Recognizing the 10th anniversary of the terrorist bombings of the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and memorializing the citizens and families of the United States, the Republic of Kenya, and the United Republic of Tanzania whose lives were lost or suffered injury as a result of these attacks.

Madam Speaker, I would like to yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 1461 which recognizes the 10th anniversary of the terrorist bombings of the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and honors those who were killed or injured as a result of these attacks.

I imagine there is not one among us here today that could not tell you exactly where they were or what they were doing when the al Qaeda terrorist network launched its cowardly and dastardly attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001.

Many of us recounted those stories just 2 weeks ago as the House and the Senate united to solemnly commemorate the seventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks. And while September 11 represents the deadliest attacks suffered by the American people at the hands of the al Qaeda operation to date, it was not the first.

Three years earlier on the morning of August 7, 1998, 223 people were killed and 5,000 people were injured as nearly simultaneous car bombs ripped through the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The bombings in Nairobi were particularly serious as the embassy stood on one of the busiest intersections in the city and the blast took down several neighboring buildings. The bombing in Tanzania was no less spectacular, but remarkably, it occurred on a national holiday when the embassy was closed.

Though these terrorist attacks reportedly were intended to punish the United States, the overwhelming majority of the victims that day were Kenyan and Tanzanian. This is typical of a network which callously views the innocent victims it kills, including fellow Muslims, merely as collateral damage. It also reveals the true hypocrisy of al Qaeda's radical Islamic agenda.

In all, 12 Americans were killed as a result of the east African embassy bombings, 31 foreign service nationals were killed, and one is still listed as missing. Scores more were saved as guards protecting the embassy in Nairobi succeeded in physically blocking the suicide bombers from gaining entry into the underground parking area. They paid with their lives for this act of heroism.

We owe a debt of gratitude to those who died in service to our country on August 7, 1998. And we are compelled to express our profound sorrow for those whose lives were taken or were forever altered as a result of these dastardly attacks.

As we solemnly commemorate the 10th anniversary of the bombings in Kenya and Tanzania and the seventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks on our Nation, we seek to reaffirm our resolve to defend our Nation, to defend our interests from radical Islamic terrorists who seek to destroy the United States and our citizens.

I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Scott, for introducing this important measure, and I urge unanimous support for its passage.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1461) recognizing the 10th anniversary of the terrorist bombings of the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and the memorializing of the citizens and families of the United States, the Republic of Kenya, and the United Republic of Tanzania whose lives were lost and injured as a result of these attacks, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

August 7, 1998, is a day that will never be forgotten. With near simultaneous vehicular bombing attacks by members of al Qaeda on our embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the United States was challenged to face a new world. The violence that day claimed the lives of Americans, Kenyans, and Tanzanians with a death toll of 213 individuals in Kenya and 11 in Tanzania. The injured numbered well over 5,000. As great as the tragedy that day, without the dedication and bravery of the security individuals of those embassies, those acts of terrorism would have been far more catastrophic.

Shortly after the bombings, Congress provided $50 million in emergency supplemental appropriations to aid in the recovery process. And last October, the House passed the Foreign Service Victims of Terrorism Act of 2007 which provides compensation to the families victimized by these tragedies who are still recovering from their loss.

Our embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam have been rebuilt. Nevertheless, we must never forget the tragedy of that fateful day, and we must always remember the significance of the lives of those lost.

Madam Speaker, that is why I strongly urge and support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to join me in that support.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is with both sorrow and gratitude that we indeed recognize this 10th anniversary of the terrorist bombings of the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and in memorializing the citizens and families of the United States, the Republic of Kenya, and the United Republic of Tanzania whose lives were lost and injured as a result of these horrible terrorist attacks.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1461, ``Recognizing the Tenth Anniversary of the terrorist bombings of the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Kenya and Tanzania who lives were lost or whose were injured as a result of these attacks which is introduced by my distinguished colleague Representative Scott. This legislation is important to ensure that we remember those who lost their lives and those lives were affected by these tragic and horrendous bombings.

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On August 7, 1998, approximately 4,000 people were injured in the Nairobi bombing and 85 injured in Dar es Salaam. These attacks which killed hundreds of people, first brought international attention to Osama Bin Laden and his al Qaeda terrorist network, and stand out as one of the worst anti-American terrorist attacks preceding September 11, 2001.

This legislation will recognize all the citizens whose lives were lost in these bombings. In addition to recognizing the 10th anniversary of the al Qaeda bombings, this resolution will recognize all the families and friends of victims lost in the attack and mourn those who lost their lives in these tragic and senseless attacks. This resolution will also express gratitude for the people of Kenya and Tanzania for their gracious contributions and assistance following these attacks in striving for future opportunity, democracy, and prosperity, and reaffirm its resolve to defeat al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.

It is a national tragedy that lives have been victim to reckless acts of terrorism, and the least we can do as a Congress, as a Nation is to recognize those involved in this tragedy and the counties who came to our aid. We cannot withhold this honor from those victims that perished in the tragedy. As honored Members of Congress, we have the honor to have the opportunity to recognize this anniversary and ensure the proper recognition is given to those involved in the terrorist bombings of 1998. Anything else would be giving in to the power of the terrorist, to which America will not yield.

I firmly believe that we must pass this legislation in order to demonstrate our support of those people who lost their lives and those people who lost their loved ones, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Though this was a horrible tragedy, we can recognize the Tenth Anniversary and bring honor to those who were victims of al Qaeda.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the motions to suspend the rules relating to the following measures be considered as adopted in the form considered by the House on Tuesday, September 23, 2008:

House Resolution 1461, House Concurrent Resolution 393, House Resolution 988, and H.R. 3018.