Thomas Foley: “today is a very, very important day in America's history. It is the 1-year anniversary of the attack on America. I was…”

“today is a very, very important day in America's history. It is the 1-year anniversary of the attack on America. I was handed something by one of my young staffers who has joined my office. He was formerly a page or intern in our office, and he has come back to work full-time, Parker Altman from Belle Glade, Florida, a community in my district. When he handed me this, I felt compelled to bring it to the floor to read it in its entirety because it sums up, I think, a courageous view point of a young person; and it speaks to what is in the hearts and minds of many young people who work in the Capitol, who are young, energetic, intelligent people who have come from around the country to be part of this great government. It begins, ``I woke up this morning just like any other day. Got ready for work and headed out. I had to leave a little early to beat the expected traffic around the Pentagon which is a transfer point on my daily commute. Regardless of my early departure, my wife insisted on getting up as well to make my lunch as she normally does. I told her not to worry about it, that I would get lunch at work, but she shook off her tiredness and strode into the kitchen. After putting my lunch in my briefcase, we hugged our usual good-bye, something was different. The hug turned into an embrace and I began to feel her shaking in my arms. `Be careful,' she whispered, as her eyes welled up with tears. ``I arrived at the office about an hour early.…”