September 11th National Memorial Trail Route

Floor Speech

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.
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