[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 17851-17852]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  COMMENTS ON COMMEMORATING THE EVENTS OF 9/11/2001 AND ON THE WAR ON 
                                 TERROR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I didn't want this week to 
pass without the appropriate recognition and the pointed recognition 
and offering of sympathy to the American people and to the victims who 
experienced a horrific tragedy on September 11, 2001.
  In the next 48 hours, we will be debating on the floor of the House a 
resolution regarding 9/11. It would be good, Madam Speaker, if that 
resolution could focus on solutions. But because we are just a few days 
away from the November 2006 elections, I would venture to say that the 
majority in this House will attempt to cover up the major failures of 
making America more secure.
  I pause for a moment again to reflect on the tears and pain that were 
expressed over the last couple of days by families of victims, those 
who worked at the World Trade Center, but also the firefighters and 
Port Authority police and police persons of New York and others who 
were the heroes of the day and lost their lives.
  I join with my colleagues to say that an appropriate tribute 
certainly to the first responders would be the right kind of 
compensation and long-term care for those survivors in tribute to those 
who lost their lives. I hope that tomorrow's debate could be stopped 
for a moment so that we could pass immediate legislation, legislation 
proposed by Congresswoman Maloney, that would allow a response to the 
first responders who now still live. But, no, we will engage again in 
the one-upmanship of what this Republican majority believes they have 
done.
  I would simply say to you, Madam Speaker, that it is little that they 
have done.
  The Washington Post today says it right: ``America Marks a Grim 
Anniversary.'' But I add the words, is there much reason for joy or 
commemoration that things are better? I would say not.
  The New York Times today says: ``Grim Outlook Seen in West Iraq,'' 
calling for more troops and aid. The assessment was prepared last month 
by Colonel Peter Devlin at the Marine headquarters in Anbar Province, 
one of the first times that a document like this has been made public.
  We are literally failing in Iraq. The Secretary of Defense has 
already said they don't need any more troops. Frankly, they have 
dissipated the troops in the other parts of Iraq to send into Baghdad 
to get that under control. It is difficult to get a civil war under 
control.
  Iraq does not pay tribute to the tragedy of 9/11 by giving to the 
families a sense that we are in charge of the war on terror. Iraq 
simply shows our failure and failed policies.
  Madam Speaker, I would say to this body that rather than debate a 
resolution that is distorted and one-sided, I would ask that we roll up 
our sleeves and respond to the American people. And I think it is 
important for us to be balanced. There are allies around the world that 
really want to help us.
  I have heard discussions from those in Egypt and Jordan and Qatar and 
Mideast alliances that we have had who desire to have an opportunity to 
work with Iraq, work in the Mideast, to bring resolution, to allow the 
existence of democratic states. But we have not offered to collaborate 
with these states.
  Madam Speaker, I think it is important to note that Pakistan, which 
continuously is maligned and is not perfect, there is no doubt, but we 
should remind our colleagues that we should work with states like 
Pakistan that are Muslim-based, if you will, recognizing the difficulty 
of balancing the leadership in a Muslim state and fighting the war on 
terror.
  There are those who draw together, who want to work with the United 
States to fight the war on terror, Muslims around the world, Muslims in 
the United States; but we must give them an opportunity. And it is 
important to note with the difficulties of the border region between 
Afghanistan and Pakistan that Pakistan's soldiers have lost their 
lives, and it was the Pakistan Government that gave to England the tip 
on the individual that broke the British terrorist act with the fluids.
  So it is important, Madam Speaker, as I close, that we work with 
those who want to work with us. Let's stop the false promises. Let's 
fight the war on terror. Let's bring our troops home.

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