From the Senate Desk

Statement

As our nation reflects on the tragic events of September 11, 2001, what I remember most clearly is how our country pulled together in response.

September 11th is one of our worst days, but it brought out the best in us. It unified us as a country. It showed our charitable instincts. It reminded us of what we stood for. It showed that we had the resolve to fight against terrorism. We put partisanship aside in our government offices, and we began to proudly say to the rest of the world that we know what it means to be an American.

So the best way that we can remember September 11th is to remember why this is a special country. We are the only country in the world that has taken people from so many different backgrounds - which is a great achievement by itself - but an even greater achievement is that we've turned all of that variety and diversity into unity. That unity depends upon a few things we believe in: liberty, equal opportunity and individualism - those principles.

President Bush has eloquently spoken of the American character since September 11th. But in the Senate, we have a role that we can play in that too.

That's why with the support of many other senators on both sides of the aisle, I've been working hard to harness that spirit to help us remember what it means to be to be an American for many generations to come. That means teaching it to our children and to those who become new citizens of our country.

One of the tragedies of education in this country today is that high school seniors perform worse in American history than in any other subject for which they are nationally tested. That's not right.

So I proposed legislation last year, which passed the Senate unanimously, to create summer academies for outstanding students and teachers in U.S. history. The House still needs to act on that bill.

I have also introduced legislation that would allow our nation's report card to test 8th graders and high school seniors on U.S. history on a pilot state-by-state basis because this will help us know where it is being taught well, and where it isn't, so improvements can be made. Shining a spotlight on these results should also encourage school districts to work harder to teach American history and civics well.

And I have introduced legislation to preserve the Oath of Allegiance in its present form, so that the oath - to which all new citizens swear on naturalization - is given the same respect as we give to the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem and the American flag.

While the legislation is pending in the committee, the Senate has unanimously passed an amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations bill to prevent the Oath from being changed during the next fiscal year, while the Senate works its will on the legislation I proposed.

I am also working on a second amendment to that legislation to establish a new foundation that would work with the Office of Citizenship to promote education for legal immigrants and soon-to-be-new immigrants. We should do our best to help those who are new to our country become thriving members of our society - so they learn our history, learn about citizenship and speak our common language. That will help them on the path to the American Dream.

The Senate has been hard at work over the last two years to help enshrine the values and history that binds us together as Americans. Nothing could be more important as we remember September 11th - as we mourn for those we lost, but take pride in what was found: our national unity. The best way to remember September 11th is to remember what it means to be an American.

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