[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9379-9380]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          EVENTS OF YESTERDAY

  (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday at noon was so much like September 
11. Mr. Speaker, I was standing on the House floor with our majority 
leader as I saw Members beginning to hurry out of this Chamber.
  As I exited the House, an F-16 literally flashed across the sky as 
thousands yesterday, as that day in 2001, streamed from the Capitol 
into the sunlight of uncertain moments and an undefined threat.
  So much was the same, but so much has really changed. On September 
the 11 evacuation was largely disorganized and spontaneous. But 
yesterday, thanks to the extraordinary leadership of the United States 
Capitol Police; Bill Livingood, the House Sergeant at Arms; and Police 
Chief Terence Gainer, 25,000 public officials and personnel were 
evacuated from the Capitol and buildings around Capitol Hill in less 
than 6 minutes in an intense, but orderly, manner.

                              {time}  1015

  It is an extraordinary comfort, I know, to millions of Americans who 
know that whatever the day may bring in our Nation's capital, thanks to 
the leadership and the security officials here on Capitol Hill, and the 
Department of Homeland Security, our national government is ready.

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