Jerry Nadler: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, 17 years ago, two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in my…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, 17 years ago, two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in my district, killing thousands of people. A third plane slammed into the Pentagon, and a fourth plane, likely destined for the very Capitol complex in which we now stand, was brought down by a group of courageous passengers in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. As I do today, I represented Ground Zero on September 11, 2001. I was at the World Trade Center 4 hours after the towers fell. The scene was horrible: fire, smoke, debris, human remains, and twisted metal created an apocalyptic scene. Dust and debris filled the air, but even in that moment of deep despair and overwhelming horror, I saw signs of hope. Firefighters, police, and emergency medical technicians traveled to Lower Manhattan from around the country. Steel workers, construction workers, and hundreds of other men and women rushed to the pile to help. As the last fires were extinguished, 99 days after the attack, and the last pieces of metal were removed from Ground Zero, those feelings of hope, perseverance, and solidarity remained. In the years since the attacks, I have been grateful and inspired by how Congress has come together to help rebuild New York, and I have worked with my colleagues to support the responders, survivors, and families of the victims. In 2010, Congress passed, and in 2015 reauthorized, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.…”