Volume 155, No. 143 covering the 1st Session of the 111th Congress (2009 - 2010) 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.
“HONORING EFFORTS TO CREATE A FLIGHT 93 MEMORIAL” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H10475-H10477 on Oct. 6, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING EFFORTS TO CREATE A FLIGHT 93 MEMORIAL
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 795) honoring the people of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the Flight 93 Ambassadors for their efforts in creating the Flight 93 temporary memorial and encouraging the completion of the National Park Service Flight 93 National Memorial by the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 795
Whereas, on September 11, 2001, the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 courageously gave their lives, thereby thwarting a planned attack on our Nation's Capital;
Whereas the Flight 93 crash site is a profound national symbol of American patriotism and spontaneous leadership of citizen heroes;
Whereas the people of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, came together as a community to protect the sacred ground and construct a temporary memorial where Flight 93 crashed on September 11th;
Whereas the Flight 93 Ambassadors, created by members of the Shanksville community after the tragic events of September 11th, have exhibited selfless dedication and leadership by preserving and recounting the heroic story of the brave intervention of the passengers and crew against the terrorists to the memorial's visitors; and
Whereas in large part due to the efforts of the community and Flight 93 Ambassadors, Congress authorized the creation of a permanent national memorial as part of the National Park System under Public Law 107-226, the Flight 93 National Memorial Act: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors the Shanksville, Pennsylvania, community and Flight 93 Ambassadors for--
(A) their foresight, dedication, and leadership in protecting the Flight 93 temporary memorial, the preservation and sharing of the heroic story of the brave intervention of the passengers and crew against terrorists; and
(B) their efforts to establish a permanent national memorial to Flight 93; and
(2) encourages the Secretary of the Interior and the National Park Service to complete the Flight 93 National Memorial, as authorized by the Flight 93 National Memorial Act, by the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.
General Leave
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Guam?
There was no objection.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, House Resolution 795, introduced last week by my colleague Representative Bill Shuster, honors the people of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Eight years ago, the town of Shanksville entered the history books in a tragic way. But since that dreadful day, the community, working with the Flight 93 ambassadors, has protected the temporary Flight 93 Memorial and pressed to establish a permanent national memorial to that plane's heroic passengers.
House Resolution 795, Madam Speaker, recognizes those valiant efforts and encourages the Secretary of the Interior and the National Park Service to complete the Flight 93 National Memorial by the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Madam Speaker, we support this resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I thank the gentlelady from Guam for her support on resolution 795. On the morning of September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked by al Qaeda terrorists, but their evil plan was heroically derailed when the brave passengers and crew aboard that flight performed the first counterattack in the war on terror. They fought back. They sacrificed their lives so that others could live.
Madam Speaker, today we have a pretty good idea of what the terrorists intended to use Flight 93 for, an attack on Washington, D.C., and most likely the Capitol Building itself. The fact that the passengers and the crew ultimately crashed Flight 93 in Shanksville saved the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of tourists, staff and Members of Congress who were in the building on that day. I was in the Capitol Complex that morning, and I know many of my colleagues serving today were here and are grateful for the passengers and crew of Flight 93.
The complete sacrifice made by those brave men and women who did an extraordinary thing in the face of an extraordinary circumstance deserves to be remembered and honored. Since that fateful day 8 years ago, the hallowed ground of the crash site has been visited by thousands of Americans from across the country to pay tribute to the memory of those extraordinary Americans.
Since the attacks, the people of Shanksville and Somerset County have come together to protect the crash site and welcome visitors to their community. Along with the Flight 93 ambassadors, tremendous progress has been made toward establishing a permanent memorial at the crash site, ensuring that their heroic story lives on and inspires current and future generations of Americans.
Eight years have passed since the 9/11 attacks, and we are encouraged by the progress that has been made towards completing the official national memorial to Flight 93. I am proud to sponsor this resolution which calls on the Secretary of the Interior to complete the congressionally authorized memorial in Shanksville by the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
While we will never be able to repay the heroes of that infamous day, it is our hope that with this memorial, their sacrifice will be permanently recorded, and the site of their passing will forever be guarded for all to pay tribute.
I appreciate the opportunity to offer this resolution, and again, I thank my colleagues for their support.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).
Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Guam.
I rise today in support of House Resolution 795. This legislation of the gentleman from Pennsylvania honors the people of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the Flight 93 ambassadors for creating a temporary memorial for the passengers of United Flight 93 and urges the National Park Service to complete a national memorial.
The men and women onboard Flight 93 prevented a fourth attack on September 11, 2001, against American citizens. Arming themselves with whatever they could find, they prevented the hijackers from mounting a potentially disastrous attack on a target in Washington, D.C. Without their sacrifice, it's very possible that many of us and the building in which we stand would not be here today. It's almost certain that many other innocent civilians would have died.
Of those brave souls onboard Flight 93, 18 of them were from New Jersey, including two from the 12th Congressional District, which I have the privilege to represent. One of those heroes was Todd Beamer, a respected businessman from Cranbury, New Jersey. He was a man of deep religious faith, a loving father, a caring and devoted husband to his wife, Lisa. And it was his famous phrase, ``Let's roll,'' that helped inspire our Nation to meet his high standard of shared sacrifice and to remind Americans in those dark days following September 11 that America would not just survive but America would prevail against hate and extremism.
Lisa and Todd Beamer's children David, Drew and Morgan Kay will grow up knowing their father's act of valor saved the lives of others. He will always be remembered as a hero, along with his fellow passengers.
Richard Guadagno was another amazing passenger on Flight 93. Raised in Trenton, Richard was the manager of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge in California, a truly outstanding person. He was on his way back to Eureka, California, after visiting his family in New Jersey and attending his grandmother's 100th birthday party. He too made the ultimate sacrifice.
I have long supported and worked to get funding for a national monument honoring the passengers and crew of Flight 93. People will be able to find inspiration as they look at this memorial and reflect on the essence of America, that Americans are willing to sacrifice much to protect each other even in the face of mortal danger. It will remind us that this is not the last time America will need heroes, that the survival of American ideals depends on ordinary people stepping out of their roles to act in ways that are extraordinary and courageous.
I strongly support this resolution and urge the National Park Service to complete this memorial by the 10th anniversary of that terrible day.
Mr. SHUSTER. Having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor).
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding the time and commend my colleagues from Pennsylvania and New Jersey for this very thoughtful resolution. I would also like to speak to the previous resolution that just passed the House, establishing National Estuaries Day in recognition of these other beautiful and valued places across our country.
Our Nation's estuaries are essential to our economy, jobs, our hobbies and our culture. Estuaries are the vital links between our coastal ecosystems. They are the unique places where rivers and oceans meet, and their irreplaceable wetlands provide unmatched recreational opportunities and millions of jobs in tourism, fishing and other coastal industries.
This is especially true in my hometown of Tampa, Florida, where Tampa Bay provides the lifeblood and character of my community. A significant share of the Tampa Bay area's economy is dependent on our healthy estuary, and the same is true all across the United States, as 28 million jobs are supported through commercial and recreational fishing, boating, tourism, and other coastal industries. Coastal economies and estuaries contribute more than $800 billion annually in trade and commerce in our great country.
September 26 marked National Estuaries Day, an interagency campaign led by NOAA. Since 1988, NOAA has promoted the importance of estuaries and the need to protect them. So this year was the first time that we introduced a resolution to recognize these important educational and recreational events all across the country. Events occurred in North Carolina, in Florida, in Louisiana, in California. These celebrations ranged from the planting of seed grasses, the protection of marine mammals and other species.
Estuary groups from across the country also met here in the Capitol with representatives from NOAA, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Madam Speaker, Pat Conroy's new novel, ``South of Broad,'' contains elegant descriptions of estuaries that speak to everyone who values their beauty and riches. Conroy writes: ``A freshwater river let mankind drink and be refreshed, but a saltwater river let it return to first things, to moonstruck tides, the rush of spawning fish, the love of language felt in the rhythm of the wasp-waisted swells.''
He says: ``The tide is a poem that only time could create, and I watched its stream and brim and make its steady dash homeward to the ocean.'' It is difficult to capture the beauty and value of many of America's national treasures, so we ask the House today to set aside a day to raise awareness and educate others about estuaries, and getting people excited about the natural beauty to be found there.
I thank my colleagues for voting today in support of these goals and ideals.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) for this important resolution, and I thank him for managing the resolutions this afternoon on the floor. Again, I urge my colleagues to support this very important resolution.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the H. Res. 795. The legacy of the events of September 11, 2001 still resonates today. We will never forget the harrowing experience of the loss of more than 3,000 lives that marked this national tragedy. We will never forget the events of that day, nor those who paid the ultimate price. We will forever remember how the country suffered profound sadness, the likes of which we as a nation hope to never experience again.
Madam Speaker, I recall vividly the intense emotions evoked as the attacks unfolded. The Nation watched in horror as two airliners crashed into the Twin Towers and brought down the World Trade Center. That horror intensified as we witnessed an attack on the Pentagon--and a crashed airplane in Pennsylvania. Horror turned to anger as it came to light that the attacks were the actions of hate-filled cowards who had no respect for human life. I remember too, that in the aftermath of these senseless attacks, we came together as a nation and with friends from around the world united in grief and sadness. That moment transformed our country and the world, as the resolve of our Nation strengthened and our principles hardened.
We remember the heroes from that day; those who ran into the danger, sacrificing themselves to save strangers. We remember the heroes from United Flight 93 who overpowered the terrorists and gave their own lives to prevent the deaths of countless others. We hope that their families can take some small measure of comfort knowing that Americans have made a permanent place for those heroes in our hearts.
As a Senior Member of the Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security Committees, I believe that we must continue to honor the fallen by working to prevent needless deaths. In the years since September 11, 2001, Congress has worked hard to make sure that such a tragedy will never happen again. In large part, we have taken heed of the advice of the 9/11 Commission and built a strong system to prevent future attacks.
Madam Speaker, I rise before this body to say that our work is not yet done. Our Nation's rail and mass transit lines continue to be vulnerable. Millions of Americans rely on our rail and mass transit for transportation. Terrorist attacks in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2006 indicate that transportation routes continue to be potential security threats. We must not let another tragedy occur.
Preventing terrorism at home begins with addressing terrorism abroad. We must engage nations that are susceptible to the influence of extremists and arm them with the tools to fight radicalism. That means not only providing weapons of war but also increasing education, improving living conditions, and increasing the capacity to govern. The struggle against terrorism will be won in the hearts and minds of people around the world.
Madam Speaker, I urge all members to join me in supporting H. Res. 722. Let us remember this day and the tragedy that befell the Nation by properly honoring the victims with our renewed commitment to America's security.
Ms. BORDALLO. I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 795.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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