Collman; Dorothy DeAraujo; Lisa Frost; Andrew Garcia; Edmund Glazer; 
Lauren Grandcolas; Andrew Curry Green; Richard Guadagno; Stanley Hall; 
Gerald Hardacre; John Hart; John Hofer; Melissa Hughes; Barbara 
Keating; Chad Keller; Christopher Larrabee; Daniel Lee; Dong Lee; Joe 
Lopez; Hilda Marcin; Dean Mattson; Dora Menchaca; Nicole Miller; Laurie 
Neira; Ruben Ornedo; Marie Pappalardo; Jerrold Paskins; Thomas 
Pecorelli; Robin Penninger; Marie-Rae Sopper; Xavier Suarez; Alicia 
Titus; Otis Tolbert; Pendyala Vamsikrashna; Timothy Ward; Christopher 
Wemmers; and John Wenckus.
  As we reflect on the horror and the pain of September 11, we embrace 
our Nation and our freedom. We must continue to work together to 
strengthen democracy in the world, and we must redouble our efforts to 
erase terrorism's shadow from our lives.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, two years ago today, our world changed 
forever. At 8:45 a.m., EST, on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the first 
World Trade Center was attacked. Shortly thereafter I remember seeing 
the chaos on the streets in Washington after the Pentagon was hit. I 
will never forget the sights and sounds from that day.
  On that day, we lost a feeling of security. And we felt a little 
exposed. We lost mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, 
grandparents and grandchildren. But as we united as a nation, we gained 
strength. What terrorists sought to destroy, what they thought they 
could topple, is the unbreakable American spirit.
  ``September 11'' will never again just be a date on the calendar. It 
is a day that marks the largest attack on American soil in our Nation's 
history. It was a day of confusion, a day of fear, a day of loss. But 
it was also a day of heroism--a day of standing together.
  On the 2-year anniversary, it is important to remember the events and 
emotions of September 11. As Americans, we are still living in 
uncertain terms. As Montanans and Americans, we must continue to be 
determined and steadfast in our dedication to win the fight against 
terrorism. We must lead an unprecedented effort to eliminate the 
terrorist networks that threaten our Nation. We must remain committed 
to defending the rights and freedoms that make us proud to be 
Americans. From our freedom to express our thoughts and determine our 
religious beliefs--to our right to openly vote for and elect our 
political leaders.
  Today we stand as one to pay respect and express our gratitude to our 
Nation's heroes: the countless firefighters, the policemen and women, 
the emergency medical technicians, doctors, nurses, as well as everyday 
citizens who risked their lives to save others on September 11.
  I remain dedicated to working together with Congress and the 
administration to protect America and the principles this Nation stands 
for and to bring those responsible for the September 11 attacks to 
justice.
  On the two-year anniversary of September 11, and in the weeks, 
months, and years that follow, I call on every Montanan to remember the 
lessons learned on that fateful day. Remember the solidarity. Remember 
the countless America flags that flew across the State and the Nation. 
Remember the generosity with which people donated to charities and 
volunteered in their communities. Remember the support we received from 
the international community.
  While September 11 is a horrific day in our Nation's history, it 
taught us a tremendous amount about ourselves, as Montanans, as 
Americans, and as a Nation. We must never forget these lessons.
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to share my thoughts on the 
second anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
  None of us will ever be able to forget where we were when we first 
heard the terrible news of that day. As the day went on, we were 
riveted to our television sets and saw incomprehensible images of 
destruction at the World Trade Center, the serious damage at the 
Pentagon, and the crash site of Flight 93 in rural Pennsylvania. Yet 
beyond the destruction we also saw remarkable demonstrations of 
heroism. From the first responders who unhesitatingly rushed into the 
World Trade Center and Pentagon to rescue survivors, to the passengers 
and crew of Flight 93 who chose to crash their plane rather than allow 
the terrorists to complete their plan, September 11 showed us the 
strength of our country.

[[Page 21865]]

  The terrorists had hoped to paralyze us with fear, but the American 
people were somber and resolute in their commitment to honor those who 
had died, to rebuild from the destruction, and to ensure that we would 
lessen our vulnerability to future terrorist attacks. Bearing in mind 
the example provided by the heroes of September 11, people throughout 
the country began to look for ways that they could contribute to the 
relief and recovery effort.
  I am particularly proud of the contributions made by thousands of 
South Dakotans in the days following the attacks. Schoolchildren led 
drives to collect clothing and blankets for those left homeless. 
Students from Augus-
tana College spent their 2002 spring break in New York serving food to 
Ground Zero workers. Experts from the Disaster Mental Health Institute 
at the University of South Dakota went to New York to help counsel 
family members and relief workers and to assist in the recovery 
process. Ranchers from my State sold cattle so they could make 
donations to the victims and their families. And countless South 
Dakotans lined up at the Red Cross to donate blood. Each of these 
people, in large and small ways, was doing their part to help our 
Nation.
  As we take this time to look back on how our country responded to the 
attacks, I want to say a special word about the men and women of our 
Armed Forces. The members of our military have made extraordinary 
sacrifices over the last 2 years in the war on terrorism to make our 
Nation safer. We can never forget the debt of gratitude we owe to those 
who have fought and to those who have died in defense of our freedoms.
  South Dakota is privileged to be the home of Ellsworth Air Force 
Base, and on behalf of all South Dakotans I would like to thank the men 
and women of Ellsworth Air Force Base for their dedicated service and 
decisive contributions to both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation 
Iraqi Freedom. I also acknowledge the important work of the members of 
the South Dakota National Guard and Reserves, many of whom are still in 
the middle of lengthy deployments away from their families and friends.
  The National Guard is the oldest component of our Armed Forces. Since 
its earliest days, the Guard has served a dual, Federal-State role. 
Following the September 11 attacks, members of the National Guard and 
Reserves were called on to provide additional security at our Nation's 
airports, to assist at critical U.S. border checkpoints, to fly 
protective missions over U.S. cities, and to maintain disaster 
preparedness in the States. In addition, National Guard units have 
played a crucial role in the war on terrorism; several units from South 
Dakota continue to serve in Iraq and Kuwait. I know my colleagues join 
with me in thanking all of our Armed forces, both Active Duty and 
Reserve, for their continuing service to our Nation.
  Rather than defeating us, the September 11 attacks demonstrated our 
strength and resiliency. In New York, planning and design for a 
memorial and the future use of the World Trade Center site is well 
underway. In Somerset County, PA, there are ongoing efforts to erect a 
permanent memorial to the crew and passengers of Flight 93. And at the 
Pentagon, reconstruction has been completed for several months.
  While our Nation has moved forward, September 11 will always be a day 
for quiet reflection and an opportunity to honor those who were lost.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, this September 11, we pause once again to 
remember those we so tragically lost in the horrific attacks on the 
World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and those aboard United Flight 93 
two years ago.
  For people in all of our States, there are individual connections 
that bind us to that terrible day. In my home State of Maine, families 
will again mark a tragic anniversary for the victims they knew and 
loved: Anna Allison, Carol Flyzik, Robert Jalbert, Jacqueline and 
Robert Norton, James Roux, Robert Schlegel, and Stephen Ward. Today, 
the greatest tribute we can offer is to remember their names, their 
lives, and their contributions. They are indelibly branded upon our 
national consciousness.
  We feel a pain that will never fade, withstanding even the tempering 
nature of time. But as we gather around the country on this second 
anniversary of the attacks, we can see we have been changed 
permanently, in ways that stand in shining testament to who we are as a 
nation.
  More than 150,000 Americans--from my home State of Maine and across 
the Nation--continue their brave service overseas, on a mission to 
ensure the freedom of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, and to reduce 
the threat of future terrorist attacks worldwide. In Maine and 
elsewhere, thousands more are working countless hours to enhance our 
physical security. That vital work continues to this day. Indeed, we 
are safer than we were 2 years ago because of those efforts--and we 
must remain ever vigilant, always identifying ways we can do more.
  But 9/11 has had an impact on our society that is perhaps less 
obvious, yet equally powerful.
  Quite simply, we have witnessed the full force of the indomitable 
spirit with which this Nation has been blessed. The evidence exists in 
every town and city in America. We all know countless stories of 
bravery and of quieter but no less significant acts of kindness and 
compassion--all the more beautiful when viewed through the prism of 
such incomprehensible inhumanity as was visited upon us.
  I cannot help but think of New York City and how her people reacted 
to the recent blackout. In echoes of 2 years past, New Yorkers pulled 
together to face the adversity, relying on each other and looking out 
for a city that will be forever scared, but also forever proud--and 
strong. They are changed--not because they were broken but because they 
are now more united than ever before in the cause of defending that 
which they love.
  It is the same for our entire Nation. America's indomitable spirit 
shines at events in my home State as it does in all of yours. It shines 
in Portland and Bangor, Lewiston, and Augusta. It shines in many 
smaller ways. In the town of Freeport, two women began a simple tribute 
right after 9/11. They would wave flags each morning, and their fellow 
citizens would acknowledge--honking their horns and waving. Last year 
on this date, that simple tribute blossomed into a parade of patriotism 
down Main Street. And this year, they are organizing a weekend-long 
event, ``The Freeport Freedom Festival.''
  Our spirit will shine in innumerable other small but heartfelt 
gestures we make on this second anniversary, just as it shined when 
people in Maine and across the country lined up at blood banks and 
donated millions of dollars and tons of food and equipment in the days 
after the attacks. It is a spirit fueled by freedom, polished with 
compassion and burnished by pride in our country and the men and women 
who are risking their lives to protect ours, both here and abroad.
  Clearly, even as we have achieved successes, our mission to eradicate 
terror at its roots--and to secure our homeland--will continue. And 
just as we did not foresee the tragedies of September 11, 2001, we 
cannot foretell what will happen next. But we can and must work 
together to remember those who have come before us, to maintain our 
collective vigilance in the face of continued threats, and to remind 
each other of the principles and people in which we believe.
  By working together to help change the world, we are paying the 
highest possible honor to the more than 3,000 people who lost their 
lives on September 11, and to those who have made the ultimate 
sacrifice in the fight against terror in the following days and years. 
It is a tribute that will resonate throughout the freedom-loving world 
as we remember. And there should be no mistake--we will always 
remember.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, today I rise, as I did 2 years ago, to 
ponder the terrible events that had occurred only a day before. I rose 
to express my anger and my sadness, my disbelief, and my disdain for 
the situation. I rose, as did most of my fellow Senators from both 
sides of the aisle.

[[Page 21866]]

  I spoke of the strength and resolve of this great Nation. I spoke of 
the sad reality that thousands of families were directly affected and 
would never be the same; that some fathers and some mothers would never 
be coming home again; that some young sons and daughters would grow up 
to pictures of parents and grandparents lost in New York, Pennsylvania 
and across the Potomac at the Pentagon.
  I also spoke of the horror yet to be seen and I spoke of our 
determination, as a country, to face whatever challenges lay ahead and 
I spoke of our President and the strength of character he would need to 
withstand such an attack and keep this Nation strong.
  I rise today and speak of the same issues and my respect and 
admiration for the men and women of our military, proud of our 
President's resolve to stand up to such a challenge and leadership 
during these 2 years of conflict and proud of our country to rally 
around the cause of liberty and the defeat of terrorism. I am also 
proud of this body's dedication to support the ongoing war on 
terrorism.
  It was popular and ``good press'' to support the initial tide of 
patriotism and rise against the actions of September 11, 2001. We all 
stood and swore to the world we would not be bowed or broken. We 
rallied to the cause and professed dedication to righting this most 
egregious wrong.
  Two years have passed and some among us are starting to lose focus 
and the resolve necessary to wage this battle--and yes this is a 
battle. I can understand how that could happen. The more time passes 
the easier it is to allow other challenges, others programs, and other 
agendas to take center stage and we get back to the daily business at 
hand. But we, like our President and our military, must do our part to 
conquer this foe. We must remember the War on Terrorism does not have 
one lone face or name attached to it nor is it contained to the field 
of battle.
  This war is being waged in Iraq and Afghanistan as we try to wage 
peace and raise those countries to when they can stand on their own 
with self-leadership and rule of law by their own people. The war on 
terrorism is being waged through the financial institutions, diplomatic 
arena, and the fields of conflict.
  What this country and this Senate needs is the same kind of resolve 
to continue to support the efforts of this administration in Iraq and 
Afghanistan and whatever lands this fight takes us. Let us not be 
confused, the cost of freedom is high but the loss of our freedom and 
freedom of all nations is a much greater cost. Our only choice is to 
wage this battle and wage it fully. Our only choice is to wage this 
battle no matter where it takes us. Our only choice is to wage this 
battle through the courts and the banks, through the intelligence 
agencies and the embassies, through our combat capability and the 
United Nations.
  In 2001 I spoke of our President and how he prayed the evening of 
September 11, 2001. As I close, I offer a suggestion to each of my 
distinguished colleagues. This evening before bed I will take time to 
pray. I will pray for all of the victims of September 11, 2001 and 
their affected families. I will pray for all of the victims of 
terrorism throughout the world whether by the hands of organized 
terrorism or random acts perpetrated by despicable men with warped 
ideas. I will pray for all of the men and women of our military 
especially those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of 
this Nation. I will also pray that our military is successful in 
defeating our foes in this war. I will pray for our President that he 
continue to lead this country during these trying times as he has done 
so honorably. Lastly I will pray for this body to continue to have the 
strength of character and fortitude to continue to support this cause 
through to completion no matter how long it may be.
  Let this day be a day of remembering and a day of pride as well as 
sadness. Let this day be the day that we gain renewed resolve, clarity 
of thought and strength of purpose. May God bless this day and may God 
bless the United States of America.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, in the morning hours of September 11, 
2001, our Nation endured a terrible tragedy. In the wake of that 
tragedy, the response from our ``Last Frontier'' was overwhelming. Two 
years ago, Alaskans volunteered their time and their resources to 
assist the victims of the attacks. One year ago, the people of our 
State found unique ways to commemorate our Nation's loss. This year we 
join the Nation once again in mourning and remembrance.
  Since the September 11 attacks, the United States has led the 
campaign to wipe out terrorism and those who support it. John F. 
Kennedy once warned the world ``. . . that we shall pay any price, bear 
any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to 
assure the survival and the success of liberty.'' The bravery and 
courage our troops demonstrated on battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq 
confirmed that Americans will make the ultimate sacrifice to preserve 
freedom.
  Here at home we are a safer Nation. We have established the Homeland 
Security Department, changed our laws so that agencies can share 
information, ensured better communication between State and Federal law 
enforcement, and provided better protection for ports and other points 
of entry. But the war on terror requires more and we must stay the 
course.
  In his speech on Sunday night, President Bush reaffirmed our 
commitment to this cause and called upon the Congress and the Nation to 
once again prove our resolve. I urge all Americans to support the 
President. History has taught us that freedom always comes at a cost; 
we mut pay the price. New coalitions have formed among terrorists. 
Those who wish us ill present us with an almost world-wide burden. 
Nevertheless, we cannot neglect our responsibilities.
  I hope all Alaskans will remember the victims of September 11 today 
by attending a memorial service or prominently displaying an American 
flag. The victims of September 11 and the volunteer soldiers who gave 
their lives in the campaign against terror gave what Lincoln called the 
``last full measure of devotion.'' Today, we honor their memory and 
their sacrifice.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I wish to speak about this day 
2 years ago and what it signifies to our country. There is not a soul 
in this country who does not remember exactly where they were and what 
they were doing on that fateful day that was so much of a watershed 
point in our country.
  I will tell you where I was. I was with the Senator from North Dakota 
and a number of others in a leadership meeting about 30 yards from here 
on the west front of the Capitol. We had broken up our meeting and were 
watching the television, watching the World Trade Center, when someone 
burst in the door and said, ``The Pentagon has been hit.'' We 
immediately looked to the window looking out across The Mall and saw 
the black smoke rising.
  In times such as that, it is interesting how you react. Since my wife 
and I had just moved into an apartment overlooking the southwest corner 
of the Pentagon, my instinctive reaction was to leap to a telephone and 
to try to get word to her to get out of the apartment and get to the 
basement garage. Of course, I did not know what was happening on that 
side of the Potomac River.
  I went back to the meeting room, and it was vacant. I walked into the 
hallway and saw everyone pouring down the stairs. I will never forget 
what I heard at the bottom of the stairs. I heard the Capitol Police 
shouting at the top of their lungs: ``Get out of the building. Get out 
of the building.''
  The memories of that day are seared in the minds of so many of us. 
And here we are 2 years later still confronting the terrorists and 
still conducting the war against terrorism.
  I am going to close with this because still people come up to me in 
my State of Florida, as they did so frequently in the aftermath of that 
fateful day 2 years ago, and they say: ``Bill, what can we do?''
  Let me tell you what my advice is, and it is the same now as it was 
then. Loyal, hard-working Americans, what

[[Page 21867]]

can you do? You can go on about your lives being faithful and hard-
working and productive citizens of this country because in defense of 
this country and our values and our way of life, it is not only that we 
need military strength for that, we need to continue our moral 
strength, and we need to continue our economic strength.
  It is the strength of that and many other values, if we continue in 
our normal everyday productive selves that we will overcome. I 
particularly use that word ``overcome'' because that is what America 
is. Our character as a people is that we are overcomers to the 
obstacles that are put in front of us, to the setbacks with which we 
are faced. We are overcomers, and our history shows that time and time 
again. Likewise, this time it will be also.
  I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, on September 11, 2001, our Nation 
experienced a daunting tragedy. It touched every single one of us. Our 
people came together and we spoke with one voice as we mourned the 
terrible loss of family, friends, neighbors and fellow Americans, and 
as we paid tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their own lives to save 
others. We found a new and rich meaning in the phrase, ``I am an 
American.''
  At the same time, we resolved to move forward, to bring the 
perpetrators of those terrible attacks to account and to put an end to 
the scourge of terrorism, so that our people remain free to live 
rewarding and productive lives. We made a major and fundamental 
commitment to our homeland security.
  Now, however, our rapidly expanding commitment in Iraq threatens to 
overshadow our commitment here at home.
  Earlier this year, I supported a series of amendments to the 
Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill to increase funding 
for homeland security needs. These included firefighter and first-
responder assistance grants, port security, transit security, border 
security and chemical security protections. Regrettably, these 
amendments were all defeated, primarily on party-line votes.
  If this administration is prepared to ask for nearly $90 billion in 
additional funding for our operations in Iraq, it should and must be 
prepared to provide the funds we must have to strengthen the security 
of America's shores and protect the American public.
  The terrible losses of 2 years ago will never be forgotten. But the 
most enduring memorial we can raise to those we lost is a future of 
freedom and opportunity, a future without fear. Our response to the 
events of September 11, 2001, is a demonstration of the great and 
abiding strength of America. We must be prepared to pledge our 
resources as well as our words.
  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, 2 years have past since the tragedy of 
September 11, 2001, but the visions of smoke rising out of the World 
Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the pain and terror on the faces of 
those who lost family members, friends and colleagues remain vivid in 
our minds. Within seconds, America realized that it was not invincible.
  More than a thousand of miles away from Manhattan's ground zero, the 
Pentagon, and the field in Shanksville, PA, Arkansans felt the 
vibrations of this tragedy. Families in Batesville, Pine Bluff, 
Jonesboro and throughout the State learned about the deaths of friends 
and family members. Just a few months later, thousands of families 
would celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas without the moms, dads, sons 
and daughters who had been deployed in the fight against terrorism. 
Soldiers began to guard the Little Rock National Airport and Arkansas 
Nuclear One. And we all began to care for our neighbors a little bit 
more. On September 11, 2001, life for Americans changed forever.
  September 11 is made bearable only by the true heroism displayed on 
that day and everyday thereafter. We will never forget the selfless 
acts demonstrated by our firefighters who ran into burning buildings; 
police officers who went the extra mile to help the frightened and 
frail; EMTs, doctors and nurses who cared for the injured; and everyday 
individuals who raised money for the victims of this tragedy.
  Along with these heroes, we have hundreds of thousands of servicemen 
and women who continue to risk life and limb in places such as 
Afghanistan, Turkey and Iraq in the name of democracy and all it 
embodies. They put themselves in harm's way not for personal 
aggrandizement or advancement but for immense love of country, liberty, 
and family. I ask all Arkansans to join me with continued support for 
our men and women in uniform.
  I ask also that Arkansans pray for the families who lost their loved 
ones in the tragic terrorist attacks. The healing process is a long and 
difficult road, and these families need our support and compassion.
  Finally, we must ensure that the more than 3,000 innocent Americans 
did not die in vain on September 11. We must continue taking those 
steps necessary to protect our homeland. This means ensuring that our 
first responders have the tools they need to confront terrorism at 
home. It means ensuring that our servicemen and women have cutting-edge 
equipment, training and technology they need to complete their mission. 
It means working together by placing our safety and our children's 
safety above politics.
  Americans have endured great hardship and heartbreak as a result of 
the terrorist attacks, but this has not broken our faith, courage and 
an unshakable commitment to freedom, democracy and each other. Today, 
we remember the tragedy of September 11, and we honor its victims. We 
will never forget them.
  Mr. GRAHAM of South Carolina. Mr. President, 2 years ago, our world 
changed forever. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers and 
Pentagon were a painful wakeup call to our Nation that we must remain 
ever vigilant in protecting our freedom. We must confront evil where it 
exists and defeat it. We must battle the terrorists where they live 
before they are able to carry out their missions of death and 
destruction on our homeland. Our hearts still grieve for those who lost 
loved ones in the terrorist attacks, and we must never forget the 
painful lessons learned on September 11.
  September 11 was a dark day in America history.
  While the terrorists were carrying out their evil, our national 
character as a strong, proud people showed through as it produced a new 
generation of American heroes. The memory of the firefighters who 
rushed into the Trade Centers before their collapse to save their 
fellow citizens showed us the best in our Nation, as did the passengers 
on Flight 93 who decided to storm the cockpit and sacrifice their own 
lives to prevent the terrorists from carrying out their deadly mission. 
September 11 was a stark contrast between the best and worst of 
mankind.
  On this September 11, may God continue to protect and bless the 
United States of America.
  Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to 
pay tribute to those in New York, at the Pentagon, and in the skies 
over Pennsylvania who lost their lives 2 years ago today.
  None of us in the Senate will ever forget the events of that terrible 
morning, nor will we forget the courage and compassion displayed by 
Americans everywhere in response to the attacks.
  Today my thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, 
and all of those who risked their lives to save others on that awful 
day.
  We faced the worst terrorist attack in our Nation's history on that 
day and we told ourselves that we would not let our guard down. We have 
not let our guard down and we will not let our guard down.
  The world has changed dramatically over the past 2 years. Under the 
President's leadership, we have taken on our enemies abroad so that 
Americans can live in peace at home. With the help of our allies 
abroad, our brave soldiers have dismantled the Taliban in Afghanistan 
and defeated Saddam Hussein's evil regime in Iraq.
  We have killed or taken into custody nearly two-thirds of senior al-
Qieda leaders. We have chosen to take on al-Qieda on its battlefield to 
prevent terrorists from choosing the time and place of battle.

[[Page 21868]]

  Terrorists across the world have been given notice that the U.S. will 
do whatever it takes to prevent another terrorist attack.
  America will triumph and those who want nothing less than to destroy 
our way of life will fail.
  They will fail because of the American spirit. They will fail because 
of our faith in freedom and democracy. They will fail because of the 
strength and character of the American people.
  I believe that Americans have emerged from the attacks of September 
11, 2001, even stronger and more dedicated to our beliefs and to our 
Nation.
  We are safer now than we were 2 years ago, but the enemy will 
undoubtedly try again and we must be ready. And we will be ready.
  It has been said many times before, but it bears repeating again--it 
might not seem like it, but we are at war. Al-Qaida and its terrorist 
allies may be on the run, but they are still plotting against peace-
loving people across the world.
  It's a different kind of struggle than we have fought before. The war 
on terror will not end next month or even next year. It will take 
patience and it will take perseverance. But let the world know that 
this is a war that we will win. This is a war that Americans and our 
freedom-loving allies will not allow us to lose.
  The President has done a superb job leading our country in the war on 
terror. And we have done our best in Congress to provide him the 
resources necessary to prosecute and to win that war.
  People often ask me how things have changed in Washington since 9/11.
  Some things on the surface certainly have changed. There are more 
concrete barriers, roadblocks, and security precautions. But looking 
beneath the surface I think the better question is to ask what did 
September 11, 2001, reveal about us.
  It showed that we are still a good and compassionate people. And it 
showed that we have many friends around the world that also love 
freedom.
  It showed that under the worst of circumstances we will come to the 
aid of not only our friends and neighbors but complete strangers.
  It showed that America is still the greatest nation on Earth. And it 
showed that in the war on terror, we will prevail.
  I thank the Chair. May God grant strength to those that mourn the 
loss of their loved ones in this war on terror and may God continue to 
bless this great Nation.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, 2 years ago, our Nation was brutally 
attacked by terrorists. Thousands of innocent men, women, and children 
lost their lives on September 11, 2001, in New York, the Washington, 
DC, area, and Pennsylvania. This week, we honor the memories of those 
lost, and remember the mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, and 
other loved ones who will never return to their families.
  Yet in the midst of that tragedy, we were reminded about what makes 
America strong. Firefighters raced into the doomed towers of the World 
Trade Center, saving thousands of lives, although they would be unable 
to reach safety themselves. At the Pentagon, even as part of their 
building burned, the men and women of the military command stayed at 
their desks to help coordinate information and keep the country's armed 
forces on high alert. Over Pennsylvania, a group of strangers joined 
together to fight back against their attackers and saved countless 
lives by giving their own.
  Our strength has always come from the capacity of average Americans 
to rise to acts of heroism to protect neighbor and stranger alike. Now, 
our security derives from regular people in a wide range of jobs, in 
addition to the brave men and women of the armed forces. From Customs 
agents, to cops on the beat, to baggage screeners, million of U.S. 
citizens have important roles to play in keeping our country safe.
  Today, the fight against terror continues. We face an elusive enemy, 
willing and eager to take any measure and to murder innocent civilians. 
To them, the freedoms we enjoy represent opportunities to attack our 
society and way of life.
  This week we remember why we have been drawn into this fight--so that 
no more families must mourn the loss of loved ones to terror attacks. 
As we continue this struggle, it is imperative that we do so in a 
manner befitting a nation of laws. By doing so, we will send a powerful 
message to the rest of the world: America will not yield to terrorists, 
and the principles of freedom and democracy will not be bowed by their 
cowardly tactics. Together, we will prevail.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, Barbara G. Edwards of Las Vegas, NV, Wilson 
``Buddy'' Flagg, a part-time resident of Las Vegas, Lieutenant Colonel 
Karen Wagner, a 1982 graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 
where she was in the Army ROTC--these three people were killed in the 
terrorist attacks 2 years ago. Mrs. Edwards and Mr. Flagg were 
passengers on the American Airlines flight that crashed into the 
Pentagon and LT Wagner worked in the Pentagon. They were the first 
three heroes from Nevada to die in the war on terrorism, but sadly they 
were not the last.
  Private First Class Matthew Commons, Boulder City, Staff Sergeant 
Kerry Frith of Las Vegas, Army Specialist Jason Disney of Fallon, First 
Lieutenant Fred Pokorney of Tonopah, Marine Corps Lance Corporal 
Michael Williams, who lived in Phoenix but had extended family in Reno, 
Marine Corps Lance Corporal Donald Cline, Jr., of Sparks, Army Captain 
Josh Byers, Sparks, Staff Sergeant Bryan Sarno, Las Vegas--these eight 
brave soldiers have also given their lives in the war on terrorism. The 
most recent was 10 days ago. Sergeant Sarno was killed in Iraq on 
September 1. Most of these Nevadans died wearing the uniform of our 
country. Others were simply going about their every-day lives.
  We have a duty as Americans to remember every one of them, not just 
for their sake but also for our own, because, as painful as those 
memories might be, they will always remind us of important truths. 
Remembering September 11 reminds us we have the greatest system of 
government on Earth. For more than 2 centuries, no nation has held the 
flame of freedom higher or opened the doors of opportunity wider than 
the United States of America. The cowards who struck America on 
September 11 understand this. That is why they chose targets that 
symbolize our free economy and our strong Armed Forces. Those cowards 
had no reason to hate the people they murdered. They didn't even know 
these people. But they hated America because we stand for freedom, 
tolerance, and opportunity. That is why we must never let time cloud 
our memory of what happened and why we must never forget those who gave 
their lives in the war against terror.
  In this body we are privileged to freely debate the important issues 
facing our Nation. That means we often disagree with one another. But 
we have no disagreement today on these issues regarding September 11. 
Today we stand as one to honor our fallen heroes and to pledge that we 
will never stop fighting until we have won the war against terrorism.
  Mr. GRAHAM of South Carolina. Mr. President, I rise today in honor of 
the men, women, and children who lost their lives in the terrorist 
attacks on our country on September 11, 2001.
  The morning of September 11, 2001 will forever be remembered as the 
day America came face to face with the forces of evil and prevailed. 
Innocent men, women, and children lost their lives and families 
suffered. Police officers, firefighters, rescue personnel, and 
Americans from every walk of life rose to the occasion to save others, 
in many instances losing their own lives in the process. That day, we 
learned about a new kind of American hero.
  In the aftermath of these attacks, our country put aside our 
differences and came together as one nation to mourn our loss, 
celebrate our liberty, and demonstrate to the world the strength and 
compassion of a free people. We united behind a single cause: to root 
out and destroy those responsible for terrorism around the world.

[[Page 21869]]

  Two years later, America is still leading that fight. The men and 
women of our Armed Forces stationed throughout the world are defending 
our way of life, our principles, and our freedom. They do so because we 
will never forget the loss to America on September 11, 2001.
  Today, I ask all Americans to pray for those who lost their lives, 
pray for their families, and pray for those who have given their lives 
in the war on terrorism. I also ask that you not forget our uniformed 
men and women still stationed overseas in harm's way.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I compliment the distinguished Senator 
Reid for his brief remarks regarding this day, and for myself merely 
say I am among those Americans who never thought it could happen to us. 
While I sat in my den with my wife on the morning it happened, I was 
about as incredulous as anyone could be. After I heard more about it, 
and they told me it was real, I was still disbelieving. I was still 
incredulous.
  But now we look back and we know we are no longer invulnerable. We 
are no longer so powerful that we can say anything of danger to us will 
be fought far away. We know the kind of enemy that confronts us is very 
different than the enemies we have confronted during the lifetime of 
our Nation.
  This is a tough one. This is a unique one. This is one run by crazy 
men, by people who do not understand or reason as we do.
  So I am very pleased, with all the politics at home, that I can stand 
here and say I feel pretty confident we are doing better, that we are 
better off than the day this happened, that we are safer than the day 
it happened, that our big cities are safer. Certainly we are not 
totally safe. But I wonder whether anybody will ever be able to tell us 
we have done everything, we have spent every nickel, we have done every 
program, and we are totally safe from terrorists. I doubt that very 
much.
  In some regards we are lacking. Let us hope we have the wisdom so on 
the third anniversary we can stand here and say we have even done 
better, and it is more farfetched that they would succeed. Let's hope 
we can do that.
  For now, I am very proud of an open and free society that made 
changes to accommodate to this scourge of venom. We had to change a few 
things, but we did it. We had to spend some extra dollars, but we did. 
We had to make some cities much safer, but we helped them do it. And 
then we fought a war for it.
  Clearly, when you look back at it all, we did pretty well. For a free 
nation, we did pretty well. It is pretty easy to mobilize when you are 
not free. It is pretty easy to fight when you are a dictator. It is 
pretty difficult to fight against terrorism when you are a democracy 
and you have to do it openly, in public, and fight them openly, in 
public, and be criticized openly and in public. It is very hard, but we 
have done it.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, the resolution 
is agreed to, the preamble is agreed to, and the motion to reconsider 
is laid upon the table.
  The resolution (S. Res. 224) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  Mrs. DOLE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we mourn the many lives lost 2 years 
ago today, both the victims of terrorist attack and the heroes, the 
first responders who rushed to try to save them. In various ceremonies 
around the country today people are contemplating once again what the 
war on terrorism involves.
  Mr. President, only two years ago, we awoke to the threat that global 
terrorists posed to the security of the American people and, for that 
matter, freedom-loving people around the globe, and Americans resolved 
to fight back against these enemies of freedom.
  Our Nation committed to fighting terrorism knowing full well it would 
require risks, and sacrifice, and time, and, yes, money. We committed 
to fighting terrorism because the terrorists had already committed to 
fighting us.
  Fortunately, America does not stand alone, because the same 
terrorists who target the United States also plotted and carried out 
attacks against European, Asian, and moderate Arab governments who do 
not share their violent ideology or rationalized interpretation of 
Islam.
  We are now only 24 months into a global war against terrorism and 
that fact alone is worthy of some reflection.
  For 53 months, between June 1914 and November 1919, World War I 
engulfed Europe. More than 110,000 Americans lost their lives in 
defense of global security.
  For 72 months, between September 1939 and September 1945, World War 
II raged across the globe, and required years of peacekeeping and 
reconstruction efforts afterwards. During this tragic conflict nearly 
half a million American troops gave their lives not only to bring 
security to America but also to liberate millions of innocent victims 
suffering under the jackboot of totalitarianism.
  For 37 months, between June 1950 and July 1953, American troops 
battled Communist forces on the Korean Peninsula. American troops 
remain in South Korea today to maintain a sometimes fragile cease-fire 
and defend a democratic ally in a war that has yet to end. More than 
30,000 Americans were killed while defending against North Korean and 
Chinese Communist aggression.
  And for nearly 50 years of cold war conflict, American troops were 
deployed to the edges of the Earth in support of our country's efforts 
to protect free societies from the threat posed by Soviet 
totalitarianism. During these tense and difficult decades of cold war, 
America did not shirk its responsibility to defend its people and the 
rights of all freedom-loving people. Nor did American politicians put 
price tags on the defense of democracy and liberty.
  The global war against terrorism requires, like the Cold War, a 
sustained level of commitment by the United States that is equal to our 
moral commitment in all of these previous conflicts--perhaps even more 
so--because the terrorists who now confront America do not seek merely 
territory in a far-off land but are dedicated to the destruction of the 
United States and the elimination of free societies wherever they may 
exist. We are fighting an enemy which seeks weapons of mass 
destruction, not to blackmail democracies but to destroy them.
  Under the leadership of President Bush, America has made tremendous 
progress over the last 24 months. We have jailed or otherwise dealt 
with nearly two-thirds of al-Qaida's leadership and have dismantled 
terrorist sleeper cells, severely curtailing al-Qaida's ability to plan 
and carry out terrorist attacks.
  We have cooperated with international police organizations to arrest 
thousands of terrorists throughout the world, to freeze terrorist 
assets, to increase surveillance of terrorist organizations, and to 
keep terrorists on the run.
  We routed al-Qaida from Afghanistan and destroyed its many terrorist 
training camps. Under the Taliban government in Afghanistan, terrorists 
freely plotted the destruction of our cities and the mass murder of our 
citizens, while an evil government tortured, raped, and killed those 
who dared to oppose its misrule. The Afghan people are now building a 
democratic government and terrorists are no longer welcome in 
Afghanistan.
  In addition, we ended the regime of Saddam Hussein, a long-time 
sponsor of terrorism and a potential terrorist clearinghouse of weapons 
of mass destruction. We liberated nearly 25 million Iraqis, who for 
generations had suffered under Hussein's brutal regime. Now we are 
helping the Iraqis build for themselves a multiethnic and moderate 
democracy in the heart of the Middle East.

[[Page 21870]]

  All these efforts have helped to prevent another terrorist attack on 
American soil despite al-Qaida's unremitting desire to carry out such 
an attack.
  However, despite our successes, more challenges lie ahead. The 
terrorists are making a desperate stand in Iraq and Afghanistan and we 
must be firm in our resolve to defeat them. As President Bush said to 
the Nation this very week:

       The terrorists have a strategic goal. They want us to leave 
     Iraq before our work is done. They want to shake the will of 
     the civilized world. In the past, the terrorists have the 
     examples of Beirut and of Somalia, claiming that if you 
     inflict harm on Americans, we will run from the challenge. 
     They are mistaken.

  For 24 months we have fought to keep America safe from terrorists, 
and with Osama bin Laden calling for American troops to return home, we 
must not shrink from our responsibilities now.
  We must confront the terrorists where they live and train; otherwise, 
they will face us in the streets of our cities. We must continue to 
bring the fight to the enemy or surely he will bring it to us.
  I yield the floor.

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