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Relating to the Terrorist Attacks Against the United States on September 11, 2001

Date: Sept. 8, 2005
Location: Washington DC
Issues: National Security


RELATING TO THE TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 -- (House of Representatives - September 08, 2005)

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Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago, our Nation suffered the worst attack in our history, and Americans were forever transformed. What happened on September 11 was not simply an attack against America, it was an assault on our democracy. In the immediate aftermath, we saw Americans overcome grief and devastation to demonstrate that the values that unite us are greater and more enduring than anything that divides us.

That is what we do again today. This week, we come together in the spirit of unity and accord to memorialize the people lost and the families shattered on 9/11, in public ceremonies and private remembrances. I hope that it offers a small sense of comfort to those who lost loved ones and those who were injured in the attacks, that so many people in our country and throughout the world remember their loss and their suffering and continue to pray for them.

But the best memorial we can offer to the victims of 9/11 is not words, but deeds. We must bring a laser-like focus to our responsibility to make America safer. The threat that we did not recognize clearly enough 4 years ago confronts us still. The need to be prepared, as Hurricane Katrina so clearly showed, is one of our most critical responsibilities.

Four years after the attacks, Americans have to ask: has enough progress been made? The answer, sadly, is no. Security at our ports, on commercial airliners, on our transit systems, and along our borders has not been a priority. Our first responders still do not have the ability to communicate quickly and effectively.

September 11 is hallowed ground, and the actions of this Congress must be guided by that recognition. Our debates, our votes, our laws, must be worthy of the sacrifice that was made on that day. And so, in the name of the victims, we pledge again today: united as a country, we will seek to keep alive the indomitable American spirit that was displayed on September 11, and keep Americans safe from harm.

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