Pelosi Floor Statement on September 11 Resolution

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on
the House floor earlier this afternoon in support of a resolution recognizing
the attacks of September 11, 2001, remembering the sacrifice of those who died
and resolving to renew our devotion to the universal ideals that make our
nation great. The resolution was approved by the House by a vote of 416 to 0.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I thank Congressman Ackerman and
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen for bringing this opportunity to the floor for us
to speak about the unspeakable horror of 9/11.
"When we talk about this subject, Mr. Speaker, we are treading on sacred
ground. A ground we never thought we would see in our country. But as
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen said, it defined us -- how we dealt with it, how we
carry on after it. One of the goals of the terrorists is to instill fear. For
not only do they take lives and try to destroy a community, they also instill
fear as to how we will act upon the challenges that we have as we go forward.
That did not happen with 9/11. The American people rallied in a way that
removed all doubt that we would not suffer that consequence.
"But it is the families of 9/11 who made the biggest sacrifice -- that is
self-evident. When they turned their grief into action, working with the 9/11
Commission to help ensure that this does not happen again, they did a great
service to our country.
"In just a few moments, in the Capitol, we will unveil a marker of bravery to
recall the sacrifices, in particular, of the men and women of United Airlines
Flight 93 who died in rural Pennsylvania. We gather to honor their families
who will be with us, and this is the day that they have chosen for that, and
to ensure that we never forget their heroic deeds, their bravery, and the
sacrifices of those individuals. They made a decision in that flight not to
fly into Washington D.C., perhaps, into this Capitol. Again, to those families
that we owe so much, whether it was in rural Pennsylvania, in the Pentagon, or
in New York at the Twin Towers.
"Following that plaque ceremony, we will go to Statuary Hall, where leaders of
both parties in both Houses of Congress will gather to recognize the heroes of
9/11. The firefighters and first responders, the rescue-workers and all who
perished on Flight 93, in the Pentagon, and the World Trade Center on that
terrible morning.
"It is in their names that we mark this day. It is in the memory of those who
died that we, in the words of this resolution, 'renew our devotion to the
universal ideals that make this nation great: freedom, pluralism, equality,
and the rule of law.'
"It is their voices that remind us not just of images of destruction and
despair, but of the unity we all felt in the wake of the attacks; and of our
common humanity and shared strength; of our potential to move forward as one
community, one nation.
"May we take inspiration from the memories of the heroes of 9/11. May this
resolution rekindle the spirit of service and sacrifice among all Americans.
May God continue to bless the United States of America."

SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House

Brendan Daly, Nadeam Elshami or Drew Hammill, all of the Office of the Speaker
of the House, +1-202-226-7616