JOHN LINDER: “I thank Chairman Hyde for the time. I hope my colleagues will all join in support of H. Res. 994. Mr. Speaker, 5 years…”

“I thank Chairman Hyde for the time. I hope my colleagues will all join in support of H. Res. 994. Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago I stood on the House floor and proclaimed that I was not without hope for America's ability to eliminate the scourge of terrorism. I was convinced that the people of this great Nation would, much like they did on December 8, 1941, come together to defeat a common enemy rooted in intolerance and fear. To be sure, much is left to be accomplished. We cannot, we must not, ever forget the prayers we said that day, the tears we shed, and the memories of those who now belong to the ages. Yes, Osama bin Laden has yet to personally receive justice, but over the course of the last 5 years, the international communications, financing, state sponsorship and success that al Qaeda enjoyed on September 11 has been significantly degraded. The world now knows that America will not bow to the forces of evil, but will instead fight until evil has been eradicated. Congress has, as this resolution indicates, provided many of the necessary tools, but the people themselves also deserve most of the credit for this Nation's progress. While the threat of terrorism continues to loom in the distance, I believe we are safer as a nation because the people of this country are paying attention. They are the soldiers, they are the intelligence gatherers and they are the first line of defense.…”