[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24098]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING 9/11 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House, as you 
know, we will not be in session tomorrow night.
  Many of us remember some 6 years ago when we first had a meeting in 
the Capitol Police headquarters, many of us, after the traumatic 
morning and afternoon; and we resolved that we would show to the 
country a unity and a resolve that the terrorist attack would neither 
cow us nor deter us from the defense of freedom and liberty and our 
country and its people.
  We are now, of course, 6 years later and continue to be involved in a 
battle to defeat those who by terror would intimidate us and hurt our 
people and our country and our way of life.
  In a moment we will be led by Speaker Pelosi and Leader Boehner to 
the front steps of the Capitol. We will have a brief ceremony to again 
show to the country and, indeed, to the world that while we may have 
differences in debate, there are no differences in our unity of purpose 
to defend our country, our Constitution, and our people, and to ensure 
that the friends of liberty around the world will know that they have a 
friend in the United States of America.
  So I would ask all of you to join us as Speaker Pelosi and Leader 
Boehner lead us out to the front steps on the House side. We will 
organize there, stand, and we will be led in the ``Star-Spangled 
Banner'' by the United States Marine Corps Band. We will have some 
comments by the Speaker and by the leader, and then we will conclude, 
as we did on that evening 6 years ago, with the singing of ``God Bless 
America.'' I think that was one of the most moving moments in my 
service in the House of Representatives. I am sure that many of you 
feel the same way.
  So, Mr. Speaker, the House will remain in session, but we would ask 
all Members to join, as I said, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Boehner, and 
myself on the front steps of the Capitol. We will proceed now.

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