Recognizing September 11 as a "National Day of Service and Remembrance".

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

The resolution before us is a commitment to reaffirm a sense of urgency, of reminding all of us of the crisis that occurred not so long ago in the crumbling towers in New York and the crisis at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. I appreciate the chairman bringing this item before us, and as a representative of the minority on the committee, I want to strongly urge its support.

I appreciate the fact that the gentleman has worked in a bipartisan fashion. I think this is one committee where the chairman and ranking member have proven that Washington, especially the House of Representatives, can work in a cooperative manner, and I think if there is any place the American people not only expect but demand that we find that bipartisan ground, I think we have found it in this resolution and on this issue.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. King), the ranking member on the Committee on Homeland Security.

I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier).

(Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the chairman's words. And let me just say, December 7, 1941, was brought up earlier, and my father's birthday actually was December 7 and he was actually stationed at Pearl Harbor in 1941. And I think the big slogan we've always heard about December 7 is, never again shall we be not prepared to avoid this. I guess the goal that we need to say in remembrance is, never again with 9/11.

How many of us around this country, especially if you asked those in New York, how many thought that flight schools in Florida or California were going to affect their lives? Most New Yorkers would probably say, it doesn't affect me. I guess how many people around this country would think that if Virginia gave driver's licenses to people who were not legally in the country, did it really matter? And they would think, no it probably doesn't matter in my life. I think 9/11 has proven that what happens anywhere in the United States may have a major impact at corners across this country.

I'd have to say that we do talk about what happened at New York. We can identify where the Pentagon was hit. And, sadly, I don't think most of us could point out where in the field in Pennsylvania the heroes of that flight perished. In that field, somewhere in Pennsylvania, there were the heroes who chose to stop an act of terrorism dead in its tracks. And I think every Member of Congress, when we do a tour of the Capitol, we walk into the Capitol, every Member of Congress should remember those heroes who perished in that field in Pennsylvania because, Mr. Speaker, we stand here today and we have the privilege of showing our constituents this structure to representative government, the Capitol.

We stand today probably because these heroes were willing to give it all to protect the Capitol of the United States. As far as I know, this was, we were the next one in line. And so, as we stand here today and recognizing the sacrifice, the heroism and the loss of

9/11, I think that we should remember every day that a Member of Congress or the President has the privilege of serving the public in this building, in this temple of representative government, that we ought to thank those heroes for preserving for us the right to be able to represent them here in this structure because without that heroism, not only would the structure not be here, but there's many of us that will vote on this resolution today who may not be here today if it wasn't for their heroism.

So I ask that we support this resolution. I ask that we remember what it's about and we remember that the only way to make sure it doesn't happen again is to take the time to do the right things, learn from the mistakes of 9/11 and make sure we don't forget the mistakes of 9/11 so that we never repeat the tragedy of 9/11.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 718) Recognizing September 11 as a ``National Day of Service and Remembrance''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As we take time today to remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001, let us also remember the great compassion that Americans showed each other following the attacks. They donated blood, searched through wreckage, and sat to comfort one another. The service of volunteers helped our country through their time of crisis, as it has so often during our history.

It is in their spirit that we observe the anniversary of the attacks by not only remembering those lost and injured on September 11, 2001, but by serving our fellow Americans in their honor. This is the proper tribute to those who served those in need on that day.

I am proud that we are taking time today to recognize these heroic volunteers. I would like to thank the leadership for allowing us to bring this bill to the floor today.

I would also like to thank the ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Mr. Issa of California, for his support of the bill. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), who really is responsible for us being here today. I want to thank her for her insight and, of course, making it possible for us to recognize people who really contributed so much on September 11.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to join my colleagues in saying that this was a day that I will never, never forget as I stood and I watched the second plane hit, and then I realized that this was a day that we would never, never forget. I also want to recognize those firefighters and those police officers and people who came from all over the Nation to help us at that time, and I mean New Yorkers. And of course, that's something that we cannot forget. People just packed up, came to help us clean up. And I've never seen people work together the way they worked during the crisis of September the 11.

So I think it's only fitting that we stop and we recognize the great work of those volunteers. And I want to thank Congresswoman Matsui, I want to thank Congressman Peter King for sponsoring this resolution.

I remember on that day a gentleman by the name of Al Walden, who worked here in the Congress, served in the Congress with us, who was a judge, and his office was in the building that caught on fire, the first building. And I recall standing out there talking to him as we were looking at the problem and the smoke coming from the building. And then as we heard the fire trucks and the volunteers running to help each other, and, of course, that's a day that I will never, never forget. I remember getting a call indicating that Fireman Glascoe, who was a very, very dear friend, was in the building, and that Officer Venable, I mean, I just can go down the list, calling the roll of all these people that lost their lives on that day.

But I can't help from thinking about the togetherness that came from this and how people said, let's do everything we can to assist the people in New York. So I want to thank people from all over this land for doing that.

I have no other speakers, and I reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have?

Let me just make the statement, then I will be prepared to yield back. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from California. I want to thank Peter King. I want to thank Congresswoman Matsui; I want to thank my colleague, of course, Congressman Engel, for his participation. And again I would like to urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing September 11 as an ideal opportunity for giving back to our Nation through service.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I want to commend Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa for bringing this bill to the floor. I want to thank Congresswoman Matsui for the tremendous work that she has done in leading the way on this legislation. I am proud to be a cosponsor of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my good friend from New York, Mr. Engel, and he really articulated the way all New Yorkers feel. September 11 will be a day that none of us will ever forget. It is a day that will just be embedded into us because of the terrible horror, the tragedy, all that occurred on that day, but also because of the tremendous valor, the tremendous dedication, and the tremendous sense of courage which was also demonstrated on that day.

I lost probably 150 constituents, friends, neighbors that day, and that is just all throughout downstate New York. Almost every Member of Congress can say the same thing about the large numbers of deaths in their districts and their friends, their neighbors who were murdered that day.

So it is really important, as we go forward, that September 11 never just be a day, never just be a holiday, never just be a day where maybe some people get off and some don't or a day that you use to go shopping. It should be a day where we find a way to remind ourselves of the sacrifice of that day, of the police officers and the firefighters and the EMTs and construction workers who actually ran into the burning towers and suffered those incalculable deaths, 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, a number of EMTs, a number of construction workers, all of whom were killed rescuing people that day.

Mr. Speaker, just as a historical note, this legislation initiated from an organization called MyGoodDeed, and this organization, one of the founders was Jay Winuk. His brother Glenn was a constituent of mine.

Glenn was actually working in Lower Manhattan that day as a lawyer, but he was also a volunteer firefighter. After he evacuated his own building, he ran into the World Trade Center and was killed. Just this past week, he was finally awarded the 9/11 Medal of Valor. But the Winuk family, in honor of Glenn, who really personified September 11 in that he was one of both a civilian and a firefighter, who in both capacities performed so brilliantly that day, his family was the starter of this organization, which was the genesis of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, also, for instance, tomorrow, throughout my district, there will be various types of services being carried out. For instance, in my own office, we have a blood drive which is run by my assistant, Patricia Gartland, who will have people lined up from morning to night giving blood in honor of those killed on September 11.

In my own school district, the Seaford School District, there will be a large commemoration, and the coordinator, Ken Haskell, is a firefighter who lost two brothers on September 11. He is coordinating an effort where the students will show the good works that they did in honor of those who died on September 11.

So, Mr. Speaker, this is a day which, again, as tragic as it was, as horrible as it was, it is also a day from which tremendous good came from that. So let's go forward. Let's adopt this legislation in the spirit of what happened on September 11, both in memory of those who were murdered and in honor of those who gave their lives, and in honor of those who in the days afterwards, as Congressman Engel said, not just from New York but from all over the country, came to Lower Manhattan, came to the World Trade Center, came to the Pentagon, went to Pennsylvania to try to do what they could to help those and to take part in the rescue operation and recovery operation and really showed the unity of the Nation, maybe as never before.

With that, again, I thank the chairman, I thank the ranking member, I certainly thank Congresswoman Matsui, and I urge the adoption of the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.

I have to say that I am rather struck as I listened to my California colleagues, Ms. Matsui and Mr. Bilbray. We have had three New Yorkers and now three Californians who have stood here to recognize the significance of what, unfortunately, is one of the most tragic days in the 220-year history of the United States of America.

All of the remarks have been extraordinarily thoughtful. They have focused on why it is that we are here, and it is to remember those thousands of lives that were lost. But, as was said by Mr. Engel, Mr. Towns and Mr. King as well, and Ms. Matsui and, I know, Mr. Bilbray, the good that has come from one of the most tragic days in our Nation's history is that we saw a solidarity, the likes of which we have not seen in a long period of time, and we saw so many great things done by courageous people.

Now, we've heard about the New Yorkers, and no one sacrificed more than New Yorkers as we, for literally months, watched the cleanup take place at the World Trade Center. But I'm reminded of the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Department in Southern California. It was so moved they came together and provided a fire truck to the New York City Police Department. And when we've had three New Yorkers and three Californians, I know that we speak for everyone across this country when we underscore how important it is to recognize this, one of the most tragic days in our Nation's history.

Now, there are other things that have come from this. And as I look at my friend, Mr. King, I'm reminded that he is the former chairman, now the ranking member, of the Committee on Homeland Security that was established in the aftermath of September 11. And as we sit here, prepared to mark the eighth anniversary, I think it's important to note that another good thing has emerged.

That good thing is the fact that while most predicted that within a matter of months, and certainly years, we would have another terrorist attack on U.S. soil, it's due to the work of Peter King and lots of other people in this institution, in the executive branch and around the country that have ensured that we have not to this point, and we hope and pray that this vigilance will continue and that we will never have an attack like we saw on September 11 of 2001.

And we also need to use this resolution, Mr. Speaker, to remind ourselves that we still live in a very, very dangerous world. There are people who would like to do us in. We know that. We find it out on a daily basis, and we see it in tragic terrorist attacks that take place in other parts of the globe.

And so I join, Mr. Speaker, with my colleagues in strong support of the effort that Ms. Matsui and Mr. King and others have put together on this resolution in hopes that this will be a learning experience, just, as Mr. Engel mentioned, as December 7, 1941, was a date for past generations. We all remember the history of December 7, 1941; and, similarly, we hope that this resolution will ensure that future generations will never forget what happened on September 11, 2001.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 718, which recognizes September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. On April 21 of this year, with Senator Ted Kennedy standing by his side, President Obama signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. This landmark legislation makes historical investments in both national and community service programs and helps to facilitate the extraordinary interest in volunteerism we are seeing throughout the country and in my hometown of Sacramento certainly, too.

The Serve America Act also designates September 11 of every year as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This year, and with this resolution, we are recognizing the observance of the first-ever federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance.

This bipartisan resolution calls upon all Americans to engage in community service and contribute to local projects in their neighborhood on September 11 in tribute to those who selflessly served their communities during the attacks on that day, as was mentioned by our New Yorkers here and people throughout the country.

On that day and the days following, first responders, rescue and recovery workers and perfect strangers came together to help those in need. Their sense of patriotism and service truly made our Nation great. This year we will honor them not only by remembering their heroism, but by recommitting ourselves to bettering our communities and our country.

This Friday, we will join with Americans across the country and give back to our communities by volunteering to

build houses, participate in literacy programs, lead neighborhood cleanups, collect food and clothing for the coming winter, and really much, much more. As a result, extraordinary things will be happening all through this country. The service events taking place will help address some of our Nation's toughest problems, from poverty and unmet education needs to preparing for natural disasters.

As co-Chair of the National Service Caucus, it is a pleasure to call attention to the tremendous work of volunteers participating in the first-ever National Day of Service and Remembrance and to partner with my colleague Peter King of New York on this legislation.

I also want to thank MyGoodDeed.org, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the families of 9/11 who helped make this a reality and for promoting volunteerism and service in every corner of our county.

I am really proud that this body has come together and has been a leader in recognizing the importance of volunteerism and community service. Please join me in honoring this spirit of service by voting in support of this resolution.