Doug Bereuter: “Mr. Speaker, on the first anniversary of the tragic events that killed so many Americans at the World Trade Center and…”

“Mr. Speaker, on the first anniversary of the tragic events that killed so many Americans at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, it is natural for our thoughts to turn to the victims of that day. It was, of course, a world-changing event that will continue to affect all of us. Now we know, too, that an extraordinary debt of gratitude is owed to those brave passengers of United Flight 93, which crashed in a Pennsylvania field. They fought the murderous hijackers in the cockpit and, thus, foiled the plot to crash that plane into the Capitol or White House. The families of the victims will continue to grieve their losses, but the commemoration around the Nation today should focus on reinforcing America's newly heightened unity and sense of resolve that we as a Nation will dramatically increase our effectiveness in protecting our homeland and our citizens abroad from terrorist attacks. We must remain committed to meet these challenges while at the same time preserving the freedom, civil liberties, and opportunities which make America the envy of the world. The period set aside for formally mourning our losses is long past. The victims and their families now are best served if all of us share and act upon a commitment to keep our Nation secure, strong, and a bastion of liberty. May God bless America.”