* Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, as Congress marks the 10 year anniversary of the September 11th attacks, I rise to mourn the loss of the thousands of innocents who perished and to honor the selflessness of those who sacrificed so much to protect us, both on that day and in the decade since.
* In recent months, much of our national conversation has fixated on what's wrong with America: spiraling debt, soaring unemployment, a poisoned political climate, and perhaps most troublingly, the undeniable sense that we are an increasingly divided people.
* Indeed, our country is beset by a crisis of confidence, with faith in our institutions, our leaders and ourselves seemingly at all-time lows.
* Coming at this moment of doubt and insecurity, it is my hope that the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks can offer the American people a potent reminder of the defining qualities we revealed in that moment of extreme tragedy: our willingness to sacrifice, our unwillingness to submit or surrender and ultimately our solidarity in the face of great pain and staggering loss.
* Ten years ago in New York, as the towers were falling and thousands were fleeing, firefighters and police officers disregarded the dangers and rushed to save the victims.
* In the skies above Pennsylvania, a courageous group of passengers fought back against the hijackers and ultimately brought down their own plane, dying so that others might live.
* And across America, thousands of young men and women who watched the events of that day unfold on their TV screens decided to enlist, placing themselves in harm's way to keep our country safe.
* 9/11 was a moment when the American people were tested as never before and yet emerged unbeaten and unbowed. Through our grief, we were united in asserting that the American way of life would go on.
* I believe our country's heroes on that day offer up a powerful example to our country's leaders ten years later.
* Let us continue to cultivate the spirit of service that motivated the firefighters who responded and the soldiers who enlisted.
* Let us use this opportunity to rediscover the togetherness that marked our response to the horrors we witnessed, finding the inspiration to set politics aside and begin solving the problems that matter.
* Finally, let us honor the memories of all those who died on that day by working to ensure that America remains a country worthy of their sacrifice.