[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13402]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        10TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 12, 2011

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, as Congress marks the 10 year 
anniversary of the September 11th attacks, I rise to mourn the loss of 
the thousands of innocents who perished and to honor the selflessness 
of those who sacrificed so much to protect us, both on that day and in 
the decade since.
  In recent months, much of our national conversation has fixated on 
what's wrong with America: spiraling debt, soaring unemployment, a 
poisoned political climate, and perhaps most troublingly, the 
undeniable sense that we are an increasingly divided people.
  Indeed, our country is beset by a crisis of confidence, with faith in 
our institutions, our leaders and ourselves seemingly at all-time lows.
  Coming at this moment of doubt and insecurity, it is my hope that the 
10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks can offer the American 
people a potent reminder of the defining qualities we revealed in that 
moment of extreme tragedy: our willingness to sacrifice, our 
unwillingness to submit or surrender and ultimately our solidarity in 
the face of great pain and staggering loss.
  Ten years ago in New York, as the towers were falling and thousands 
were fleeing, firefighters and police officers disregarded the dangers 
and rushed to save the victims.
  In the skies above Pennsylvania, a courageous group of passengers 
fought back against the hijackers and ultimately brought down their own 
plane, dying so that others might live.
  And across America, thousands of young men and women who watched the 
events of that day unfold on their TV screens decided to enlist, 
placing themselves in harm's way to keep our country safe.
  9/11 was a moment when the American people were tested as never 
before and yet emerged unbeaten and unbowed. Through our grief, we were 
united in asserting that the American way of life would go on.
  I believe our country's heroes on that day offer up a powerful 
example to our country's leaders ten years later.
  Let us continue to cultivate the spirit of service that motivated the 
firefighters who responded and the soldiers who enlisted.
  Let us use this opportunity to rediscover the togetherness that 
marked our response to the horrors we witnessed, finding the 
inspiration to set politics aside and begin solving the problems that 
matter.
  Finally, let us honor the memories of all those who died on that day 
by working to ensure that America remains a country worthy of their 
sacrifice.

                          ____________________