Lois Capps: “Thank you, Mr. Garamendi, for yielding me time and for organizing us to have this conversation and this opportunity to…”

“Thank you, Mr. Garamendi, for yielding me time and for organizing us to have this conversation and this opportunity to pay tribute this evening. I rise, like my colleagues have risen, to commend the many people involved in bringing Osama bin Laden to justice. From all accounts, and from what we heard from Director Panetta yesterday, it was a meticulously planned and executed operation. I commend the President and his national security team for their focus. When the President was running for office, he said that if he were presented with actionable intelligence on al Qaeda's leaders, that he would act, with or without the host country's permission or assistance. He got some heat on that commitment, if you'll remember, my colleague, but it's clear he was correct. The result is that the perpetrator of the 9/11 attacks has now been brought to justice and the organization he has led has been further weakened. And I am so grateful to our colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) for calling to mind, again, as all of us felt as we heard the news of Osama bin Laden's demise. We were immediately, at least I was, as well, reminded again of that awful day, 9/11 and the image, where we were when we heard the news, how we were riveted to watching the horror unfold, explode in D.C., at the Pentagon, and New York City and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.…”