Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the September 11 attacks, and especially those who lost their lives on that day, including people from my own home State in Rhode Island. I was 8 months into my first term in Congress when our Nation's course was inexorably altered that blue Tuesday morning. Over the last 18 years, as an inaugural member of the Committee on Homeland Security and as a member of the Committee on Armed Services with oversight over our Special Operations Forces, I devoted myself to ensuring our country is safe. I know that we have made progress, important progress, and we worked to eliminate terrorist enclaves around the world. We strengthened our security at home so that we are no longer a soft target. We, of course, paid dearly for these gains through the sacrifice of our servicemembers and the tax dollars of our citizens. However, we still have a long way to go. This summer, Congress, of course, finally enacted, permanently, to protect 9/11 first responders. It is certainly long overdue. We must also now fulfill our commitments to our veterans returning home from the Global War on Terror. We must protect our country against new and emerging threats, including in the cyber domain. And each year, we must renew our pledge to ``never forget.'' ____________________”