[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24100]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1930
         DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM, AND JUSTICE WILL REIGN IN AMERICA

  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. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to come to the floor 
today as we commemorated one day early the 6 years since 9/11.
  Most of us just came from the steps of the east side of the United 
States Capitol bringing back memories of how we went together, united, 
on that day, September 11, 2001, to show the world and to reinforce 
America's values that we would not be deterred, democracy would reign, 
freedom would reign, and justice would reign in this Nation.
  But I come this evening to again express my deepest sympathy for 
those families that still mourn and those who still bear the emotional 
scars and, of course, those who remain injured from that fateful day. I 
remember being here in the United States Capitol in a meeting. Of 
course, our minds would never have imagined and could not conceive of 
what we were about to expect as we heard people running through the 
Capitol knocking on doors, not being able to explain just what was 
happening.
  Of course, those who wished to continue the day's business did not 
understand that our lives would never be the same. We finally 
recognized that there was something out of the ordinary happening. As 
we, in essence, escaped from this building without much information or 
understanding, watching over our shoulder the billowing black smoke of 
the Pentagon, rumors abounded. There were thoughts, suggestions, rumors 
or facts that planes were heading for a number of places, including the 
United States Capitol in Washington, DC.
  On that day, we saw the loss of lives of those in the Twin Towers and 
the airplanes in the skies. We are reminded of those souls who steered 
that plane away from the United States Capitol that landed in the 
fields of Pennsylvania. We hold all of these souls dear to our heart. 
Over the weekend, I was able to catch, as I was passing by our 
television, a documentary on engine 54 in New York. It is my 
understanding that all 15 of those that were on duty on that day lost 
their lives.
  Today I stand to salute all of the first responders and to highlight 
the firefighters who went into those buildings and never came out, and 
all other rescuers who likewise went into the buildings and never came 
out.
  As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, we vowed, after the 
creation of this committee, to never have this happen again. 
Unfortunately, there is much work to be done. We challenge, and we are 
challenged, to be dutiful and diligent in making sure that cargo on 
airplanes does not get unscreened by TSA, that we are assured that 
airports in the front and the back are secure, and that we are looking 
keenly at America's transportation system of buses, trains, and 
highways. We owe that to the American people.
  Then, Mr. Speaker, as we listened to General Petraeus and to 
Ambassador Crocker today, we owe them a real war on terror and that is 
to be able to join with the world's allies, our allies, and fight the 
war on terror, fight it and win it in Afghanistan, find Osama bin Laden 
and bring a political reconciliation to Iraq so that we can bring our 
soldiers home. Fueling the fires of Al Qaeda and allowing them to come 
to Iraq in 2005 does not pay tribute to those who died on 9/11.
  As I hold in my hand the American flag, I stand here today to 
recommit myself and to ask my colleagues as they come to this floor to 
recommit themselves to those lives that were lost, those families that 
mourn, that we will be a Nation united under truth, fighting the war on 
terror, making that our number one priority, and that we will pay 
tribute to the United States military, those who have served in Iraq, 
Afghanistan and places around the world, and make a final and important 
decision that the political reconciliation for Iraq must be in the 
hands of a sovereign people and a sovereign nation of Iraq.
  It is time now to bring our soldiers home. The war on terror 
continues. We will never be daunted by that. We stand against the 
terrorists. But we must do it rightfully and truthfully. We must join 
together, win the war on terror, bring our soldiers home so that war 
can be broadened and we can be victorious on behalf of the people of 
the United States and those who lost their lives in that war.

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