On the recordSeptember 11, 2024
Madam President, today is the 23rd anniversary of the tragic deaths of about 3,000 Americans at the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon, as well as in Shanksville, PA. It is a sobering and solemn day. And 9/11 is one of those occasions that you remember during your life because you remember where you were and what you were doing when the terrible tragedy came on the news. I remember I was on the telephone talking to my Governor, and my wife said: You need to see this. And I turned to watch the TV as the second plane hit the World Trade Center. We had no idea what was going on. As I have often said, this day is a dividing line in our history. There is before 9/11, and then there is after 9/11. It is a reminder of our commitment as a country to carry out the promise that we made in the wake of the attack to never forget. So, today, we remember the first responders who ran toward the danger, the families who lost loved ones, and the commitment of the U.S. Armed Forces to combat terrorism around the globe each and every day.





