Blog: Reflection on 9/11 - Ten Years Later
Statement
I was already at my congressional office in Washington early in the morning of September 11 for a meeting with my staff when someone said that a small plane had flown into one of the World Trade Towers. We quickly turned on the TV news and, like people across the country, watched together in shock and horror as the tragedy unfolded.
The order was given to leave the Capitol building and the congressional office buildings. I eventually went back to my townhouse just a few blocks from the Capitol and with my roommates, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Bill Delahunt, set up our own communications system with a landline and a few cell phones that did not work well because the system was jammed. We let people come in and use our phone or just get off the street for a few minutes. There was so much confusion in the first few hours after the attacks. I remember how the clear blue September sky contrasted sharply with the images of smoke, fire, and carnage. It was a very scary and very sad day for all of us.
Ten years later, families and friends still grieve for the loved ones they lost, and many of those who came to their rescue are experiencing serious health problems from the exposure they received. Osama bin Laden is dead and his al Qaeda network is diminished, although not gone. Our nation continues to grapple with how to live and manage in a world where those who seek to harm us have access to sophisticated technology to carry out their heinous intentions. And it has also become increasingly clear just how perilous and costly some of the decisions that were made in the years following the attacks have been for our country.
But ten years ago Americans came together despite our differences to face a great challenge. Our spirit, which the terrorists sought to crush along with our buildings, was strengthened through adversity. America is always at its best when we work together to solve problems. Today, we face an unemployment crisis that poses one of the greatest threats ever to our Nation's long-term prosperity. This crisis requires us again to work together, despite our differences. Only then will America be on the path to greatness once again.
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