John Cornyn: “I wish to also, in the brief time I have allotted, say a few words about a very important subject to our Government and…”

“I wish to also, in the brief time I have allotted, say a few words about a very important subject to our Government and to our Nation. I wish to say a few words about the importance of continuity of our Nation's Government. Today, the Continuity of Government Commission, a joint project of the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute, is releasing a report to the Congress on this matter. I express my appreciation to the commission for their responsible and forthright assessment of needed constitutional reforms in this area. Their report will be an invaluable addition to this ongoing discussion, and it will provide a sound basis for hearings I plan to hold in the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution later this year. I was not here serving in Washington in this body when the attacks came on September 11. Like so many other Americans, I was at home, preparing for work, when I heard the terrible news and saw it displayed on the television set. But I know that many of my friends and colleagues who were here on that horrific day feel a very personal debt to the heroes of flight 93. The brave passengers on that flight did more than just save the lives of their fellow citizens. Absent their courageous sacrifice, it is likely that flight 93 would have reached its final destination in this very building, in an attack that would have virtually eliminated an entire branch of our Government.”