[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 631 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 631
Commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 10, 2021
Mr. Nadler (for himself, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr.
Garbarino, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Malliotakis, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Katko, Mr.
Jeffries, Mr. Jacobs of New York, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Delgado, Ms. Meng,
Ms. Tenney, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Bowman, Ms. Stefanik, Mr.
Morelle, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Torres of New York, Mr. Zeldin,
Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Mr. Jones, Miss Rice of New York,
Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Rice of South Carolina, Mrs.
Bice of Oklahoma, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mr. Ryan, Mr.
Fitzpatrick, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr.
Grothman, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Baird, Mr. Pascrell, Ms. Norton, Mr. Costa,
Mrs. Demings, Mr. Himes, Mr. Valadao, Ms. Escobar, Mr. Carson, Ms.
Kelly of Illinois, Mr. O'Halleran, Mr. Stanton, Ms. Bonamici, Mr.
McNerney, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Bass, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr.
Cuellar, Mr. Lynch, Mrs. Trahan, Mr. Quigley, Mrs. Bustos, Mr.
Connolly, Ms. Brownley, Ms. Dean, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr.
Payne, Ms. Speier, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Danny K. Davis of
Illinois, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Guest, Mr. Allred, Mr. Kilmer, Mr.
Schneider, Mrs. Spartz, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Schiff, Ms. Lofgren, Mr.
Crawford, Mr. Correa, Mr. Evans, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Auchincloss, Ms.
Spanberger, Mr. McEachin, Mr. Crow, and Mrs. Fletcher) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight
and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary,
Transportation and Infrastructure, Armed Services, and Veterans'
Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
Whereas 20 years ago, on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, as Americans went about
their daily lives, terrorists hijacked 4 civilian aircraft and
deliberately flew the aircraft into the North Tower of the World Trade
Center, the South Tower of the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon;
Whereas terrorists hijacked a 4th civilian aircraft, which was intended for a
target in the District of Columbia, but which crashed into a field in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania;
Whereas thousands of on-duty and off-duty firefighters, police officers,
emergency medical technicians, and other responders from around the
country rushed to the scenes and took heroic action to save lives at the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon;
Whereas office workers, military personnel, residents, and students showed
incredible courage and support for their fellow Americans in helping
each other escape the attack and flee to safety, often at the expense of
their own lives;
Whereas the September 11, 2001, attack was the deadliest terrorist attack in
American history, killing 2,996 people in the initial attack (including
343 members of the New York City Fire Department, 60 law enforcement
officers from the New York City Police Department and the Port Authority
of New York and New Jersey, and 55 military personnel) and leading to
the loss of thousands of United States servicemembers in post-9/11
military operations;
Whereas Congress acted quickly after the attacks in a bipartisan fashion to
create a Victim Compensation Fund to support those injured and the
family members of those who died, provide funds to rebuild Lower
Manhattan, and investigate the attack and prevent future terrorist
attacks;
Whereas the attack created one of the worst environmental disasters in history,
as hundreds of tons of toxic dust and debris spread over Lower Manhattan
and Brooklyn, covering first responders, workers, residents, and
students and filling apartment buildings, offices, stores, and schools;
Whereas the Environmental Protection Agency, despite the clear evidence of toxic
debris, assured everyone that the air in Lower Manhattan and at the
World Trade Center in particular was safe to breathe and sent thousands
of responders to the pile, thousands of office workers back to work and
students back to school, and thousands of residents back to their homes
without adequate protective equipment or a comprehensive cleanup of the
area;
Whereas, as a result of these lies, thousands of responders and survivors of the
attack were exposed to toxins and have been diagnosed with 9/11-related
illnesses, including cancers, and thousands have died from a 9/11-
related illness;
Whereas Congress came together in 2011 to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and
Compensation Act of 2010, which created the World Trade Center Health
Program and reopened the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund that together
provide health and support for responders and survivors struggling with
9/11-related illnesses;
Whereas, in 2016, Congress made the World Trade Center Health Program permanent
and, in 2019, Congress made the 9/11 Victim Compensation Program
permanent to ensure that these programs will be available to responders
and survivors struggling with 9/11-related illnesses throughout their
lives;
Whereas over 110,000 responders and survivors are now enrolled in the World
Trade Center Health Program from all 50 States and nearly every
congressional district and over $8,600,000,000 in compensation has been
paid to responders and survivors struggling with 9/11-related illnesses;
Whereas for the families and friends of those who died on 9/11 and the
responders and survivors who are struggling with 9/11-related illnesses
today, the tragedy of that day has never ended; and
Whereas September 11, 2021, marks the 20th anniversary of the attacks: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes that September 11 is a day of solemn
remembrance and calls on all Americans to observe the 20th
anniversary of the September 11 attacks and honor those who
lost their lives;
(2) continues to express its deepest sympathy to those who
lost family members and loved ones on September 11 and in the
aftermath of the attacks;
(3) honors the heroism and sacrifice of the firefighters,
law enforcement officers, military personnel, emergency
personnel, and civilians who risked, and often gave, their
lives that day to save their fellow Americans;
(4) honors the lives of those servicemembers who died and
recognizes the sacrifice of those who were wounded and the
veterans who served their country in the years following the
attack;
(5) stands with the responders and survivors made sick by
their exposure to 9/11 toxins during the cleanup and recovery;
and
(6) reaffirms, after 20 years, its commitment to never
forget September 11.
<all>