Richard Gephardt: “America, our blessed Nation, suffers today. Terribly. Terrorists sought to use fear as a weapon against every person in…”

“America, our blessed Nation, suffers today. Terribly. Terrorists sought to use fear as a weapon against every person in this Nation. They do not know America, and they do not know Americans. They think freedom is our vulnerability. It is our strength. We will need that strength in the days ahead. Throughout our proud history we have met every challenge, and we will meet this challenge. Mr. Speaker, we are united in mourning for all of our fellow citizens who were injured and died. I have been so moved while watching television and seeing the heroism, the courage, the patriotism, the bravery, the goodness of our people trying to help one another, save one another, bind up our wounds, and find those who have been lost. Our hearts go out to every person, every family that has been touched by this awful tragedy, and to all the families at this very moment who are enduring an unspeakable, unimaginable horror in their lives. In times of national tragedy, Americans have always come together, strengthened our resolve, and faced adversity squarely while giving aid and comfort to every victim, every family member, every relative, every person affected by the tragedy. On this occasion, we are once again showing the world what it means to be an American. We make a solemn pledge that we will honor all of the victims by committing ourselves to defend our land, our families and our freedom.”