Thomas Daschle: “Ernest Hemingway observed that ``life breaks us all, and afterward many are strong at the broken places.'' America's…”

“Ernest Hemingway observed that ``life breaks us all, and afterward many are strong at the broken places.'' America's heart is broken. What happened on Tuesday was not simply an attack against America. It was a crime against democracy, against decency itself. The more we learn, the more we grieve for the innocent victims of these unconscionable attacks: the people of New York, and those of New Jersey, Connecticut, and all who were in and around World Trade Center at the time of these attacks; our men and women serving at the Pentagon; and, the passengers and crew of American Airlines flights 11 and 77, and United Airlines flights 93 and 175. Today, with the passage of this supplemental bill, we take a step toward healing, and we begin the process of growing stronger at the broken places. It has been an extraordinary few days here in Congress. As we come together to consider how we can act, how we can help, how we can serve, we forget to consider those things that once divided us. Today, we are not Democrats or Republicans. We are Americans. We stand together as one Congress, one people. And we say together, with one voice, we will do whatever needs to be done to care for the victims, to comfort the families, to address this threat to our homeland, and to let our enemies know: We will find them. And we will have justice.”