Volume 153, No. 139 covering the of the 110th Congress (2007 - 2008) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“RECOGNIZING SEPTEMBER 11 AS A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1929-E1930 on Sept. 19, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING SEPTEMBER 11 AS A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
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speech of
HON. JERROLD NADLER
of new york
in the house of representatives
Monday, September 10, 2007
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be in Washington, DC on September 10, 2007 when the House considered H. Res. 643, commemorating the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I ask that the Record reflect that had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 866.
It is hard to believe that 6 years have passed since that fateful day when terrorists struck the World Trade Center in my district in New York, and hijacked planes that crashed into the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. September 11th exposed significant vulnerabilities in our homeland security, and much of the last 6 years has been spent trying to fill these holes and make us more secure.
I am proud of the progress we have made to address homeland security, Earlier this year, Congress passed H.R. 1 finally implementing all of the 9/11 Commission recommendations. Included in that bill was a provision I championed to fill the gaps in our port security system. This provision requires that within five years every shipping container must be scanned before coming to the United States so that terrorists cannot smuggle deadly weapons into this country through our ports. H.R. 1 also created a new rail and transit security program, increased risk-
based homeland security grant funding, included measures to secure loose nuclear material overseas, and required 100 percent screening of air cargo.
Despite the progress that has been made, we still have not fulfilled our moral obligation to the victims of the September 11th terrorist attack, which includes not just the people who live and work and go to school in the area around Ground Zero, but also the emergency response workers who came from all over the country to aid in the recovery and who are now sick as a result of exposure to World Trade Center toxic dust.
This week, I, along with Congresswoman Maloney and Congressman Fossella introduced essential, new legislation that ensures that everyone exposed to World Trade Center toxins, no matter where they may live now or in the future, would have a right to high-quality medical monitoring and treatment, and access to a re-opened Victim Compensation Fund for their losses. Whether you are a first responder who toiled without proper protection; or an area resident, worker or student who was caught in the plume or subject to ongoing indoor contamination; if you were harmed by 9/11, you would be eligible. This bill builds on the best ideas brought to Congress thus far and on the infrastructure already in place providing critical treatment and monitoring.
What is also troubling is that 6 years have passed, and the Environmental Protection Agency has yet to conduct a comprehensive testing and cleanup program to remove World Trade Center dust from area buildings. A recent GAO report confirms the horrible reality that to this day, due to their negligence and inaction, the EPA cannot say with certainty that even a single building in the area is free of World Trade Center contamination. As such, we cannot know how many more people will become sick because of lingering environmental toxins in their homes, workplaces and schools. The Administration must act immediately to design and implement a new, proper testing and cleaning program.
For many of us, the effects of 9/11 are always present in our hearts and minds. But I hope that the 9/11 anniversary will serve as a reminder to others that we must fulfill our moral obligation to remove the threat of 9/11 contamination and to provide health care for those who are sick as a result of it. My colleagues and I will not stop fighting until this obligation is met.
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