National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act of 2010

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4684) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to strike medals in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the establishment of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert any additional material that they wish to insert on this issue.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to commend my colleague from New York (Mr. Nadler) for his leadership on this bill and on so many other issues and for working selflessly to help the survivors and the residents and to help the city recover from 9/11. This is an example of another one of his efforts to help the city, to help our country, and to help us remember the terrible events of 9/11.

The monumental events in a nation's life have always warranted memorialization. The events of 9/11/2001 are no different.

Those who died on that day, just going about their lives, just going to work that day, as we went to work today, they truly deserve to be honored forever as heroes and heroines.

We know that we lost almost 3,000 lives on 9/11, but many thousands more lost their health. Those who came to the aid of those at the sites of the attack also deserve to be honored and remembered.

And each of us in this body who lived through that day, each of us in this country who lived through that day, we each have vivid memories of our own seared in our minds, which deserve recognition as well.

Thus, it is very fitting that, as we approach the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we offer a means to honor the dead, and our memories, and the victims, and the heroes, and the heroines, and the responders, and the residents, with H.R. 4684, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act.

This bill authorizes the U.S. Mint to strike a commemorative medal in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 next year, the price of which will include a $10 donation to support operations and maintenance of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site, with a design which will include the inscription, and I quote, ``Always Remember.''

This medal will allow all Americans and, indeed, anyone around the world, an opportunity to remember and to honor the thousands of men, women and children who died on that horrible day.

This medal also supports the mission of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, to ``Recognize the endurance of those who survived, the courage of those who risked their lives to save others, and the compassion of all who supported us during our darkest hour.''

The Memorial & Museum will demonstrate the consequences of terrorism on individual lives and its impact on communities at the local, national and international levels. The museum will attest to the triumph of human dignity over human depravity, and it will affirm an unwavering commitment to the fundamental value of human life.

Mr. Speaker, those not yet born cannot understand in the same way that we do the events of that day, so we who do understand must establish a means by which generations to come may, in their own way, note and remember what our generation went through. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act provides this means, this opportunity.

I am proud to recognize my fellow New Yorker and colleague, Jerrold Nadler, who is the chief sponsor of this bill, and I yield to him such time as he may consume.

I thank the gentleman for his statement and for his leadership. I also thank my good friend and colleague on the other side of the aisle, Christopher Lee. This has been a strong bipartisan effort, and I congratulate him on his leadership in passing this important bill.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, July 19, 2010.

Hon. Barney Frank,

Chairman, Financial Services Committee,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Frank: I am writing regarding H.R. 4684, a

bill requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to strike medals

in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the September 11,

2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the

establishment of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum

at the World Trade Center.

As you know, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains

jurisdiction over bills that raise revenue. H.R. 4684

contains a provision that establishes a surcharge for the

sale of commemorative medals that are minted under the bill,

and thus falls within the jurisdiction of the Committee on

Ways and Means.

However, as part of our ongoing understanding regarding

commemorative medals and in order to expedite this bill for

floor consideration, the Committee will forgo action. This is

being done with the understanding that it does not in any way

prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment of

conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives on this bill or

similar legislation in the future.

I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming

this understanding with respect to H.R. 4684, and would ask

that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be

included in the Record.

Sincerely,

Sander M. Levin,

Chairman.

I thank the gentleman for his statement, and I thank my colleague Mr. Nadler for his hard work in securing the 300 cosponsors. The World Trade Center site and museum will be in the district that he is honored to represent. And he has continued to be an outstanding, forceful spokesperson, as Mr. Lee has, in support of not only the suffering of those who lost their lives, but for the men and women who lost their health and who are in dire need of health care and support.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank my colleagues in this Chamber. I thank Americans across this country.

On 9/11 many people remember the attack, but they do not remember that this was also one of the greatest rescue efforts in history. I was at the site on September 12, and they were estimating that 25,000 Americans perished. But because of the brave work of volunteers, of police and fire, of responders, many, many lives were saved. Many people on that day lost their lives, but more people lost their health.

As we know in this body, this was a response not only from New York, but 432 different congressional districts sent first responders, volunteers, help. They worked at the pile, they worked at the site, and they helped America recover. These men and women were there for us. We need to be there for them. That's why this bill is so important. I urge all of my colleagues to collectively vote and support it. I congratulate Mr. Nadler and Mr. Lee for their leadership in moving this to the floor for a vote.

I urge a ``yes'' vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support, and I want to congratulate my colleague from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for the incredible amount of work she has put in over the years, with me and with others, on trying to improve the lives of those who survived September 11. And hopefully, one of the main products of that work will be on the floor next week on the health care legislation.

But today I rise in support of H.R. 4684, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act. Next year our Nation will mark the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. It will have been 10 years since the most lethal terrorist attack ever committed on U.S. soil, when thousands lost their lives as planes were turned into missiles in the skies over New York, Pennsylvania, and right here in Washington, D.C.

In the years that have followed, that day's events have been transformed from searing headlines to indelible history. To pay tribute to those who lost their lives and to those still suffering because of the attacks of 9/11, I have introduced this bill, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act.

This bill will authorize the U.S. Mint to strike up to 2 million silver medals commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The medals will be inscribed with the phrase ``Always Remember'' with the final design to be selected by the Treasury Secretary, in consultation with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

A surcharge of $10 on the sale of each medal will go directly to support the operations and maintenance of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center following the completion of the construction of the museum. These funds will help to preserve the history of 9/11 so that posterity will long remember the bravery and sacrifices of that day.

Issuing a 9/11 commemorative medal is a simple but poignant way to mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks on our Nation, while simultaneously supporting the World Trade Center Memorial.

I want to thank the more than 300 Members of the House from both parties who have signed onto this bill as cosponsors. I want to extend my special appreciation for the support given by Chairman Frank and Ranking Member Bachus as this bill passed through the Financial Services Committee. I also want to thank the leadership of the House for bringing this bill to the floor.

This medal will be a tribute to the terrible loss that we experienced on 9/11. And to truly honor those still suffering from the 9/11 attacks, we must finally provide them with the health care and compensation that their courage and sacrifice deserves.

After the towers fell on 9/11, thousands of firefighters, police officers, paramedics and volunteers from all across the country came to Ground Zero to search for survivors and to begin the rebuilding process. Once there, they, along with thousands of community members, students and area workers, were exposed to toxic dust from the collapsed towers that filled their lungs and, in many cases, caused lasting health problems.

It is our moral obligation to care for those who still bear the physical scars from this national tragedy. And, along with Mrs. Maloney, we are working with the leadership to bring the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to the floor, hopefully, next week. That bill is essential because the best way to truly pay our respect to the victims and heroes of 9/11 is with the proper health care and compensation for their 9/11-related injuries.

But today, let us honor those whose lives were lost in the attacks of 2001, and commit to preserving the memory of 9/11 for future generations. With this bill, let us reaffirm that no matter the passage of time, we will never forget.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4684, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act.

No one can forget the September morning, where we were, the way we felt, what we feared. As the tragedy unfolded, all of us wondered what it meant for the future.

The attacks of September 11 occurred during a time of relative tranquility for this Nation. The country had entered a new decade, excited about the boundless opportunities that lay ahead of the new century and confident it would realize the potential of its people.

9/11 shook that confidence. The downed planes and the burning buildings and the shattered lives and families showed us just how vulnerable we truly were. At that moment the paths of prosperity and progress, of safety and liberty that our Nation had so surely followed seemed in jeopardy.

But more telling than that day was not how vulnerable we felt when the terrorists struck, but more so how resolute we were in our response and in the comforting arms extended to help our fellow citizens. First responders rushed to the scene. Upon seeing the devastation before them, these men and women rushed into the buildings knowing their lives were in danger. They put aside their personal safety and rushed to the aid of those in need. They epitomized the bravery and resilience that has been the foundation of this Nation since its inception, the compassion and the will that built the United States into truly what it is today.

As Americans and the world witnessed the response, it became clear that although the attacks would change the decisions and circumstances of our Nation, it would not change our resolve. Alongside the tragedy of that day, we watched America's greatness as ordinary citizens showed their capacity, America's capacity, in meeting challenges knows no bounds.

This bill, which enjoys the support of over 300 cosponsors and the entire New York delegation, asks us to remember the individuals who perished that fateful day. It directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make available 2 million silver medals designed to be emblematic of the courage, sacrifice, and strength of those individuals who died in the terrorist attacks and the bravery of those who risked their lives to save others that day.

These medals will be sold with a $10 surcharge that will be paid to the National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center. All of this will be accomplished at no cost to the taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today in remembrance of those who lost their lives on September 11. They will never be forgotten.

I commend my colleague from New York (Mr. Nadler), the chief sponsor of this measure, for his commitment to getting this issue before the House today. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4684, which authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to create medals to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 4684, and I thank my colleague, Congressman Nadler for introducing this legislation.

September 11, 2001 was a day that changed America. Everyone remembers the events that unfolded that day, when we put differences aside and came together united and determined to respond to the unprovoked attack on our country.

As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I have worked with my colleagues to ensure that another terrorist attack like 9/11 never again occurs on our soil. This committee was formed in response to the events that occurred on that day. We must continue to vigilantly defend our country against potential threats.

Mr. Speaker, there were so many brave and courageous acts that occurred on September 11, 2001. The creation of these medals is a token of our appreciation to those individuals who put their lives on the line to save others. It also serves as a reminder of those who lost their lives on 9/11. It is especially appropriate that the medals will be inscribed with the words ``always remember'' since the medals will help support the operations and maintenance of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4684, which honors and remembers the courage and sacrifice of those who perished in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The creation of these medals serves as a tribute to them, and also commemorates the brave men and women who risked their lives to save countless others. These medals remind us of the resilience of the people who live in our great country.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4684, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.