Commemorative Joint Meeting of the Congress of the United States
In Remembrance of the Victims and
Heroes of September 11, 2001
Commemorative Joint Meeting of the Congress of the United States in
Federal Hall, New York, NY
Friday, September 6, 2002
The SPEAKER. The special ceremonial meeting will be in order.
The invocation will be given by the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin,
Chaplain of the House of Representatives.
The Chaplain of the House of Representatives, the Reverend Daniel P.
Coughlin, offered the following invocation:
Lord God, this is a day of history. Bless this exceptional joint
meeting of the 107th Congress which commemorates the tragic events that
occurred here last September 11. The gaping hole left in this city tore
into the fabric of this Nation, but there was no greater suffering than
in New York.
Once again, we commend to Your loving mercy, the victims, survivors,
and their families. We also honor those public servants and ordinary
citizens who joined professionals in healing wounds and rebuilding lives
in this proud city of life and diversity.
Gathered in this historic place, You alone can renew us as You have
in the past. May the vision of the Founding Fathers come alive again in
this body politic to preserve the balance of power and assure the
freedom of the law-abiding people of this Nation.
The Bible here, used by George Washington when sworn in as
President, speaks to Your consoling word: ``I am with you.''
Lord God, today is Rosh Hashanah. The traditional Jewish New Year
prayer is for a good and sweet year. Many things You send us, Lord, are
good, but they may hurt or are hurried. So with our Jewish brothers and
sisters we pray today not only for a year of good things, but a year of
sweetness, a chance to relish the blessings of the world and the
freedoms You give us, and to enjoy the sweet kindness and love of one
another.
May this be a good year for all Americans of all faiths,
backgrounds, and traditions. We pray for a good year for America and for
the world.
Amen.
Pledge of Allegiance
The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the Honorable Jerrold Nadler,
Representative from New York, and the Honorable Harry Reid, Senator from
Nevada, to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag.
Mr. Nadler and Senator Reid led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows:
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United
States of America, and to the Republic for which
it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all.
The SPEAKER. Our national anthem will now be sung by LaChanze.
The national anthem was sung by LaChanze.
The SPEAKER. My colleagues, we are here in Federal Hall in New York,
NY, pursuant to H. Con. Res. 448 of the 107th Congress to conduct a
special ceremonial meeting in remembrance of the victims and the heroes
of September 11, 2001, and in recognition of the courage and the spirit
of the City of New York.
When representatives of the New York delegation introduced in the
House and the Senate in 2001 concurrent resolutions that suggested the
Congress convene outside the seat of government to symbolize the
Nation's solidarity with New Yorkers who epitomize the human spirit of
courage, resilience and strength, my initial reaction of support was
tempered by the realization that under article 1, section 5, clause 4 of
the Constitution, ``Neither House shall, without the consent of the
other, adjourn to any other place than that in which the two houses
shall be sitting.''
There is no precedent for the convening of an actual session of
Congress outside the seat of government, but on one special occasion the
Congress engaged in ceremonial functions outside the seat of government.
Members of both houses traveled to Philadelphia on July 16, 1987, for
organized festivities surrounding the bicentennial anniversary of the
Constitution pursuant to a similar concurrent resolution.
On the strength of the precedent of the uniquely historical and
national significance of that occasion, it is appropriate to dedicate
another ceremonial gathering to a matter of transcendent importance at
another place of basic institutional relevance to the Congress.
Thus, we are gathered in Federal Hall where the First Congress met
in 1789 before moving the third session of that Congress to Congress
Hall in Philadelphia, PA, in 1790.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are, therefore, meeting here under that
precedent.
The Chair recognizes the Honorable Richard B. Cheney, the Vice
President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate.
Vice President CHENEY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Each time Congress
meets, we are mindful of the great charge that we have all been given as
public servants. Assembled today in Federal Hall we are reminded of the
ones who served before us and those who served first. It is a humbling
experience to stand on the site where the First Congress met, where the
first President was sworn in, where the Bill of Rights was introduced.
Every Member of the House and Senate and every citizen of this
country can draw a straight line from the events in Federal Hall to the
life we all know today. When Congress convened here, America was a
Nation of scarcely 4 million souls. The tallest structure in the city
was Trinity Church, which still stands at the corner of Broadway and
Wall Street.
The roll call of that First Congress included signers of the
Declaration of Independence and men who marched in George Washington's
army. Two gentlemen from Virginia still in their 30s served in that
Congress. Their names were Madison and Monroe. All the Members knew that
great responsibilities had come to them.
As Vice President John Adams observed, ``A trust of the greatest
magnitude is committed to this legislature and the eyes of the world are
upon you.''
In their actions, the Members of the First Congress met that test.
And although this city was the Nation's Capital for only a short time,
from those early days, the eyes of the world have continued to be on New
York. One year ago, this great center of history, enterprise, and
creativity suffered the gravest of cruelties and showed itself to be a
place of valor and generosity and grace. Here, where so many innocent
lives were suddenly taken, the world saw acts of kindness and heroism
that will be remembered forever.
When President Bush introduced Mayor Giuliani and Governor Pataki at
the joint session last September, it was, said one New Yorker, as if the
Members of Congress had recognized that these two men had come directly
off the battlefield.
Today, Congress gathers near that battlefield to honor the character
and the courage shown in New York these last 360 days, and to remember
every innocent life taken in the attacks of September 11. Since the hour
of those attacks, we have been a Nation at war called once again to
defend our liberty and our lives and to save humanity from the worst of
wars. As a Nation born in revolution, we know that our freedom came at a
very high price. We have no intention now of letting it slip away.
The Members of the First Congress shaped events long into the
future. The same is now asked of us. In the principles we stand for, the
values we uphold, and the decisions we make we will set the course of
this Nation and with it the future of human freedom and the peace of the
world.
It is not given to us to know every turn of events to come. We know,
however, that we are the elected servants of a good, a just, and a
decent people. May we always act in that spirit, confident in our
founding principles, clear in our purposes, choosing wisely and bowing
only to divine providence.
The SPEAKER. The Clerk of the House of Representatives has laid upon
the desk the list of representatives in attendance.
Vice President CHENEY. The Secretary of the Senate has laid upon the
desk the list of Senators in attendance.
U.S. House of Representatives Member, Delegate, and Resident
Commissioner attendance is as follows:
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in Attendance
The Honorable Anibal Acevedo-Vila
The Honorable Gary L. Ackerman
The Honorable Robert B. Aderholt
The Honorable W. Todd Akin
The Honorable Thomas H. Allen
The Honorable Robert E. Andrews
The Honorable Richard K. Armey
The Honorable Spencer Bachus
The Honorable John Elias Baldacci
The Honorable Tammy Baldwin
The Honorable Charles F. Bass
The Honorable Ken Bentsen
The Honorable Marion Berry
The Honorable Judy Biggert
The Honorable Rod R. Blagojevich
The Honorable Roy Blunt
The Honorable Sherwood L. Boehlert
The Honorable John A. Boehner
The Honorable Henry Bonilla
The Honorable David E. Bonior
The Honorable John Boozman
The Honorable Robert A. Borski
The Honorable Leonard L. Boswell
The Honorable Kevin Brady
The Honorable Henry E. Brown, Jr.
The Honorable Richard Burr
The Honorable Dan Burton
The Honorable Ken Calvert
The Honorable Shelley Moore Capito
The Honorable Michael E. Capuano
The Honorable Brad Carson
The Honorable Michael N. Castle
The Honorable Steve Chabot
The Honorable Saxby Chambliss
The Honorable Donna M. Christensen
The Honorable Eva M. Clayton
The Honorable Mac Collins
The Honorable John Conyers, Jr.
The Honorable John Cooksey
The Honorable Jerry F. Costello
The Honorable Christopher Cox
The Honorable Philip M. Crane
The Honorable Joseph Crowley
The Honorable John Abney Culberson
The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings
The Honorable Jim Davis
The Honorable Jo Ann Davis
The Honorable Susan A. Davis
The Honorable Tom Davis
The Honorable Diana DeGette
The Honorable Rosa L. DeLauro
The Honorable Lincoln Diaz-Balart
The Honorable John T. Doolittle
The Honorable David Dreier
The Honorable John J. Duncan, Jr.
The Honorable Jennifer Dunn
The Honorable Chet Edwards
The Honorable Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
The Honorable Jo Ann Emerson
The Honorable Eliot L. Engel
The Honorable Phil English
The Honorable Anna G. Eshoo
The Honorable Bob Etheridge
The Honorable Lane Evans
The Honorable Sam Farr
The Honorable Mike Ferguson
The Honorable Mark Foley
The Honorable J. Randy Forbes
The Honorable Harold E. Ford, Jr.
The Honorable Vito Fossella
The Honorable Rodney P. Frelinghuysen
The Honorable Martin Frost
The Honorable Richard A. Gephardt
The Honorable Jim Gibbons
The Honorable Wayne T. Gilchrest
The Honorable Benjamin A. Gilman
The Honorable Bob Goodlatte
The Honorable Lindsey O. Graham
The Honorable Sam Graves
The Honorable Gene Green
The Honorable Mark Green
The Honorable James C. Greenwood
The Honorable Felix J. Grucci, Jr.
The Honorable Gil Gutknecht
The Honorable Tony P. Hall
The Honorable James V. Hansen
The Honorable Jane Harman
The Honorable Melissa A. Hart
The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
The Honorable Alcee L. Hastings
The Honorable Robin Hayes
The Honorable J.D. Hayworth
The Honorable Wally Herger
The Honorable Baron P. Hill
The Honorable Earl F. Hilliard
The Honorable Maurice D. Hinchey
The Honorable David L. Hobson
The Honorable Joseph M. Hoeffel
The Honorable Rush D. Holt
The Honorable Darlene Hooley
The Honorable Stephen Horn
The Honorable Amo Houghton
The Honorable Steny H. Hoyer
The Honorable Kenny C. Hulshof
The Honorable Jay Inslee
The Honorable Johnny Isakson
The Honorable Steve Israel
The Honorable Darrell E. Issa
The Honorable Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.
The Honorable Sheila Jackson-Lee
The Honorable Christopher John
The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson
The Honorable Nancy L. Johnson
The Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones
The Honorable Paul E. Kanjorski
The Honorable Marcy Kaptur
The Honorable Ric Keller
The Honorable Sue W. Kelly
The Honorable Mark R. Kennedy
The Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy
The Honorable Peter T. King
The Honorable Jack Kingston
The Honorable Mark Steven Kirk
The Honorable Dennis J. Kucinich
The Honorable Ray LaHood
The Honorable Nick Lampson
The Honorable James R. Langevin
The Honorable Rick Larsen
The Honorable John B. Larson
The Honorable Tom Latham
The Honorable Steven C. LaTourette
The Honorable James A. Leach
The Honorable Barbara Lee
The Honorable Sander M. Levin
The Honorable Jerry Lewis
The Honorable John Lewis
The Honorable Ron Lewis
The Honorable Frank A. LoBiondo
The Honorable Nita M. Lowey
The Honorable Frank D. Lucas
The Honorable Ken Lucas
The Honorable Bill Luther
The Honorable Stephen F. Lynch
The Honorable Carolyn McCarthy
The Honorable Karen McCarthy
The Honorable James P. McGovern
The Honorable John M. McHugh
The Honorable Scott McInnis
The Honorable Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon
The Honorable Michael R. McNulty
The Honorable Carolyn B. Maloney
The Honorable James H. Maloney
The Honorable Jim Matheson
The Honorable Martin T. Meehan
The Honorable Carrie P. Meek
The Honorable Gregory W. Meeks
The Honorable Robert Menendez
The Honorable John L. Mica
The Honorable Juanita Millender-McDonald
The Honorable Dan Miller
The Honorable Jeff Miller
The Honorable Dennis Moore
The Honorable James P. Moran
The Honorable Constance A. Morella
The Honorable Sue Wilkins Myrick
The Honorable Jerrold Nadler
The Honorable Grace F. Napolitano
The Honorable Richard E. Neal
The Honorable George R. Nethercutt, Jr.
The Honorable Robert W. Ney
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton
The Honorable Charlie Norwood
The Honorable James L. Oberstar
The Honorable John W. Olver
The Honorable Major R. Owens
The Honorable Michael G. Oxley
The Honorable Bill Pascrell, Jr.
The Honorable Donald M. Payne
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
The Honorable Mike Pence
The Honorable John E. Peterson
The Honorable Thomas E. Petri
The Honorable David D. Phelps
The Honorable Joseph R. Pitts
The Honorable Todd Russell Platts
The Honorable Richard W. Pombo
The Honorable Earl Pomeroy
The Honorable Rob Portman
The Honorable David E. Price
The Honorable Deborah Pryce
The Honorable Adam H. Putnam
The Honorable Jack Quinn
The Honorable Jim Ramstad
The Honorable Charles B. Rangel
The Honorable Thomas M. Reynolds
The Honorable Bob Riley
The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
The Honorable Mike Ross
The Honorable Steven R. Rothman
The Honorable Edward R. Royce
The Honorable Paul Ryan
The Honorable Jim Ryun
The Honorable Loretta Sanchez
The Honorable Bernard Sanders
The Honorable Jim Saxton
The Honorable Bob Schaffer
The Honorable Adam B. Schiff
The Honorable Robert C. Scott
The Honorable Jose E. Serrano
The Honorable Pete Sessions
The Honorable E. Clay Shaw, Jr.
The Honorable Christopher Shays
The Honorable Don Sherwood
The Honorable John Shimkus
The Honorable Bill Shuster
The Honorable Rob Simmons
The Honorable Nick Smith
The Honorable Vic Snyder
The Honorable John M. Spratt, Jr.
The Honorable Cliff Stearns
The Honorable Ted Strickland
The Honorable John Sullivan
The Honorable John E. Sununu
The Honorable John E. Sweeney
The Honorable Thomas G. Tancredo
The Honorable Ellen O. Tauscher
The Honorable John R. Thune
The Honorable Todd Tiahrt
The Honorable Patrick J. Tiberi
The Honorable John F. Tierney
The Honorable Patrick J. Toomey
The Honorable Edolphus Towns
The Honorable Jim Turner
The Honorable Fred Upton
The Honorable Nydia M. Velazquez
The Honorable David Vitter
The Honorable Greg Walden
The Honorable James T. Walsh
The Honorable Zach Wamp
The Honorable Maxine Waters
The Honorable Wes Watkins
The Honorable Diane E. Watson
The Honorable Melvin L. Watt
The Honorable J.C. Watts, Jr.
The Honorable Anthony D. Weiner
The Honorable Curt Weldon
The Honorable Dave Weldon
The Honorable Ed Whitfield
The Honorable Roger F. Wicker
The Honorable Joe Wilson
The Honorable Lynn C. Woolsey
The Honorable David Wu
The Honorable C.W. Bill Young
U.S. Senate Member attendance is as follows:
Members of the U.S. Senate in Attendance
The Honorable George Allen
The Honorable Max Baucus
The Honorable Robert F. Bennett
The Honorable John B. Breaux
The Honorable Sam Brownback
The Honorable Maria Cantwell
The Honorable Jean Carnahan
The Honorable Lincoln D. Chafee
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
The Honorable Susan M. Collins
The Honorable Jon S. Corzine
The Honorable Tom Daschle
The Honorable Mike DeWine
The Honorable Christopher J. Dodd
The Honorable Russell D. Feingold
The Honorable Bill Frist
The Honorable Bob Graham
The Honorable Judd Gregg
The Honorable James M. Jeffords
The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy
The Honorable John F. Kerry
The Honorable Mary L. Landrieu
The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy
The Honorable Carl Levin
The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman
The Honorable Trent Lott
The Honorable John McCain
The Honorable Barbara A. Mikulski
The Honorable Frank H. Murkowski
The Honorable Bill Nelson
The Honorable Don Nickles
The Honorable Jack Reed
The Honorable Harry Reid
The Honorable John D. Rockefeller IV
The Honorable Paul S. Sarbanes
The Honorable Charles E. Schumer
The Honorable Richard C. Shelby
The Honorable Gordon Smith
The Honorable Olympia J. Snowe
The Honorable Arlen Specter
The Honorable Debbie Stabenow
The Honorable Craig Thomas
The Honorable Fred Thompson
The Honorable George V. Voinovich
The Honorable John W. Warner
The Honorable Paul Wellstone
The Honorable Ron Wyden
The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the Honorable Benjamin Gilman and
the Honorable Charles Rangel, Representatives from New York, and the
Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Honorable Charles Schumer,
Senators from New York, in a reading and presentation of H. Con. Res.
448.
Reading and Presentation of H. Con. Res. 448
Representative RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, leaders of
the House and the Senate, on behalf of Ben Gilman, Senator Schumer and
Senator Clinton, and the entire New York congressional delegation, we
would like to thank you for your support of this resolution that gives
us in New York an opportunity to say thank you for the way you responded
to the attack on our city and our State.
You give our mayor and our Governor an opportunity to be here on
this historic event to say you did not treat us like New Yorkers, you
treated us like Americans.
The text of the concurrent resolution was read as follows:
Representative RANGEL. ``Whereas on September the 11, 2001,
thousands of innocent people were killed and injured in a combined
terrorist attack involving four hijacked aircraft, the World Trade
Center, and the Pentagon;
``Whereas in the aftermath of the attacks, thousands more were left
grieving for beloved family and friends, livelihoods were compromised,
and businesses and property were damaged and lost;''
Representative GILMAN. ``Whereas the greatest loss of life, personal
injury, and physical destruction occurred in and was sustained by the
City of New York;
``Whereas Government and the American people responded decisively
through the bravery, sacrifice and toil of the fire and rescue workers,
law enforcement, building trades, caregivers, Armed Forces, and millions
more who through their many expressions of care and compassion brought
forth comfort, hope, and the promise of recovery;''
Senator CLINTON. ``Whereas the City of New York attended to the
aftermath of the destruction of the World Trade Center with profound
respect for the victims and compassion to the survivors; and
``Whereas the City of New York has invited the Congress to meet at
the site of the original Federal Hall, where the First Congress of the
United States convened on March 4, 1789: Now, therefore, be it''
Senator SCHUMER. ``Resolved by the House of Representatives (the
Senate concurring), That, in remembrance of the victims and the heroes
of September 11, 2001, and in recognition of the courage and spirit of
the City of New York, the Congress shall conduct a special meeting in
Federal Hall, New York, New York, on September 6, 2002.
Passed by the House of Representatives, July 25, 2002.
Passed by the Senate, July 26, 2002.''
The SPEAKER. Without objection, the Members present, on behalf of
themselves and the Congress of the United States, do hereby affirm the
aforesaid concurrent resolution.
Would Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki please come forward and
accept the concurrent resolution.
Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki of New York accepted the
concurrent resolution.
The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes the Honorable Vito Fossella,
Representative from New York, and the Honorable Susan Collins, Senator
from Maine, in a reading and presentation of the commemorative plaque.
Reading and Presentation of Commemorative Plaque
Senator COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, on behalf of the
U.S. Congress, we present this commemorative plaque to Director Mainella
for her stewardship of our Nation's treasures, especially this building,
Federal Hall.
The plaque is inscribed as follows:
``Commemorative Joint Meeting of the Congress of the United States
of America in Federal Hall, New York, New York, this Sixth Day of
September, Two Thousand and Two.''
Representative FOSSELLA. ``Convened in remembrance of the victims
and heroes of September 11, 2001, and in recognition of the courage and
spirit of the City of New York.
``This gift to Federal Hall from the Congress of the United States
of America was made from a section of Aquia Creek, VA, sandstone and
used as an original building material of the United States Capitol. It
was removed on the East Central Front extension in 1958.''
The SPEAKER. Director Mainella, please come forward and accept the
commemorative plaque.
Director Mainella accepted the commemorative plaque.
The SPEAKER. Billy Collins, Poet Laureate of the United States of
America, will now read a poem written for this occasion entitled ``The
Names.''
Reading of ``The Names'' by Billy Collins, Poet Laureate of the United
States
Mr. COLLINS. This poem is dedicated to the victims of September 11,
and to their survivors.
``The Names''
Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night.
A fine rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze,
And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows,
I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,
Then Baxter and Calabro,
Davis and Eberling, names falling into place
As droplets fell through the dark.
Names printed on the ceiling of the night.
Names slipping around a water bend.
Twenty-six willows on the banks of a stream.
In the morning, I walked out barefoot
Among thousands of flowers
Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears,
And each had a name--
Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal
Then Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and Jenkins.
Names written in the air
And stitched into the cloth of the day.
A name under a photograph taped to a mailbox.
Monogram on a torn shirt.
I see you spelled out on storefront windows
And on the bright unfurled awnings of this city,
I say the syllables as I turn a corner--
Kelly and Lee,
Medina, Nardella, and O'Connor.
When I peer into the woods,
I see a thick tangle where letters are hidden
As in a puzzle concocted for children.
Parker and Quigley in the twigs of an ash,
Rizzo, Schubert, Torres, and Upton.
Secrets in the boughs of an ancient maple.
Names written in the pale sky.
Names rising in the updraft amid buildings.
Names silent in stone
Or cried out behind a door.
Names blown over the Earth and out to sea.
In the evenings--weakening light, the last
swallows.
A boy on a lake lifts his oars.
A woman by a window puts a match to a candle,
And the names are outlined on the rose clouds--
Vanacore and Wallace,
(let X stand, if it can, for the ones unfound)
Then Young and Ziminsky, the final jolt of Z.
Names etched on the head of a pin.
One name spanning a bridge, another undergoing a
tunnel.
A blue name needled into the skin.
Names of citizens, workers, mothers and fathers,
The bright-eyed daughter, the quick son.
Alphabet of names in green rows in a field.
Names in the small tracks of birds.
Names lifted from a hat
Or balanced on the tip of the tongue.
Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory.
So many names, there is barely room on the walls
of the heart.
The SPEAKER. The Chair now recognizes the Honorable Richard
Gephardt, Representative from Missouri and Democratic Leader of the U.S.
House of Representatives.
Representative GEPHARDT. Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, and my
fellow colleagues of the U.S. Congress, today we speak of the
unspeakable, we remember the unimaginable, and we reaffirm our utmost
resolve to defend the birthright of this land and our gift outright to
this world: Ideals of liberty and tolerance that will never die.
Today, we say to the families who look to this September 11 and know
that they will know the pain of their piercing loss all over again, we
are with you as one, as the family of America. We pray that, for you,
memory will bring hope as well as tears.
We have faith that love outlasts life, and you prove it every day as
you carry on the dream of a lost husband or a wife, for the child that
was both of yours and, in the truest sense, always will be.
We think of those last calls on cell phones from a doomed building
or plane. Those last goodbyes. Yet the life of a good person is like a
wellspring that does not run dry. Nothing reminds us more powerfully of
that than the rescuers of September 11, so many of them taken too, who
rescued our national spirit and, amid the smoke and the darkness at
noon, sent a flickering light that became a shining beacon for America.
So we have wept together, we have prayed together, given to each
other, and stood side by side since September 11 in common humanity and
national purpose. The sorrow has been matched by strength. America is on
a mission. Not retribution or revenge, not just to defeat terrorism, but
to show once again that good can triumph over evil and freedom can
overcome fanaticism, as we did in different forums in a global arena
twice before in the past century.
Some say that September 11, 2001, is another date that will live in
infamy. Surely that is true, but it is also true that we have never
known an assault like this, not just on our Armed Forces, but on our
people. Not just on our buildings and our possessions, or even on the
principles that we profess, but on the very foundation of this open,
diverse, democratic society.
We have grown accustomed, too accustomed, to war and slaughter in
our world. But most always it was ``over there.'' One place it came
before in the heartland was the homegrown terrorism that struck in
Oklahoma City. Today, our caring and thoughts are there as well. And
they are a half a world away with the young Americans who are on the
front lines of freedom from fear.
For all our differences, how remarkably one we are all today. From
Ground Zero to a sacred field in Pennsylvania, to a shattered but now
rebuilt wing of the Pentagon, and all across this broad land. On the
fatal flights of September 11, courage and resistance knew no bounds of
party or race or status. They included a young father, a conservative
columnist, and a gay man.
E Pluribus Unum.
So while we discuss and debate the next decisions, on the
fundamental issue let there be no doubt. In this great and faithful
struggle there are no Republicans, there are no Democrats, there are
only Americans. None of us, no matter how long we live or what else
marks our time, will ever forget September 11. And all of us, in the
name of those who were lost for a concept of liberty that must never be
lost, and in the cause of civilization itself, are as determined as an
earlier generation of Americans to gain the inevitable triumph, so help
us God.
The SPEAKER. The Chair now recognizes the Honorable Trent Lott, the
Senator from Mississippi and the Republican Leader of the U.S. Senate.
Senator LOTT. Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the
Congress, and distinguished guests, on behalf of the Senate and a united
Congress, it is truly an honor to stand in this place in this city, New
York City, today.
We are here to remember and to continue to mourn those who lost
their lives, those innocent men, women, and children who were killed in
that horrible event, September 11, a year ago.
We are here to show our continued appreciation for those who
struggled so mightily to free and to save those who were trapped in the
aftermath of the experience here in New York City and at the Pentagon.
But we are also here to express our recommitment to the people of
New York and Pennsylvania and Virginia that we are with you. We will
continue our efforts to help you to rebuild physically and spiritually,
and to recommit ourselves to do everything in our power to make sure
that America is secure against this horrible event or anything like it
ever happening again.
Over the years, New York City has been called many things, from New
Amsterdam to the Big Apple. Today, the Congress of the United States,
Congressman Rangel, call it home. We are here, we are comfortable here.
We are here to stand with the people in this city because it is symbolic
of how we stand together all across America.
We came here a year ago, the week after the infamous date. We
expressed our commitment and we have been working every since to keep
that commitment, and we will continue to do so.
This is a special place, as has already been said, because the First
Congress began the work here that we continue to this day. The work of
ordered liberty, preserving, expanding the freedoms that now, as then,
are the inalienable right of every person.
Two centuries ago, there were those who thought this was all
nonsense. In their ignorance and arrogance, they called America a doomed
folly. But history overtook them and their crowns and armies are part of
the dustbin of history. There are those like them today who cannot see
beyond the limits of their own hatred. It is so hard for us in America
to even understand why there would be this hatred. They do not
understand that in the unending struggle against tyranny, divine
providence by whatever name we use is always on the side of freedom.
When the First Congress was meeting here in New York in January
1790, President Washington asked its Members for ``the cool and
deliberate exertion of your patriotism, firmness and wisdom.'' As we
face today's challenge to our country, we pledge to the people of New
York just what we ask of them and all Americans: The cool and deliberate
exertion of your patriotism, firmness, and wisdom.
We have seen it in this city. We have seen it in America, and we are
here to do our part in that effort. The duration of our present conflict
and its eventual price may be in doubt, but there can be no doubt as to
its outcome. From this city's day of horror, out of all the loss and
sorrow, has come a strength. I have seen it all across America. A
resolve. A determination which, from Manhattan, to Mississippi, now
binds us together for the mighty work that lies ahead. Thank you very
much.
The SPEAKER. The Chair now recognizes the Honorable Tom Daschle, the
Senator from South Dakota and majority leader of the U.S. Senate.
Senator DASCHLE. Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, distinguished
visitors and my colleagues, the U.S. Congress has come here to
commemorate a shattering experience. One that has transformed America.
The poet Yeats, after a moment of violent upheaval in his own
country, wrote: ``All is changed. Changed utterly. A terrible beauty is
born.''
As we near the first anniversary of September 11 with profound
sadness, our hearts ache for those who died and for their families and
loved ones. At the same time, we are filled with an abiding sense of
gratitude to the people who live and work in this great city, especially
the courageous workers and rescuers, for the way they inspired and
stunned a wounded Nation.
In their countless acts of heroism and compassion, a terrible beauty
was born. In an hour of horror and grief, they showed us how to go on.
Here in New York, at the Pentagon, and in that lonely field in
Pennsylvania, the wounds the terrorist inflicted were deep. But
America's resolve was even deeper.
Let history record that the terrorists failed. They sought to
destroy America by attacking what they thought were our greatest
strengths, but they did not understand that the true strength of America
is not steel, it is not concrete, it is our belief in the ideals
enshrined in our Constitution and in our Bill of Rights. It is in our
shared faith in liberty and our unwavering commitment to each other.
So what happened on September 11 did not diminish our strength. It
renewed it. We stand united today as proud citizens of the oldest and
strongest democracy on Earth. Our faith in that democracy and in our
future is absolute and unshakable.
Next Wednesday, September 11, an eternal flame will be lit in
Battery Park. That flame will symbolize our determination never, ever to
forget.
We will never forget the heartbreaking loss.
We will never forget the selfless heroism.
We will never forget the terrible beauty that was born here 1 year
ago.
Thank you.
The SPEAKER. The Chair now recognizes the Honorable Eliot Engel,
Representative from New York.
Representative ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise first to thank all my
colleagues for voting to bring the Congress here to New York. It's been
more than 200 years since Congress last met in New York City. It is a
fitting tribute that Congress has returned here at this most sorrowful
time.
The past year has been a tragic and very difficult time for me and
my fellow New Yorkers. We watched in horror as terrorists hijacked two
commercial airliners and slammed them into the World Trade Center. We
watched in horror as the Twin Towers came down and dust and debris
blanketed lower Manhattan. We watched in horror as the names of the more
than 3,000 people murdered that day were announced.
But, in the days and weeks that followed, we New Yorkers experienced
something else. We felt the hopes and prayers of millions of Americans
flow over us. We felt the pride of being an American swell and
invigorate us all. We felt the determination of the greatest Nation the
Earth has every known renew itself and commit to rebuilding.
The terrorists intended many things with their attack. They sought
to grievously wound our Nation. And we were--we paid with the blood of
our fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and brother and sisters.
They sought to disrupt our economy. And they did--billions of dollars
have been lost and will be spent on recovery.
The terrorists also sought to incite fear into the hearts and souls
of every American. But they failed. Instead, they inspired a Nation of
freedom-loving people to stand up to those who would seek to deny them
their liberties, their justice, and the American way of life. They
inspired us to fight back, so that our children's children will grow up
in a world where they can safely speak their views, engage in the
political system, and worship in their own way.
As we meet here, in this historic location, I am reminded of one of
our country's greatest Presidents, Abraham Lincoln. His words, spoken
more than a century ago, are most fitting today:
We here highly resolve that these dead shall not
have died in vain; that this Nation shall have a
new birth of freedom; and that this government of
the people, by the people, for the people, shall
not perish from the Earth.
The SPEAKER. We are gathered here today in this ceremonial session
to pay tribute to the people of New York and to the people of New York
City who have suffered great loss, but persevered in the face of
adversity. In doing so, we pay tribute to the American spirit.
It is altogether appropriate that we meet here today in Federal
Hall. After all, it was here that the First Congress met to ratify the
Bill of Rights and to inaugurate our first President of the United
States, George Washington.
As in 1789, when ordinary Americans did extraordinary things to
create a new Nation conceived in liberty and dedication to freedom, on
September 11, ordinary Americans exhibited extraordinary courage in
fighting a horrific evil.
New York lost hundreds of sons and daughters in that brutal attack
on our Nation's freedom. She lost firemen and custodians, stockbrokers,
police officers, construction workers and executives.
We also suffered a great loss in Virginia when a plane slammed into
the Pentagon, and in Somerset County, PA, when another plane that was
headed for Washington, DC, was brought down by the efforts of brave
passengers.
We still feel the loss of every single person who perished on that
fateful day. But as we lament the loss of life, we can marvel at the
bravery of those who rushed in to help.
Such bravery was on display when Battalion Chief Orio J. Palmer and
Fire Marshal Ronald Bucca of the New York Fire Department climbed to the
78th floor of the World Trade Center to organize a rescue. Their efforts
saved the lives of dozens of people.
Bravery was also on display when several passengers of United flight
93 decided that they would not let the terrorist complete their plans.
They sacrificed themselves rather than let the terrorists win.
Stories of uncommon heroism were common on September 11. The genius
of America could be found in the sacrifices of these brave martyrs of
freedom.
As we remember September 11, we must look forward to the day when we
complete the task at hand, when we vanquish once and for all the
terrorists who seek to take away our Nation's freedom.
We thank those Americans who serve in our Nation's Armed Forces who
fight to preserve our freedom and still work to bring terrorists to
justice.
We elected Members of the 107th Congress, like those Members
gathered in this location of the First Congress, simply reflect the
desires of a people who cherish liberty and are willing to fight for
freedom.
Let us always remember those we lost on September 11, and may God
continue to bless America.
Thank you.
``God Bless America'' Sung by Chamber Choir, Stuyvesant High School, New
York City
The SPEAKER. The Stuyvesant High School Chamber Choir will now sing
``God Bless America.''
The Chamber Choir, Stuyvesant High School, sang ``God Bless
America.''
The Members and guests sang ``God Bless America.''
The SPEAKER. Ladies and gentlemen of the House and the Senate, this
concludes the special ceremonial meeting of the Congress. Members are
asked to remain in their seats and make their exit with the colors.
The Chair will assure that the record of these proceedings will be
printed in the Congressional Record.
The proceedings are closed.
The Colors were retired by the Color Guard composed of members of
the New York City Fire Department, New York City Police Department, New
York State Unified Court System Officers, Port Authority of New York and
New Jersey Police, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
[Whereupon, the commemorative joint meeting of the Congress was
adjourned.]
Photograph by Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times.
Luncheon Hosted by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor BLOOMBERG. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Mike Bloomberg, and I'm
pleased to be the mayor of the City of New York. Thank you.
There is an expression that you will hear in New York frequently at
this time of the year that you may or may not be familiar with. It
sounds like ``chana tova,'' which means ``happy new year.'' And for
those of you who care, happy new year.
Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader Daschle, Minority Leader Gephardt,
Minority Leader Lott, distinguished Members of Congress, including the
dean of New York State's delegation, the Honorable Charles Rangel, and
our two great Members of the Upper Chamber, Senators Schumer and
Clinton, good afternoon. I am delighted to welcome you to New York for
this truly historic occasion.
Today, we hearken back to the early days of our republic, when the
First Congress convened in New York and George Washington was
inaugurated as our President. Many of our Founding Fathers lived in New
York in those days, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John Hancock
and others. So many others, in fact, that the painter of ``The
Declaration of Independence,'' the famous canvas that hangs in the
Capitol Rotunda, had to move to New York to finish his work.
It's often been pointed out that the decision Congress made to move
the capital from New York to a new site on the banks of the Potomac, in
effect, gave the United States two capitals. We now have one capital in
Washington, DC, for the government, and one here, for business and
culture. Rather than feel slighted, New York has always embraced its
role.
Today's joint session, for however briefly, made New York the
Nation's Capital once again. But now we'll just have to revert to our
regular status: as capital of the free world.
I would like to acknowledge an institution without which this day
would not have been possible, the Annenberg Foundation.
The foundation generously donated $1 million to cover all the
travel, food and security expenses associated with today's wonderful
show of support for freedom.
We are blessed to have with us today, from Pennsylvania and from
California, Lee Annenberg.
Would you please stand and let us say thank you?
Congress' decision to return to New York symbolically closes a
circle at a crucial time in our history. It brings Congress back to its
first home, if only for 1 day, to send a message to the Nation and the
entire world: The spirit of this city and the spirit of this country
remains unshaken.
We are as united today as we were when the First Congress met in
lower Manhattan more than 200 years ago, because our commitment to
freedom has never been stronger. As a Nation, and as a city, we learned
a lot about ourselves on September 11, when the unimaginable became a
reality. What happened down the street from here wasn't just an assault
on New York, it was an attack on our Nation and on all freedom-loving
people around the world.
That day, as the world watched, our rescue teams battled the smoke
and the chaos. It didn't matter whether you came from Astoria or Atlanta
or Australia, from Queens or Kansas or Kenya; New York was everybody's
hometown that day.
The stakes for our Nation were raised. Someone placed a big bet that
they could destroy New York, a city that has contributed immeasurably to
building the greatest democracy on Earth. This city has responded. This
Nation has responded. America is a Nation founded on a particular set of
ideas: the right to express yourself as you see fit, the right to
worship God in your own way and the right to live without fear.
What happened on September 11 was not only an attack on our people,
but on those freedoms and our basic way of life. And all Americans
understand that.
New Yorkers recognize that we would not have made it through the
darkest days in our city's history without our Nation's help. It poured
in from around the country in the form of food, equipment and
volunteers, and through emotional and moral support beyond value. And I
want all Americans to understand that we know you were there for us when
we needed you, and we will be there for you if you ever need us.
Congress has also stood with us. More than we ever had a right to
expect, you helped and are continuing to help New York to rebuild and
recover. And on behalf of all New Yorkers, it is my honor to say,
``Thank you.''
As you know, our work is not done yet, not by any means. But the
recovery that began on 9/11 and the work we've done since simply could
not have happened without your support. And let me also convey our
appreciation to President Bush for his courageous leadership in a time
of crisis, for coming to New York to share our grief and to share our
determination to not just endure the tragedy visited upon us, but to
emerge stronger from the events of September 11.
I am pleased to report that, with your help, we have made triumphant
progress since that day. Because of remarkable bipartisan cooperation
among all levels of government, labor and the private sector, we
finished the recovery work at the World Trade Center site ahead of
schedule, under budget, and with no additional loss of life.
This happened while the search for the remains of our loved ones
went forward with dignity and honor. We created a temporary memorial in
Battery Park, where the sphere sculpture from the World Trade Center
Plaza now sits. Next Wednesday, during the 1-year commemoration of that
fateful day, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and our Secretary of
State, Colin Powell, along with the heads of state from around the
world, will join a ceremony there. At that observance, an eternal flame
will be lighted near the base of the sphere in honor of those we lost,
and to show that democracy and freedom will always endure. We also honor
those we lost by building a better city for the future. With Congress'
help, we are doing just that.
Largely due to an economic incentive program which you have funded,
many companies that were displaced plan to rejoin those, such as
American Express, Merrill Lynch and Dow Jones, that have already moved
back and made long-term commitments to staying in lower Manhattan.
Because of a residential incentive program you have funded and
because lower Manhattan is a great place to live, more than 90 percent
of the housing in lower Manhattan is currently occupied. And the
federally funded liberty bonds program will spur billions of dollars in
construction in lower Manhattan for new commercial spaces and housing.
The Federal, State and local governments have forged a genuine
partnership to revive lower Manhattan and to rebuild our essential
transportation, telecommunications and energy structures. Just last
month, FEMA granted us unprecedented flexibility to spend Federal funds
to create a transportation center for the 21st century that will make
lower Manhattan more accessible than ever.
The future of lower Manhattan is promising, as is the future of all
New York City and indeed of the entire country. Here, our city continues
to be the safest large city in the Nation.
We have committed increased resources to combat the new threats we
now face from enemies foreign and domestic. We've strengthened our
counterterrorism and intelligence operations. And as they take on new
burdens, our police department continues to drive crime down.
New York has no intention of relinquishing its title of capital of
the free world. New York is a city of big ideas, big projects and big
events, and that will never change. For example, in the year since the
September 11 attack, New York City has been host to a World Series, the
New York City Marathon, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the New
Year's Eve celebration in Times Square where I was inaugurated, the
World Economic Forum, a new international film festival, the Fourth of
July fireworks spectacular which was telecast nationally, the U.S.
Tennis Open which is currently going on, and last night's Times Square
kick-off of the NFL season, where I met Jon Bon Jovi. We even held a
world-class grand prix bicycle race right here on Wall Street this
summer.
Since we're not the type to rest on our laurels, we are trying to
convince both the Republican and Democratic National Committees to hold
both conventions here in the year 2004.
As a matter of fact, this joint session is a perfect opportunity to
go after both at the same time. How bipartisan can you be?
We are also pursuing a Super Bowl and the 2012 Summer Olympics. I
see Nancy Pelosi is here from our fellow Olympic finalist San Francisco:
Do you want me to arm wrestle for it, Nancy?
I better start training though. After all, Nancy, you are the
minority whip. But that's just the kind of ambition you'd expect of this
city. And, if anything, 9/11 has made us even more committed to
demonstrating the energy and vibrant cultural life of our city. We will
create a memorial on the site of the World Trade Center that everyone
can be proud of: a memorial that not only honors those that were taken,
but reaffirms the values that triumphed on that day and the days after.
In our actions, in our passion, we can do great things and show that
we do not allow our lives to be ruled by fear, but are guided by the
very principles of democracy which you, the Congress, represent and
which the terrorists found so threatening.
When you look at New York today, when you look at the city where
people from all parts of the world live next to each other, where more
than 120 different languages are spoken and where virtually every
religion in the world is practiced, you realize what makes America and
what makes New York great. We thrive because of our diversity, because
of our respect for one another and because a free society is a strong
society.
In conclusion, let me recall what our President said about that
September morning. He described it as a battle between fear and freedom.
By convening in our city, you, the U.S. Congress, have demonstrated
to all New Yorkers and all the world that fear can never prevail as long
as freedom is strong.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Please be seated.
One of our Founding Fathers, an eminent New Yorker, Alexander
Hamilton, wrote in the Federalist Papers, ``Energy in the executive is a
leading character in the definition of good government.''
New York State is fortunate to have an energetic chief executive who
has wisely and skillfully guided our city and State through the crisis
created by the attack of 9/11. Our next speaker is the great Governor of
the wonderful State of New York, the Honorable George E. Pataki.
Governor PATAKI. Thank you very much, Mayor Bloomberg. And thank you
for those inspiring words on behalf of the people of New York City.
To Speaker Hastert, Leader Daschle, Leader Gephardt, Leader Lott,
ladies and gentlemen of the 107th Congress, welcome to the greatest city
in the world.
It's been 212 years since Congress last gathered here, only blocks
away from where we're assembled right now. It was here that America's
First Congress met, here that George Washington took the oath of office
and here that the Bill of Rights was ratified, protecting the freedoms
of American citizens. So it is altogether fitting that you, the men and
women of the 107th Congress, have returned here to affirm once more our
Nation's commitment to preserving those freedoms from those who would
seek to destroy them.
We meet nearly 1 year after the worst terrorist attack ever launched
against the United States. Our Nation is 226 years old, but the
vigilance needed to preserve our liberty and to protect our democracy
must be eternal.
It was in this spirit, fueled by our love for America and our
reverence for freedom, that New Yorkers responded in the early morning
hours of September 11. And in times of crisis, there are no stronger
people than the people of New York. Police officers, firefighters, court
officers, port authority officers, EMTs, construction workers,
volunteers and citizens from all backgrounds rushed to the scene in a
demonstration of extraordinary courage and sacrifice. We met adversity
with resolve. We answered terror with strength. We responded to evil
with good. We defeated hatred with tolerance.
Your assembling here today sends a powerful message to the people of
the world, to our allies and to our enemies. Inspired by the strength,
perseverance and compassion of our heroes and the people across America,
our unity and our resolve has only grown stronger. We will remember. We
will rebuild. And we will move forward with the unity and confidence of
a free people.
Our sadness from the images of destruction and our memories of those
we lost on September 11 will forever be embedded in our minds. Yet when
we look back on that fateful day, we will look back not just in sadness,
but also with pride, in the actions of New Yorkers and of Americans
across this great land, who stepped forward in our cities in our
Nation's hour of adversity.
And to President Bush, and to this united Congress, you stepped
forward for New York and for America, helping families and helping this
city to recover, to rebuild and to reclaim its destiny.
You came to Ground Zero. You saw the destruction. And like so many
other Americans, you responded and did your part. On behalf of all New
Yorkers, I'd like to say thank you.
Freedom is our legacy and our inalienable right as citizens of this
great Nation. It is our heritage. It is our birthright that was
established here by the First Congress 212 years ago, and then
reaffirmed today by this Congress 212 years later. Your presence here
today means a great deal to all Americans, but especially to New
Yorkers. It shows we have not forgotten, nor will future generations of
America forget.
A century from now, they will know that the terrorists failed. They
will know that in the face of destruction--we faced destruction with
determination. We turned despair into hope. And we turned tragedy into
triumph. We are united in our fight against terror. And in our defense
of freedom, we are vigilant, we are strong, we are New Yorkers, we are
Americans. Thank you. God bless New York. And God bless the United
States of America. Thank you.
Mayor BLOOMBERG. Fourteen days after September 11, New York's
newspaper, the Daily News, first proposed New York's hosting of a joint
congressional session. It wrote that such a session would be a symbol,
``of unity, strength and resolve such as the world has never seen.'' Now
I would like to introduce the earliest governmental champion of that
idea, the dean of New York's congressional delegation, Charlie Rangel.
Representative RANGEL. You people look beautiful.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor and Governor.
On behalf of our New York delegation, and especially Ben Gilman, who
has been my friend for over 30 years, who leaves us--where are you,
Ben?, and our entire delegation, which I hope would rise at this time,
the supporters of our resolution--I want to thank the leadership in the
House and the Senate for supporting this resolution, Mayor Bloomberg and
Governor Pataki for giving it its political support, Ms. Annenberg for
giving us our financial support, and most important all of you who took
time from your busy schedules, and indeed our legislative schedules, to
come to our great city to give us an opportunity to say thank you.
History is a strange thing when you're making it. You're just not aware
of the courage you may have or the shortcomings that you may have. And
as the mayor, in telling you about the attributes of New York, it could
be perceived that most of us from New York City have a little more self-
esteem than we really need to get by.
But when we were hit, we were afraid, we were scared. We didn't know
whether we were going to be hit again. And Jerry Nadler, whose district
was hit, was one of the first to get there.
And as Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki said, people came from
all over. Not just our heroic policemen and firemen and emergency
workers, but kids came, flags were there, food was there, doctors were
there. Everyone wanted to help.
Most of the New York congressional delegation in the city were there
because it was a primary day. And so when we got back to Washington, we
didn't know what to expect. We went by car. We went by bus. We went by
train. And when we saw our colleagues there, singing ``God Bless
America,'' we recognized that we were not just New Yorkers; that we were
Americans.
It wasn't just our great city that was hit, it was our great country
that was attacked. And we did come together, not as Republicans and
Democrats and liberals and conservatives, but we came together in
support of our President and our legislative leaders to let all of our
foes know that we were united in our resolve to make certain that we
would do all that we could to see that this does not happen again.
And even now as we gather to praise those who fought so hard for our
country, who became our heroes, we send a message to our enemies that it
is our resolve to say once again: ``Don't tread on the United States of
America; we are prepared to do whatever is necessary to seek out and to
destroy those who seek to destroy our way of life.''
And we come back to where Congress met over 200 years ago, and I
cannot help but be emotionally involved in believing how proud our
forefathers should be of us, to come back after 200 years, and to see
what we have done with their Constitution, how much we treasured it, how
much we expanded it, and how much today as we meet are we prepared to
protect it. How little did they know that those who picked cotton during
those days, those that would come into our country to build our roads
and our railroads, those who would come from foreign countries seeking
religious and economic freedom, would be coming here as a part of the
U.S. Congress 200 years later.
U.S. history is strange because not only are we living it, but to
give New Yorkers an opportunity to say thank you to our colleagues in
the House means that we're saying thank you to America. We are basically
saying, as New Yorkers, ``God bless this great country that gives us an
opportunity to have our diversity. We will continue to believe that a
part of the legacy that we are going to leave to those who follow us is
that we're not going to allow terrorism to instill terror in our hearts.
Our basic commitment has to be that while we would not allow an enemy to
intimidate us, we're not going to allow terror to take away our basic
freedoms. We're not going to strike any unknown country without knowing
where the enemy actually is. The opportunities that we have been given
as a people--education, Social Security, health care--we're going to
make certain that, as we protect this country, we protect those civil
liberties that have been passed on to us so that when the next Congress
meets, no matter where they meet, they will be saying that we protected
the Constitution that was given to us over 200 years ago.''
My mother, your mother, everyone always said that during times of
pain you'd have to seek and you can find some good in it. But the truth
of the matter is that when we were struck, it was hard to believe that
we could find some good.
But there was good that we found: America gave us an opportunity to
say thank you to each other. America gave us an opportunity to see how
blessed we were; that we could look at each other without seeing color,
without seeing party label, without seeing where we came from, and
recognize that we had an obligation to protect what we have.
Mr. Governor, Mr. Mayor, thank you for giving us the support of
bringing us together. And now we can say that we really owe a lot to
each other, because we need each other. We hope this never happens
again, but thank you, Congress, for helping us when we needed you, and
not withstanding our attitude, we deeply appreciate the opportunity.
Mayor BLOOMBERG. More than 2,800 people lost their lives at the
World Trade Center, but the toll could have been far, far worse if it
were not for the valor and professionalism of our local and regional
firefighters, police officers and emergency service personnel.
Showing tremendous courage, they effected the rescue of more than
25,000 people from the World Trade Center, the largest and most
successful emergency evacuation in modem history. Their heroism inspired
the Nation.
Three hundred and forty-three members of the Fire Department of New
York City gave their lives for freedom on 9/11. We will never forget
their bravery and their sacrifice.
It is now my privilege to introduce Susan Magazine. She is the
assistant commissioner in charge of the fire department's family
assistance unit. She is also a woman who lost her husband Jay, who
worked at the World Trade Center.
Susan.
Ms. MAGAZINE. Thank you, Mayor Bloomberg.
Mayor, Governor Pataki, distinguished Members of Congress, honored
guests, I am honored to have been asked to come here this afternoon to
speak with you. I came here because I think it's very important that
you, our Nation's leaders, hear directly from someone who lost a loved
one, a family member, last September 11.
As the mayor said, my husband Jay was one of the more than 2,800
people who perished at the World Trade Center on that day. Jay and I
spent our entire adult lives together. On the 17th of next month, we
would have celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.
We have two children. Melissa is 14 and Andrew is 11. Melissa starts
high school next week, and Andrew starts middle school.
Jay was the catering sales manager at Windows on the World, the
spectacular restaurant at the top of the North Tower. One of our
favorite shared family memories was all of us--Jay, me, Melissa and
Andrew--going up to the restaurant all wearing hard hats during the
construction work to reopen Windows on the World.
What a beautiful restaurant it was. When you were up there you felt
like you were on top of the world. And Jay loved it. He loved working at
Windows. He loved working in the Trade Center. He loved the vibrancy of
downtown Manhattan.
I recently attended a dinner for a hunger relief organization that
Jay was involved with to present the first annual Jay Magazine Award of
Excellence. The recipient of the award was Jay's friend, Michael
Lomonaco, who was the chef at Windows.
When Michael accepted the award he told a story about how he and Jay
would meet almost every morning in the Windows cafeteria for coffee. And
every morning as they were leaving, Jay would turn to Michael and say,
``You know, we're the luckiest guys in the world to be working here.''
When our kids went to visit Jay, which was often, they would look
out of his office window. You felt like you could see all of New York
City from there. And he would tell them that if they looked really,
really hard uptown that they could see our apartment. It was so magical
up there. Now, like thousands of other families, Melissa, Andrew and I
are trying to figure out how to move on and how to live our lives. That
doesn't mean that we will ever forget. It doesn't mean that we're trying
to get back to normal. Normal does not exist anymore for any one of the
families who lost someone that they loved on that day.
It means that each one of us has to find a new normal. We have no
choice. And my family is doing that. We're surrounded by incredible
family, wonderful friends and support of communities. And we're doing it
with the assistance of our neighbors, of our communities and you, our
policymakers. And we are extremely thankful for all of the support that
we have received from people everywhere.
Let me illustrate with a personal story. Our family held a memorial
service for Jay at the end of September. Jay had always been in the
catering and restaurant businesses and had many friends, colleagues and
clients all over the country.
At that service blank cards were distributed with envelopes
addressed to our children. People were asked to write down their
memories of Jay, to tell us stories about the Jay that they knew. The
response was unbelievable. Hundreds and hundreds of cards have come back
from people who knew Jay. And then, we got cards and letters from people
who didn't know Jay, but had heard about him and had heard about our
family, and wanted to somehow try to connect and try and give some
comfort to an individual family.
Experiences like that continue to be repeated every day for the
families who have been affected by September 11. As our Nation's
leaders, you should know that at the family assistance unit of the fire
department, we spent hours each day responding to letters and gifts from
all over the country: from your States and your districts. And we
respond to each one of them. We received cartons of letters from
schools, camps, houses of worships, individual people from all over the
country, teddy bears, quilts, pictures, books, offers of weekends away
for family members, paintings, scholarships for children, songs, poems,
prayers. Whatever it is that people have to give, they want to reach out
to individual family members and somehow try and make a difference to
each family.
And these are the people who you represent. Please tell the men and
the women and the families in your home districts and your States how
much it means to us that so many Americans have offered us their
generosity and their kindness.
The events of September 11 were an attack on our Nation and they
were attacks on individuals and individual families. Every one of the
people who perished on that day was a husband, a father, a son, a wife,
a mother, a daughter, a brother, a sister, a neighbor, a friend. Over
2,800 individual people were lost on that day.
And it's been remarkable to me how many Americans truly understand
that each of us were real people, were real families who have
experienced this enormous tragedy in very individual, very personal and
very immediate ways.
Every day the people who work for the City of New York go to
enormous lengths to do whatever they can for us, for the families. The
city, the State and the entire Nation have given us their support. Thank
you.
And when you go home, thank your constituents for their kindness,
for their generosity and for never, ever letting anyone forget. Thank
you.
Mayor BLOOMBERG. Susan, thank you.
And to you and to all the families, all we can really say is,
``Those we lost are in our prayers and God bless.''
For the terrorists, the attack on the World Trade Center, as
devastating as it was, was a failure. It did not accomplish what they
hoped it would. It did not weaken us. Instead, it united us. It brought
us together as a Nation determined to defend our freedoms and to punish
those responsible for this despicable act.
Ordinary Americans showed the goodness in their hearts. They
responded to 9/11 as if their own home communities had been attacked. An
unprecedented outpouring of support flooded into New York from across
the Nation.
The following video you're about to see is our way of saying,
``Thank you, America.''
(Videotape presentation).
Mayor BLOOMBERG. I want to thank the Interpublic Sports and
Entertainment Group chairman, Mark Dowley, for producing that video and
donating their services.
The power, majesty and proud heritage of the United States are
expressed in our national symbol, the American bald eagle. On behalf of
the people of New York City, I am pleased to memorialize this historic
joint session of Congress in our city by presenting a commemorative
Steuben glass eagle to the House of Representatives.
Minority Leader Gephardt.
Thank you on behalf of all New Yorkers.
Representative GEPHARDT. Thank you so much. I accept this on behalf
of all of our Members. And, Charlie, I don't think you have an attitude
at all.
Thank you.
Mayor BLOOMBERG. The city is also proud to present a commemorative
eagle to the Senate. Minority Leader Lott, would you come up to the
podium, please?
On behalf of all New Yorkers, thank you, sir.
Senator LOTT. Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. On behalf of the U.S.
Senate, we express to you our appreciation for all you've done, and for
this. Senator Daschle and I will find a special place for this great
eagle. Thank you.
Mayor BLOOMBERG. Thank you.
The SPEAKER. And Tom Daschle.
Representative HASTERT. On behalf of the U.S. Congress, we have a
unique gift: a token of that day, and a token of the strength of this
Nation.
Over the Capitol of the United States flew the flag of the United
States of America. And on September 11, we took that flag down. We kept
it. We weren't sure exactly how we were going to use that flag. But we
think it's very appropriate today to give it to the City of New York as
a memento of what this Congress believes in: the ability and strength of
the people of New York. The spirit of the people of New York is truly
the spirit of America. Thank you.
Senator DASCHLE. On September 11, when the people of South Dakota
saw what happened, they dropped everything. One ranch couple, themselves
struggling right now, sold 100 head of cattle, and donated the proceeds
to the victims and their families. A class of second graders collected
pennies, thinking that they might be able to collect or raise a couple
of hundred dollars. They raised $1,776.05.
I'm sure you could find similar stories from Speaker Hastert's
constituents in Illinois, Senator Lott's in Mississippi, Congressman
Gephardt's in Missouri. But in reaching out to help the people of New
York, we realized it was the people of New York who were helping us.
Your courage helped steady a wounded Nation.
So today, I join Speaker Hastert on behalf of all of those you
inspired, to present you with this flag. We hope it'll find a home in
the memorial you build to the victims of September 11, to let all New
Yorkers know that they didn't just inspire a city, they inspired a
nation.
Mayor BLOOMBERG. Dick, would you come up? And, Trent, and if you
could come up here as well.
Thank you.
Earlier, I proudly, perhaps boastfully but accurately, referred to
New York City as the Nation's cultural capital. I will now demonstrate
that this was not an idle boast. It is my great pleasure to introduce a
great composer, arranger, conductor, musician, and in my book most
importantly an educator. The winner of the Pulitzer Prize for music, and
the artistic director of jazz at Lincoln Center, Winton Marsalis.
(Musical presentation.)
Mayor BLOOMBERG. As to my boast about culture, I will rest my case.
Thank you.
Well, thank you for joining us for this historic event. The Members
of Congress will now exit en masse to visit Ground Zero and to pay their
personal respects to the more than 2,800 people who died for freedom.
Governor Pataki and I will go with them.
But to facilitate their orderly departure, I would ask that all
other guests please remain seated until the Members have left for the
ballroom.
Thank you for your cooperation. And thank you for showing your
support for the greatest city on Earth.