True American Heroes Act of 2003

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of September 10, 2003, I call up the bill (H.R. 1538) to posthumously award Congressional Gold Medals to government workers and others who responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and perished and to the people aboard United Airlines Flight 93 who helped resist the hijackers and caused the plane to crash, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the Spirit of America, recognizing the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation, and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, at the outset let me thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) for the assistance they have given in formulating this legislation and for the efforts they have made in helping to rebuild New York and in all they have done since September 11 working together as a united force to bring people together and to focus attention on the tremendous heroism that was demonstrated on that day in New York, at the Pentagon, and, of course, on Flight 93.

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this legislation is to commend those who died in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. It is almost axiomatic today to say that our lives will never be the same since September 11, and they have not. But in many ways from the terrible ashes of death and destruction that occurred on September 11, our country today is stronger than it ever was before. It is stronger morally, it is stronger spiritually, it has a great sense of moral clarity and resolve.

One of the reasons for that is at the time of the attack when America could have fallen back, when America could have retreated and gone into a state of bewilderment, it united immediately and fought back. One of the reasons it did that was because the eyes of the country and the eyes of the world were on the Twin Towers of New York, they were on the Pentagon, and they saw what happened in the fields of Pennsylvania on Flight 93, and they saw those in the eye of the storm fought back.

In New York, we saw the police officers and the firefighters rushing into the Twin Towers. Over 343 firefighters were killed, and many police officers from the Port Authority were killed. I believe it was 37. There were 23 police officers from the New York City police department, all of whom were killed, all of whom, without any hesitation, went into the burning towers to effectuate the largest evacuation in history. More than 25,000 people were evacuated that day, and it was done because of the incredible heroism of those who answered the call, those in the fire department, those in the police department and those from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the police officers who demonstrated their courage.

In addition, there were the EMS workers and the construction workers who went into the Twin Towers to bring people out; that set the tone for our country. That brought us together when the eyes of the world were watching. Just suppose if they had been watching and instead of seeing firefighters rush into the building, they saw them dispersing. Suppose they had seen a state of panic or people being left in those buildings to burn while firefighters and police officers stayed below, but they did not.

All of us in New York have suffered the loss of constituents, of friends, relatives, neighbors, and in many ways the list is too long to begin to enumerate. Certainly in my own community, the Haskell brothers, Tom and Tim, were killed. There was Lieutenant John Perry who was killed. From the adjoining community of Farmingdale, Pete Ganci was the chief of the department, and he was killed. Father Michael Judge, the chaplain of the department was killed. Michael Boyle was killed, as was David Arce. I can go down the whole list of names of people that we knew, people that were friends and neighbors, people who dedicated their lives to the police department, to the fire department.

There was a police captain from the Port Authority, Cathy Mazur, who is responsible for saving untold numbers of lives. She was on the main floor of the World Trade Center, and when people could not get out, she took out her revolver and blew out the windows, and that alone enabled hundreds of people to escape. She was later killed.

But that is typical of the type of courage that was shown that day, the type of determination that was shown that day. There were similar acts of courage at the Pentagon. God knows there were tremendous acts of courage on Flight 93 which, as so many have said, probably saved our lives, saved the lives of those in the White House that day by bringing that plane down.

So I believe that it is important that, as a body, Congress speak on behalf of the American people to really try to begin a down payment on the debt that we owe to all those who gave their lives on September 11. In saying that, in no way should we be diminishing those who were not part of the uniformed services who were killed that day, men and women who went to work, who were doing their job, people at Cantor Fitzgerald, all those firms, they were almost wiped out on September 11, also performed acts of heroism, most of which will never be known because it was not recorded, but we know when the World Trade Center was attacked back in 1993 how heroic those people had been.

There is no doubt that it was done again in 2001. We are singling out and

specifying the uniformed services and the rescue workers for what they did; but at the same time we are acknowledging the tremendous sacrifice of those who were killed just doing their jobs that day and who were targeted. They were targeted by Osama bin Laden because they symbolized the United States. The people in the World Trade Center symbolized the American economy. The people in the Pentagon symbolized the American military. They were targeted. These were not accidents that they were killed that day. They were killed for a reason. That is why the addition of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) to this bill, which provides the commemorative coin to everyone who was killed that day, to me really brings this together in the unity that our country needs, the rescue workers and those who were killed because they were working that day; the country working together, Democrats and Republicans, the House and hopefully the Senate standing together to acknowledge those who paid the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001, and whose memory will always be with us.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was going to yield time to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), but he has agreed to defer to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), so I will reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, let me, in conclusion, once again thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for the tremendous effort she has made over the past 2 years in doing all she can and working with me in a bipartisan way to move this legislation forward.

Let me thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), who is one of the first who authored a bill after September 11 commemorating those who died on that tragic day, and also has worked so closely with us, all of us trying to put egos aside, and we did definitely put partisan interests aside to move this forward. I think that really in many ways symbolizes the very best of September 11. We realize there is something more than our own narrow parochial interests, that there is a larger cause.

So I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for the way they have conducted themselves, for the assistance they have given me and for the dedication they have to this matter.

I also want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Oxley), who has been cooperative throughout. I want to thank the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) and the minority leader, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), for agreeing to bring this legislation forward on September 11. To me it is the most fitting day of all it could be brought on.

Also, I would say that as we remember those who died, as we honor those who died in the line of duty that day, that we realize that their families are still going forward. So as we honor those who died, let us not forget those who survived them who still, every day, must confront the dilemma of going forward, the emptiness, the sorrow, the tragedy that occurred to them on September 11 and will be with them throughout the remainder of their lives. We should just try to put ourselves in their position, to understand some of the terrible trauma that was inflicted on them. In doing that, that should give us more momentum to make sure this bill not just passes today, but also to work with the Senate to find a way to get it through.

Mr. Speaker, this is not just passing a bill for the sake of passing a bill. I think it is a real duty and obligation on the Congress of the United States that we record and let it be known the way we feel and the respect and the honor that we have for those who died in the line of duty on September 11. And by awarding a Congressional Gold Medal, that is the way that we can pay that tribute, not just to them, but to history, so that history will record exactly what they did and the extent to which we thought about it. And, in doing that, out of that twisted steel and burning rubble of the World Trade Center, out of the terrible destruction at the Pentagon, and out of the plane that was literally obliterated in the fields of Pennsylvania, from those horrible moments will come a greater America and a lesson for future generations to realize what people should do when confronted by crisis. Because all of us in this House, we can all talk a good game, but the reality is, no one ever knows what they will do when they are really put to the test. On September 11 we had so many hundreds of people, if not thousands of people, who were put to the test, and they all passed the test. So by them passing that test that day, by them showing the courage and determination that they did, that has allowed us to go forward as a Nation.

So let us go forward from this bill today, standing together behind our President, behind the united leadership of the House and the Senate, committed to America. We can have partisan differences, we can have differences on tactics, but we should never, ever again disagree on the overriding goal of America destroying the forces of international terrorism, protecting our borders, and doing all we can to ensure that a September 11 will

never again occur, and that these men and women did not die in vain.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Chairman Pombo) for his outstanding leadership on this very important piece of legislation, H.R. 911, creating a national memorial to the victims of terrorism. I also want to thank the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) for his help and work on this bill, which we have been involved in for the past 2 years. I also want to thank the ranking minority member of the full committee, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) and the ranking member of the subcommittee, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) for their work.

This bill originated shortly after September 11 of 2001 and, in the past Congress, was cosponsored by the chairman of the Committee on Resources, the then chairman, Jim Hansen, who retired and who worked very hard in putting together the initial version of this bill. So I am very grateful for the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) and the other Members who have supported this concept and have worked to make this bill one that we believe will be successful, one that will pay tribute and memorialize the victims of terrorism.

We have had over 218 Members of the House join in cosponsoring this bill. The occasion of September 11 always reminds us of the tragic events of 2 years ago. On that day, the attacks took thousands of innocent lives and changed the history of our Nation and of our world. Although it has been 2 years, the terrible images of that day, the pictures of the towers and flames, the horrors of the onlookers in lower Manhattan, the workers who rushed into the Pentagon to help save their colleagues, the determined faces of firefighters at Ground Zero and at the crash site in Pennsylvania all remain vividly in our memories. We can still feel the emotions of that day, our feelings of horror, anger, grief, and, most importantly, our commitment to ensure that this would never, ever happen again.

We know now that September 11 of 2001 was the beginning of what we might call a new world order. No longer would military might alone protect us. We know today that our world has grown smaller, and that our security is threatened not only by nations, but also by a small band of dedicated terrorists who hide in the shadows and who willingly use suicide missions to kill thousands of innocent victims. The savage attacks of September 11 made clear to all that war had been declared against America by a cruel and calculating foe, one that seeks to destroy this Nation, to take away our freedoms and liberties that form the bedrock of our great society.

Never before have so many Americans been killed on our own soil in a single day. The terrorists took the lives of over 3,000, fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, citizens of America, and 80 other countries around the world. Since then, Americans have come together as a Nation to remember those who lost their lives and to pledge our unwavering resolve to win the war on terrorism, whatever the cost, and whatever the length of the battle.

As part of our commitment to defeat terrorism in all of its forms and to never forget the precious lives that have been lost throughout these years, this legislation, H.R. 911, would authorize the establishment of a national memorial to all victims of terrorist acts against the United States, including those who lost their lives on that fateful day 2 years ago.

The national memorial created in this bill would not only be dedicated to the memory of the victims who lost their lives at the hands of terrorists; it would be a living memorial where future generations of young Americans will come to learn about the challenges America faced when confronted by an enemy that knew no national boundaries and that used unconventional methods, including suicide attacks, to spread fear, death, and destruction.

It is my hope that this memorial will chart America's journey in the war against worldwide terrorism and will someday show the world how freedom, liberty, and justice overcame oppression, cowardice, and fanaticism.

This legislation creates a 13-member advisory board appointed by the President, the Speaker of the House, and President pro tempore of the Senate, and includes representatives from organizations dedicated to assisting the victims of terrorism. This advisory board will guide the design, the location, and will provide the leadership in raising the private funds necessary for the establishment and maintenance of the memorial. In accordance with the Commemorative Works Act, the advisory board will consult with the appropriate commissions regarding site selection and design.

When the House Committee on Resources first held a hearing on this bill last year, each of us were deeply moved by the stories of several Americans whose lives were permanently changed on September 11. Among our witnesses were Lisa Beamer, whose husband Todd was among the heroes of Flight 93. Todd was the young American who said, ``let's roll.'' Another of our witnesses was a staff member, a then staff member of the Committee on Resources, Liz Howell, whose husband was killed at the Pentagon. We also heard on that day from Joe Finley, a New York firefighter, who lost many friends in the World Trade Center and who worked in the rescue efforts at Ground Zero. Finally, we heard from Lieutenant Colonel Ted Anderson, who personally pulled victims from the burning Pentagon.

All of these spoke of the need for a national memorial to the victims of terrorism in the District of Columbia. The stories of these individuals remind us of the tragedy, the sacrifice, the heroism that marked that day. Each of them represents the spirit of the bravery and patriotism that arose in America's darkest hour. Each of them expressed in a very personal way the meaning that a national memorial would have to them.

Liz Howell so eloquently stated, ``I believe a national monument to terrorism would become a hallowed place for the people of this generation to remember and grieve. Perhaps even more importantly, it would teach future generations about the heroism, sacrifice, and patriotism that surrounded the deaths of people who died simply for being Americans.''

Lisa Beamer in her testimony said, ``It is my hope and expectation that the Memorial to Victims of Terrorism will motivate current and future generations to always be vigilant in protecting us from evil and always be practicing for great acts of heroism. If these lessons of September 11 are learned and remembered, the deaths of our loved ones will not be in vain.''

Lt. Colonel Ted Anderson who rushed into the Pentagon on that fateful day, put it this way, ``This is about a memorial to those who have fallen already and it is about a physical symbol of our unified commitment to persevere, prevail, and to preserve the sanctity of our endeavor and freedom and peace for our open people and for those who choose to join us.''

Mr. Speaker, it is indeed altogether fitting and proper that we remember and honor all victims of terrorism here in our Nation's capital. This memorial will mark the time in the course of our Nation's history when freedom and the respect for the dignity of man overcame prejudice, hate, and evil. It will stand for the time in our Nation's history when our country stood tall, persevered, and defended peace and civility for all mankind.

I know every Member of this House will join in adoption of H.R. 911.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I again want to thank Chairman Pombo for his leadership on this legislation along with the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) as well as their Democratic counterparts, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen). They have done an outstanding job in helping us put this bill together along with the 218 cosponsors who joined us.

Also, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the staff who worked on this bill over the last 2 years to be sure that it was in the proper form to accomplish our objective. On the majority side, Rob Howarth did an excellent job working on this bill, David Watson on the minority staff as well, and Trent Ashby and Amy Valentine on my staff. And we appreciate their good work.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge the House to adopt H.R. 911, legislation creating a national memorial to the victims of terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as coauthor of this legislation, I am pleased to join the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) in support of H.R. 1538, the True American Heroes Act of 2003. The brave men and women who came to our defense on 9/11 may not have been soldiers, but they certainly were heroes. Thousands of New York City's fire, police and EMT workers came racing down to the World Trade Center to give their all, to rescue the victims of the most terrible terrorist attack on America in history. The passengers of Flight 93 crashed their plane rather than allow it to slam into another building, perhaps the Capitol itself. Rescue workers at the Pentagon labored to free their colleagues. These people are true American heroes and heroines. They deserve full honors.

This bill consolidates three proposals for recognizing our heroes, a bill authored by myself and the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) to present gold medals to emergency rescuers who perished in the World Trade Center which first passed the House last December and actually in December 2001. This will be the third time this bill has passed this House; legislation proposed by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) to create a Spirit of America coin; and suggestions that we honor rescuers at the Pentagon and the brave people who wrestled Flight 93 to the ground in Pennsylvania. They saved an untold number of lives and quite possibly the very building in which we are standing.

More than 2 years after September 11, the shock, pain and trauma of that day lingers with my constituents in New York. While we resiliently cleaned up the site ahead of schedule, no New Yorker can walk past a firehouse or police precinct without an empty feeling in the pit of their stomach over the 343 firefighters, 37 Port Authority police officers, and 23 New York City police officers who gave their lives to save others that day. In my own district, 25 different fire stations lost people in the terror attacks. One of these firehouses, the Roosevelt Island-based special operations unit, lost 10 men because a shift change was in progress when the attacks occurred. Off-duty firefighters grabbed their gear and headed to the scene. Only God knows how many people owe them their lives. Off-duty personnel dying on the job is the ultimate paradox. But such was the valor of September 11.

When I was at Ground Zero on September 12, I heard estimates from State officials that as many as 20,000 people had been killed in the World Trade Center. We now know that, thanks to the heroics of the rescue workers, the death toll was well below 3,000. From the moment the planes struck the towers, from all over the city and surrounding areas, rescuers poured out of firehouses and precinct houses to put the lives of strangers ahead of their own. They were cops, firemen, EMTs, and other public servants. This legislation lets us honor these men and women who died so others could live.

It is true that thousands of families are missing family members 2 years later, but perhaps the best reason to pass this bill is that tens of thousands of families are not. In the past, the Congressional Gold Medal has been awarded to honor contributions to America by outstanding individuals and groups. Not since Pearl Harbor had America suffered a large-scale act of war on its own soil. I consider those who battled the flames to save lives to be the first soldiers killed in the war on terrorism. I doubt that many in the military would disagree, and I think this body needs to honor them appropriately. The True American Heroes Act will award Congressional Gold Medals to the brave rescuers who perished in the attacks, to the individual precinct houses, firehouses and emergency response stations that suffered losses, to the offices of the mayor and Governor of New York, and the head of the Port Authority which ran the World Trade Center for its 28-year life span. For the Port Authority, this is an especially fitting honor. My friend Neil Levin was head of the Port Authority. On September 11, Neil was among those lost in the attack trying to save others.

New York City is thankful to all Members of this House for this honor and for helping the City of New York recover since the attack. Why are these medals important? Let us put ourselves in the place of the men, women, and children who lost family members on September 11. They learned that something horrible had happened. They turned on the television like the rest of us. They watched in horror as the towers burned, the people jumped and the buildings collapsed. Then they waited and wondered and prayed and wept. As the day turned to night and night to morning, they waited for a reassuring call from a familiar voice that never came. When the realization finally sank in, they were confronted with the articles of continuity that had become in an instant artifacts of a life ended in midstream by an act of sheer insanity: an empty pair of shoes, a chair at the dinner table, a side of the bed. To grasp what that must have felt like even for a moment is to get a glimpse of grief in its purest form. We need to give these family members, their loved ones and colleagues another artifact of that day, one worthy of the rescue workers' courage, sacrifice and love, something affirming, something tangible, something precious, something gold, the most distinguished honor that can be bestowed by this Congress. The U.S. Mint will make bronze reproductions of the medals available to all Americans who wish to honor the rescue workers.

Finally, the bill is much improved, with language provided by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel). This Spirit of America coin is a highly appropriate commemorative for this solemn occasion. I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) for his contribution to the legislation as well as the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), my counterpart on the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology. And we thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) for his strong support of this legislation and ranking member, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).

New York City is thankful to all Members of this House. We thank you for responding to the City of New York in its time of greatest need.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of New York (Mr. Engel).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from the great State of North Carolina for his very moving comments.

Mr. Speaker, I want to say that the authors of this legislation have worked on it for 2 years to create a fitting honor for the heroes of 9/ 11. This is actually the third time this legislation has come to the floor. We have passed it twice out of the House, and this is the first time this extremely worthy issue has been raised.

In response to the request from Members in the Senate, we have tried to be all-inclusive and have broadened the categories of medal recipients to include all the police, fire and rescue workers who responded to the attacks.

Mr. Speaker, I feel it is very important that we pass this very important legislation today on 9/11, on the anniversary, and move forward.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentleman for his leadership and consistency. The gentleman has stayed on this like a pit bull to get it to the floor for the third time. I thank also the chairman of our committee, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank). I hope we will be able to pass it for the third time today with his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding time to me, and I thank the gentleman from New Jersey.

I rise to offer my strong support for H.R. 1538, the True American Heroes Act of 2003. I also rise to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for their leadership on this bill and also my colleague and friend from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), who has been a stalwart ally in this effort. Finally, I want to thank the House majority and minority leadership for agreeing to bringing

this bill up under unanimous consent and today on September 11. It is very fitting that we do this on September 11.

Today is the second anniversary of the greatest attack on America since our Republic was founded. Since that day, Americans have stood together, united as we never have before. Thus, it is fitting and appropriate that the House takes up this legislation. It provides the heroes of that day with a Congressional Gold Medal. It awards these medals to government workers and others who responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and perished and to the people aboard United Airlines Flight 93 who helped resist the hijackers and caused the plane to crash. This bill is combined with a bill that I had that we had a majority of Members of this House cosponsoring which requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the spirit of America, recognizing the tragic events of September 11, 2001. I am delighted that we have combined these two bills into one really very special bill.

Mr. Speaker, on September 12, 2001, after coming down to Washington from New York, I was in New York City on September 11, I spoke on the House floor. I would like very much to read what I said that day, September 12, one day after the terrible attacks in 2001, because it is the way I feel now, and I think it is the way so many of us feel.

``Mr. Speaker, I am going to speak from the heart. I have had a very tough couple of days. I think America lost our innocence yesterday, and I just kept thinking that perhaps this was a bad dream and we would somehow wake up and it would not be true, but we all know it is.

``Mr. Speaker, I am a New Yorker, born and bred. I love our city. I was in New York when this tragedy occurred. I often say to my children when we come back to New York, look at the skyline, look at the World Trade Center. It is so invigorating. It makes me feel so wonderful just to be in this city, the city I love, the city in which I was born.

``Mr. Speaker, we New Yorkers are a tough breed; but I have to tell my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, this morning at 7 a.m. when I went over the George Washington Bridge to come back down here to Washington and I took a look at the New York skyline and saw the Twin Towers were not there and in its place I saw the smoke and the fire, I really lost it. I really lost it.

``Mr. Speaker, as much as I have lost it because I do not see the towers there, it pales by comparison when I think of the victims, the men, women and children who lost their lives; the firemen, the policemen who came there to save people's lives and lost their lives.

``People who go to work, like millions of people in this great country, go to work to earn a living to support their families, they go to work and they are killed by lunatics.

We have some questions to be asked, Mr. Speaker. We have to ask why our intelligence failed us, why our security failed us. Congress has to get to the bottom of this and ask these questions. Congress will find out.

Let me say to the terrorists and those people in the streets that we saw, the Palestinians and others who were dancing in the streets with glee, let me say to them and Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban and all the people that support terrorism, you have awakened a sleeping giant. The United States will not rest until we root out every one of you, until we root out the terror and the terrorist cells. We are going to rally around our President, as we always have, with bipartisanship. We are all one America. God bless this wonderful Nation. God bless America.''

Mr. Speaker, I hope that the vote on this bill today will be unanimous, because 2 years later, we in this Congress are just as resolute as we were 2 years ago to destroy the scourge of terrorism and to honor the brave men, women and children who lost their lives and to the people who responded who gave their lives so that others may live.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1538, ``The True American Heroes Act'' and H.R. 911 to create a ``Memorial for Victims of Terrorism.'' Enacting both of these important bills today is a fitting tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks launched against the United States two years ago this morning.

The September 11 attacks were devastating, but our Nation was never weakened. The attacks were perpetrated because of the terrorists' hatred of the American values of liberty, democracy and equality. Hundreds of the victims were parents working hard every day and praying for better futures filled with love and hope for their children. Some victims were young children on their first airplane flight. Others were sons and daughters, the pride of their families, making it on their own in New York City. Twenty were U.S. soldiers, thirty-three were sailors, sixty-one were federal civilian employees, and nine were Army and Navy contractors beginning their morning at the Pentagon, and all of them were living the American dream. Ordinary Americans were transformed into heroes as the two jets brought down the World Trade Center, when the third tore into the Pentagon, and when the fourth was thrust into a Pennsylvania field. Two years from September 11, we remember and honor those brave Americans, their sacrifice, and we promise to never forget them.

Our nation has remained robust because our strength derives not from tall skyscrapers or fleets of airliners, but because America is defined more by its values than borders, and is defined less by our past than by our promise. Rarely have those values of democracy and freedom been more clearly demonstrated in our country's short history than on September 11, 2001. As the gravest moments arrived, many ordinary citizens fueled by instinct, courage and grace, rushed toward the flaming buildings in order to rescue their fellow Americans or to overwhelm terrorist-controlled cockpits in order to defeat their destructive plans.

Every community was shocked and scarred by these catastrophes. My hometown of Chicago suffered the loss of five women, who left their friends and family bereft. But more than shock or horror, generosity, strength and selflessness characterized Chicago's response. Although my city is a thousand miles away from New York, Chicagoans rushed to assist New Yorkers, Pentagon workers, and rural Pennsylvanians and support them as our neighbors. Whether they were Chicago firefighters hurrying to Ground Zero or school children writing letters to comfort their fellow pupils in New York, Chicago responded with its renowned heart and generosity. And so did every community across the country.

Mr. Speaker, we observe September 11 not only to recognize the lives cut short by hatred, but also to honor the genuine American heroes. These many men and women include firefighters, police officers, paramedics, emergency technicians, and all rescue workers who cast aside concern for their own safety to rush to save the lives of other Americans in harm's way. Their bravery and commitment serve as shining examples of why they remain role models that our children emulate.

We must also pause today to honor the sacrifices and continuing heroism of our courageous service men and women who left family and friends in order to defend our nation in the global war against terror. U.S. troops are fighting, sacrificing and serving extended tours of duty so that the men, women and children of Afghanistan, Iraq and other nations suffering under the heavy burden of tyranny and terror may share the freedom and inalienable human rights that Americans enjoy. We owe them our resolve to defeat terrorism, and to ensure that here at home leaders are charting the proper course.

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate to reflect today on how we as a nation can better demonstrate American values. As we nurture burgeoning democracies beyond foreign shores, we must also align our priorities with human rights and with freedom here at home. Let those left behind pay tribute to those who died by reaffirming our commitment as a nation to freedom and defense of human dignity, and in so doing keep our nation strong. To that end, I strongly support this legislation creating a memorial for the victims of terrorism, and ensuring that our public safety workers have all the resources that they need to do their jobs continuing to prepare and protect America.