Maxwell Frost: “I will be very brief this morning, because a lot of people have already spoken very eloquently about the barbaric attack…”

“I will be very brief this morning, because a lot of people have already spoken very eloquently about the barbaric attack of September 11th--about how it has changed America and the world, and about the war against terror it has started. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, untold thousands of innocent people were murdered in a cowardly, heinous assault on America and the civilized world. Since then, all of us in the Congress--regardless of ideology or party affiliation--have repeatedly pledged to work together in a bipartisan manner to respond. Today, the United States Congress begins making good on that pledge. This $40 billion bill makes a down payment on the campaign to bring aid to our suffering countrymen, to punish the terrorists who have declared war on America, and to ensure no one ever dares attacks us like this again. It provides resources for disaster assistance and recovery, and for anti-terrorism initiatives. It will help the people of New York and officials at the Pentagon as they begin the long, important process of rebuilding. And it will provide the President with the resources he needs to begin waging this war on terrorism. Mr. Speaker, the war against terror will not be won overnight. It will take a long-term, serious, and sustained campaign from the Congress, the American people, and the President. We understand that, and we are committed to it.”