To designate the September 11th National Memorial Trail Route, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend, Congresswoman Dingell, for her support, and the distinguished ranking member, the Republican manager, for his support.

In a troubled time, when we seem like we can't get together, here is an opportunity to come together, as we did 20 years ago on September 11.

I rise in support of H.R. 2278, designating the September 11th National Memorial Trail Route, a 1,300-mile system of trails and roadways that connect all three sites attacked on September 11, 2001: The World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon here in Washington, D.C., and the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

As our Nation prepares for the 20th anniversary of September 11, we have an opportunity to create a lasting legacy connecting all three sites.

The trail provides trail-goers with a chance to reflect and learn about our Nation's resilience and perseverance following that dreadful day.

In addition to the three 9/11 memorials anchoring this route, travelers can learn about our founding with stops at Valley Forge National Historical Park and Independence Hall in Philadelphia or visit the Antietam National Battlefield or the Gettysburg National Military Park to remember some of the other darkest days in our Nation's history.

This trail route connects travelers with these points in our history and majestic landscapes, while driving further tourism and recreation along its route.

It starts at the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington and extends northwest to the Shanksville site in Pennsylvania. It continues east to New York City's National September 11 Memorial & Museum. It then heads south, following the East Coast Greenway, connecting to the Garden of Reflection 9/11 Memorial. It then connects to the National Mall here in Washington, D.C., and ultimately returns to the Pentagon Memorial, remembering that dreadful incident at the Pentagon that cost so many lives.

It extends through six States and the District of Columbia. It is a multiuse trail, with more than 50 percent of the route off road. The idea for the trail was born in the wake of September 11 at the Mid- Atlantic Governors Conference on Greenways, Blueways, and Green Infrastructure.

Conference chair and then-director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, David Brickley, presented the vision for a trail route connecting the Pentagon and the site of Flight 93 and the Twin Towers in New York City. David founded the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance in the following year to develop the September 11th National Memorial Trail.

This route would be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in consultation with the affected landowners but would not be considered as a unit of the National Park System or as part of the National Trail System.

The Secretary would be authorized to produce and disseminate educational materials and create an official symbol or trail marker to mark the trail routes.

The bill authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements with and provide technical and financial assistance to other Federal agencies, States, localities, and private entities, as may be required.

Designating the September 11th National Memorial Trail route will serve as a natural embodiment of our pledge to never forget the heroes and the victims of that terrible day.

It honors the memories of nearly 3,000 family members and loved ones we lost on that day, and it is a tribute to the bravery of the heroes that responded.

When I was a local board of supervisors member, I was in a fire station, Fire Station 30, and I saw firsthand those first responders who went to the Pentagon to try to save lives, putting their own lives at risk.

Mr. Speaker, I hope this bill gives anyone touched by the tragedy of 9/11 an opportunity for reflection, comfort, and healing. It is also a moment for us to come together once again to remember the heroes and the victims of that day, to honor them, and to come together as Republicans and Democrats in that pursuit.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2278) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to designate the September 11th National Memorial Trail, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2278, introduced by Representative Gerry Connolly, would designate the September 11th National Memorial Trail Route to honor the family members and loved ones who were victims of that day's attack, as well as the heroes of September 11.

The route will consist of a series of trails and roadways linking the three

sites of the September 11 attack: the World Trade Center in New York; the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; and the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

As we approach the 20th anniversary of this horrific act of terrorism, this bill would honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 Americans who lost their lives and would serve as a lasting reminder of the heroism and perseverance of our Nation's first responders.

I thank Representative Connolly for introducing this important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), the author of this important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, this year, as the gentlewoman pointed out, marks the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11. While almost two decades have passed since that tragic day, we will never forget the thousands of innocent people who lost their lives and the brave first responders who put their lives on the line in our country's time of need.

Memorials have been established nationwide to honor the victims and first responders who were killed in the attacks, including the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Virginia, the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York.

H.R. 2278, offered by Congressman Connolly, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to designate a memorial trail, approximately 1,300 miles in length, to link the three existing September 11 memorials in Virginia, New York, and Pennsylvania. The tour route will intersect Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and will be administered by the National Park Service.

This bill will help preserve the memory of the 2,977 innocent people who lost their lives on 9/11 and ensure that we never forget the horrors of that fateful day. I hope it also serves as some solace to the families of the victims, who can use this trail to remember and honor their lost loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, my community in southeastern Pennsylvania was deeply impacted by the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001.

Members of our community were among the flight crews and passengers

on the hijacked planes, others worked at the World Trade Center or Pentagon that day and were killed or had to flee for their lives. Airplanes headed to Philadelphia were diverted to Canada, and the high- rise offices were evacuated with bomb threats. Located between New York, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, our area keenly felt like the geographic center of the three airplane attacks.

I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 2278, which authorizes the National Park Service to designate the September 11 National Memorial Trail route linking the Memorial and Museum in New York to the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County. The 9/11 Memorial Trail will allow us all not to just engage with the tragedy of that terrorist attack, but also to heal from it.

In Pennsylvania's Fifth District, the Memorial Trail will link parts of the Schuylkill River Trail, Kingsessing, the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, and move on through Delaware County.

This bill passed the House with great bipartisan support, and I urge the Senate to take it up before the 20th anniversary of September 11.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2278, which is at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.