Moment of Silence for the Victims and Families of the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks

Floor Speech

MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE VICTIMS AND FAMILIES OF THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, TERRORIST ATTACKS -- (Senate - September 11, 2008)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, we just commemorated a moment of silence for those who were lost on 9/11. Of course, for the husbands and wives, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers and friends, that moment of silence, in a sense, lasts every day, every moment.

In New York, of course, we lost close to 3,000 people. Some people I knew--a person I played basketball with in high school; a firefighter I was close to and worked with to encourage people to donate blood; a business man who helped me on the way up; the range of people who were lost in every walk of life, every ethnic group, every profession, in every way of thinking. The enormity still, 7 years later, is hard to have it sink in. Furthermore, when one thinks of just the uselessness of this tragedy, it is even more confounding.

There are many things to say in the advent of 9/11 that would be relevant on this floor, but today is not the day for that. Today we just think and remember and try to do everything we can to give solace to those we know who mourn and will mourn for the rest of their lives the senselessness of this tragedy that took loved ones from them.

So I just wish to say to those who do walk around with holes in their hearts as a result of 9/11: We will never forget.

I yield the floor.

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