[Pages H8201-H8207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

TRUE AMERICAN HEROES ACT OF 2003

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House
of September 10, 2003, I call up the bill (H.R. 1538) to posthumously
award Congressional Gold Medals to government workers and others who
responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and
perished and to the people aboard United Airlines Flight 93 who helped
resist the hijackers and caused the plane to crash, to require the
Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the Spirit
of America, recognizing the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and
for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of H.R. 1538 is as follows:

H.R. 1538

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``True American Heroes Act of
2003''.

TITLE I--MEDALS FOR RESPONDERS AND RESISTERS

SEC. 101. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS FOR GOVERNMENT WORKERS
WHO RESPONDED TO THE ATTACKS ON THE WORLD TRADE
CENTER AND PERISHED.

(a) Presentation Authorized.--In recognition of the bravery
and self-sacrifice of officers, emergency workers, and other
employees of State and local government agencies, including
the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and of the
United States Government and others, who responded to the
attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, and
perished in the tragic events of September 11, 2001
(including those who are missing and presumed dead), the
Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the
Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the
presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of
appropriate design for each such officer, emergency worker,
employee, or other individual to the next of kin or other
personal representative of each such officer, emergency
worker, employee, or other individual.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury
shall strike gold medals with suitable emblems, devices, and
inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary to be
emblematic of the valor and heroism of the men and women
honored.
(c) Determination of Recipients.--The Secretary of the
Treasury shall determine the number of medals to be presented
under this section and the appropriate recipients of the
medals after consulting with appropriate representatives of
Federal, State, and local officers and agencies and the Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey.
(d) Duplicative Gold Medals for Departments and Duty
Stations.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall strike
duplicates in gold of the gold medals struck pursuant to
subsection (a) for presentation to each of the following, for
permanent display in the respective offices, houses,
stations, or places of employment:
(A) The Governor of the State of New York.
(B) The Mayor of the City of New York.
(C) The Commissioner of the New York Police Department, the
Commissioner of the New York Fire Department, the head of
emergency medical services for the City of New York, and the
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of
New York and New Jersey.
(D) Each precinct house, fire house, emergency response
station, or other duty station or place of employment to
which each person referred to in subsection (a) was assigned
on September 11, 2001, for display in each such place in a
manner befitting the memory of such persons.
(e) Duplicate Bronze Medals.--Under such regulations as the
Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may strike and sell
duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under
subsection (a) at a price sufficient to cover the costs of
the bronze medals (including labor, materials, dies, use of
machinery,

[[Page H8202]]

and overhead expenses) and the cost of the gold medal.
(f) Use of the United States Mint at West Point, New
York.--It is the sense of the Congress that the medals
authorized under this section should be struck at the United
States Mint at West Point, New York, to the greatest
extent possible.

SEC. 102. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS FOR PEOPLE ABOARD UNITED
AIRLINES FLIGHT 93 WHO HELPED RESIST THE
HIJACKERS AND CAUSED THE PLANE TO CRASH.

(a) Congressional Findings.--The Congress finds as follows:
(1) On September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93,
piloted by Captain James Dahl, departed from Newark
International Airport at 8:01 a.m. on its scheduled route to
San Francisco, California, with 7 crew members and 38
passengers on board.
(2) Shortly after departure, United Airlines Flight 93 was
hijacked by terrorists.
(3) At 10:37 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near
Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
(4) Evidence indicates that people aboard United Airlines
Flight 93 learned that other hijacked planes had been used to
attack the World Trade Center in New York City and resisted
the actions of the hijackers on board.
(5) The effort to resist the hijackers aboard United
Airlines Flight 93 appears to have caused the plane to crash
prematurely, potentially saving hundreds or thousands of
lives and preventing the destruction of the White House,
the Capitol, or another important symbol of freedom and
democracy.
(6) The leaders of the resistance aboard United Airlines
Flight 93 demonstrated exceptional bravery, valor, and
patriotism, and are worthy of the appreciation of the people
of the United States.
(b) Presentation of Congressional Gold Medals Authorized.--
In recognition of heroic service to the Nation, the Speaker
of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on
behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design
for each passenger or crew member on board United Airlines
Flight 93 who is identified by the Attorney General as having
aided in the effort to resist the hijackers on board the
plane to the next of kin or other personal representative of
each such individual.
(c) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the
presentation referred to in subsection (b), the Secretary of
the Treasury shall strike gold medals of a single design with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined
by the Secretary.
(d) Duplicate Medals.--Under such regulations as the
Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe, the Secretary may
strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medals
struck under subsection (b) at a price sufficient to cover
the cost of the bronze medals (including labor, materials,
dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses) and the cost
of the gold medals.

SEC. 103. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS FOR GOVERNMENT WORKERS
WHO RESPONDED TO THE ATTACKS ON THE PENTAGON
AND PERISHED.

(a) Presentation Authorized.--In recognition of the bravery
and self-sacrifice of officers, emergency workers, and other
employees of the United States Government, who responded to
the attacks on the Pentagon Washington, D.C. and perished in
the tragic events of September 11, 2001 (including those who
are missing and presumed dead) the Speaker of the House and
the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of
the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design for each
such officer, emergency worker, or employee to the next of
kin or other personal representative of each such officer,
emergency worker, or employee.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of
the Treasury shall strike gold medals of a single design with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined
by the Secretary.
(c) Determination of Recipients.--The Secretary of the
Treasury shall determine the number of medals to be presented
under this section and the appropriate recipients of the
medals after consulting with the Secretary of Defense and any
other appropriate representative of Federal, State, and local
officers and agencies.

SEC. 104. NATIONAL MEDALS.

The medals struck under this title are national medals for
purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

TITLE II--SPIRIT OF AMERICA COMMEMORATIVE COINS

SEC. 201. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds as follows:
(1) On September 11, 2001, the United States suffered the
worst act of terrorism in its history.
(2) The more than 6,000 people who lost their lives as a
result of the terrorist attacks that occurred in New York
City, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania on September 11,
2001, will not be forgotten.
(3) Hundreds of emergency personnel responded heroically to
the crisis and lost their lives as a result.
(4) People from everywhere in the United States responded
to the crisis with an outpouring of support for the victims
of the terrorist attacks and their families.
(5) The civilized world stands with strength and fortitude
in opposition to the cowardly terrorist attacks against the
United States that occurred on September 11, 2001.
(6) It is essential to remember not only the tragedy of the
attacks, but also the strength and resolve demonstrated by
the people of the United States in the aftermath of the
attacks.
(7) The minting of coins in commemoration of the Spirit of
America will pay tribute to the countless heroes who risked
their lives during the terrorist attacks and in their
aftermath so that others may live and to a united people
whose belief in freedom, justice, and democracy has never
swayed.

SEC. 202. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

(a) Denominations.--In commemoration of the Spirit of
America, the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this
title referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and
issue the following coins:
(1) $50 gold coins.--Such number of 50 dollar coins as the
Secretary determines under subsection (b), which shall--
(A) weigh 1 ounce;
(B) have a diameter of 1.287 inches; and
(C) contain 91.67 percent gold and 8.33 percent alloy.
(2) $1 silver coins.--Such number of 1 dollar coins as the
Secretary determines appropriate to meet demand, which
shall--
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
(3) Half dollar clad coins.--Such number of half dollar
coins as the Secretary determines appropriate to meet demand,
which shall--
(A) weigh 11.34 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
(C) be minted to the specifications for half dollar coins
contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United States Code.
(b) Number of Gold Coins.--
(1) In general.--The number of gold coins minted and issued
under this title shall equal the sum of 25,000 and the number
determined under paragraph (2).
(2) Determination of number.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Attorney General of the United States
and the Governors of New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia
shall determine the number of innocent individuals confirmed
or presumed to have been killed as a result of the terrorist
attacks against the United States that occurred on September
11, 2001, and shall identify such individuals. The Secretary,
under subsection (a)(1), shall mint and issue a number of 50
dollar coins equal to the number of such individuals.
(c) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this title shall
be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31,
United States Code.
(d) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5136 of
title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this
title shall be considered to be numismatic items.
(e) Sources of Bullion.--For the purpose of minting coins
under this title, the Secretary may only use metals that are
from natural deposits in the United States or any territory
or possession of the United States.
(f) Special Treatment Under Exigent Circumstances.--
(1) Findings.--The Congress finds as follows:
(A) The limitations contained in paragraphs (1) and (2)(A)
of section 5112(m) of title 31, United States Code, and
section 5134(f)(1)(B) of such title have well served, and
continue to serve, their purpose of bringing greater
stability to the markets for commemorative coins, maximizing
demand and participation in such programs, and ensuring that
such programs have a broad base of private support and are
not used as the primary means of fundraising by organizations
that are the recipients of surcharges.
(B) The shocking circumstances of September 11, 2001, the
broad base of public interest in showing the Spirit of
America and participating in the raising of funds for the
victims of the crimes committed on that date, and the
importance of implementing this coin program as quickly as
possible, notwithstanding the limitations contained in such
paragraphs, justify exempting the coins produced under this
title from such limitations.
(2) Exemption.--Paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 5112(m)
of title 31, United States Code, and section 5134(f)(1)(B) of
such title shall not apply to coins authorized under this
title.

SEC. 203. DESIGN OF COINS.

(a) In General.--The design of the coins minted under this
title shall be emblematic of the tragic events that occurred
at the Pentagon, in New York City, and in Pennsylvania, on
September 11, 2001.
(b) Designation and Inscriptions.--On each coin minted
under this title there shall be--
(1) a designation of the value of the coin;
(2) an inscription of the date ``September 11, 2001'' (and
such coin shall bear no other date); and
(3) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We
Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus
Unum''.
(c) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this
title shall be selected--
(1) by the Secretary after consultation with the Commission
of Fine Arts; and
(2) reviewed by the citizens advisory committee established
under section 5135 of title 31, United States Code.

SEC. 204. STRIKING AND ISSUANCE OF COINS.

(a) Quality of Coins.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided under paragraph (2),
coins minted under this title shall be issued in uncirculated
quality.

[[Page H8203]]

(2) Gold coins.--50 dollar coins minted under section
202(a)(1) shall be issued only in proof quality.
(b) Mint Facility.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided under paragraph (2),
only 1 facility of the United States Mint may be used to
strike any particular quality of the coins minted under this
title.
(2) Clad coins.--Any number of facilities of the United
States Mint may be used to strike the half dollar coins
minted under section 202(a)(3).
(c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary--
(1) shall commence issuing coins minted under this title as
soon as possible after the date of the enactment of this Act;
and
(2) shall not issue any coins after the end of the 1-year
period beginning on the date such coins are first issued.

SEC. 205. SALE OF COINS.

(a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under section 202(a)
(other than the 50 dollar gold coins referred to in
subsection (d)) shall be sold by the Secretary at a price
equal to the sum of--
(1) the face value of the coins;
(2) the surcharges required by section 206(a) with respect
to such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the
coins issued under section 202(a) at a reasonable discount.
(c) Prepaid Orders.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid
orders received before the issuance of the coins minted under
section 202(a). The sale prices with respect to such prepaid
orders shall be at a reasonable discount.
(d) Gold Coins.--Notwithstanding section 204(c)(2), the
Secretary shall issue a 50 dollar coin minted under section
202(a)(1) for presentation free of charge to the next of kin
or personal representative of each individual identified
under section 202(b). The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on
behalf of the Congress, of such gold coins.

SEC. 206. SURCHARGES ON SALE OF COINS.

(a) Assessment.--Any sale by the Secretary of a coin minted
under this title shall include a surcharge of an amount
determined by the Secretary to be sufficient to cover the
cost of the gold coins minted under section 202(a)(1)
(including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead
expenses, and shipping) for presentment in accordance with
section 205(d), which charge may not be less than--
(1) $100 per coin for the 50 dollar gold coins;
(2) $10 per coin for the 1 dollar coin; and
(3) $5 per coin for the half dollar coin.
(b) Distribution of Excess Proceeds.--Any proceeds from the
surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins
issued under this title in excess of the cost of producing
all coins issued under this title (including coins issued for
individuals identified pursuant to section 202(b)(2)) shall
be--
(1) used to cover the costs incurred in the production of
gold medals under title I that have not been recovered from
the sale of duplicate bronze medals under such title; and
(2) with respect to any amount remaining after the costs
described in paragraph (1) are covered, transferred to any
fund for victims of the tragedies of September 11, 2001, that
the Secretary of the Treasury and the Attorney General
jointly determine to be appropriate.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). Pursuant to the order of the
House of Wednesday, September 10, 2003, the gentleman from New York
(Mr. King) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) each will
control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. King).

General Leave

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks on this legislation, and to insert extraneous material
thereon.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, at the outset let me thank the gentlewoman from New York
(Mrs. Maloney) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) for the
assistance they have given in formulating this legislation and for the
efforts they have made in helping to rebuild New York and in all they
have done since September 11 working together as a united force to
bring people together and to focus attention on the tremendous heroism
that was demonstrated on that day in New York, at the Pentagon, and, of
course, on Flight 93.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this legislation is to commend those who
died in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. It is almost axiomatic
today to say that our lives will never be the same since September 11,
and they have not. But in many ways from the terrible ashes of death
and destruction that occurred on September 11, our country today is
stronger than it ever was before. It is stronger morally, it is
stronger spiritually, it has a great sense of moral clarity and
resolve.
One of the reasons for that is at the time of the attack when America
could have fallen back, when America could have retreated and gone into
a state of bewilderment, it united immediately and fought back. One of
the reasons it did that was because the eyes of the country and the
eyes of the world were on the Twin Towers of New York, they were on the
Pentagon, and they saw what happened in the fields of Pennsylvania on
Flight 93, and they saw those in the eye of the storm fought back.
In New York, we saw the police officers and the firefighters rushing
into the Twin Towers. Over 343 firefighters were killed, and many
police officers from the Port Authority were killed. I believe it was
37. There were 23 police officers from the New York City police
department, all of whom were killed, all of whom, without any
hesitation, went into the burning towers to effectuate the largest
evacuation in history. More than 25,000 people were evacuated that day,
and it was done because of the incredible heroism of those who answered
the call, those in the fire department, those in the police department
and those from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the
police officers who demonstrated their courage.
In addition, there were the EMS workers and the construction workers
who went into the Twin Towers to bring people out; that set the tone
for our country. That brought us together when the eyes of the world
were watching. Just suppose if they had been watching and instead of
seeing firefighters rush into the building, they saw them dispersing.
Suppose they had seen a state of panic or people being left in those
buildings to burn while firefighters and police officers stayed below,
but they did not.
All of us in New York have suffered the loss of constituents, of
friends, relatives, neighbors, and in many ways the list is too long to
begin to enumerate. Certainly in my own community, the Haskell
brothers, Tom and Tim, were killed. There was Lieutenant John Perry who
was killed. From the adjoining community of Farmingdale, Pete Ganci was
the chief of the department, and he was killed. Father Michael Judge,
the chaplain of the department was killed. Michael Boyle was killed, as
was David Arce. I can go down the whole list of names of people that we
knew, people that were friends and neighbors, people who dedicated
their lives to the police department, to the fire department.
There was a police captain from the Port Authority, Cathy Mazur, who
is responsible for saving untold numbers of lives. She was on the main
floor of the World Trade Center, and when people could not get out, she
took out her revolver and blew out the windows, and that alone enabled
hundreds of people to escape. She was later killed.

{time} 1030

But that is typical of the type of courage that was shown that day,
the type of determination that was shown that day. There were similar
acts of courage at the Pentagon. God knows there were tremendous acts
of courage on Flight 93 which, as so many have said, probably saved our
lives, saved the lives of those in the White House that day by bringing
that plane down.
So I believe that it is important that, as a body, Congress speak on
behalf of the American people to really try to begin a down payment on
the debt that we owe to all those who gave their lives on September 11.
In saying that, in no way should we be diminishing those who were not
part of the uniformed services who were killed that day, men and women
who went to work, who were doing their job, people at Cantor
Fitzgerald, all those firms, they were almost wiped out on September
11, also performed acts of heroism, most of which will never be known
because it was not recorded, but we know when the World Trade Center
was attacked back in 1993 how heroic those people had been.
There is no doubt that it was done again in 2001. We are singling out
and

[[Page H8204]]

specifying the uniformed services and the rescue workers for what they
did; but at the same time we are acknowledging the tremendous sacrifice
of those who were killed just doing their jobs that day and who were
targeted. They were targeted by Osama bin Laden because they symbolized
the United States. The people in the World Trade Center symbolized the
American economy. The people in the Pentagon symbolized the American
military. They were targeted. These were not accidents that they were
killed that day. They were killed for a reason. That is why the
addition of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) to this bill, which
provides the commemorative coin to everyone who was killed that day, to
me really brings this together in the unity that our country needs, the
rescue workers and those who were killed because they were working that
day; the country working together, Democrats and Republicans, the House
and hopefully the Senate standing together to acknowledge those who
paid the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001, and whose memory
will always be with us.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as coauthor of this legislation, I am pleased to join
the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) and the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Engel) in support of H.R. 1538, the True American Heroes Act of
2003. The brave men and women who came to our defense on 9/11 may not
have been soldiers, but they certainly were heroes. Thousands of New
York City's fire, police and EMT workers came racing down to the World
Trade Center to give their all, to rescue the victims of the most
terrible terrorist attack on America in history. The passengers of
Flight 93 crashed their plane rather than allow it to slam into another
building, perhaps the Capitol itself. Rescue workers at the Pentagon
labored to free their colleagues. These people are true American heroes
and heroines. They deserve full honors.
This bill consolidates three proposals for recognizing our heroes, a
bill authored by myself and the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) to
present gold medals to emergency rescuers who perished in the World
Trade Center which first passed the House last December and actually in
December 2001. This will be the third time this bill has passed this
House; legislation proposed by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel)
to create a Spirit of America coin; and suggestions that we honor
rescuers at the Pentagon and the brave people who wrestled Flight 93 to
the ground in Pennsylvania. They saved an untold number of lives and
quite possibly the very building in which we are standing.
More than 2 years after September 11, the shock, pain and trauma of
that day lingers with my constituents in New York. While we resiliently
cleaned up the site ahead of schedule, no New Yorker can walk past a
firehouse or police precinct without an empty feeling in the pit of
their stomach over the 343 firefighters, 37 Port Authority police
officers, and 23 New York City police officers who gave their lives to
save others that day. In my own district, 25 different fire stations
lost people in the terror attacks. One of these firehouses, the
Roosevelt Island-based special operations unit, lost 10 men because a
shift change was in progress when the attacks occurred. Off-duty
firefighters grabbed their gear and headed to the scene. Only God knows
how many people owe them their lives. Off-duty personnel dying on the
job is the ultimate paradox. But such was the valor of September 11.
When I was at Ground Zero on September 12, I heard estimates from
State officials that as many as 20,000 people had been killed in the
World Trade Center. We now know that, thanks to the heroics of the
rescue workers, the death toll was well below 3,000. From the moment
the planes struck the towers, from all over the city and surrounding
areas, rescuers poured out of firehouses and precinct houses to put the
lives of strangers ahead of their own. They were cops, firemen, EMTs,
and other public servants. This legislation lets us honor these men and
women who died so others could live.
It is true that thousands of families are missing family members 2
years later, but perhaps the best reason to pass this bill is that tens
of thousands of families are not. In the past, the Congressional Gold
Medal has been awarded to honor contributions to America by outstanding
individuals and groups. Not since Pearl Harbor had America suffered a
large-scale act of war on its own soil. I consider those who battled
the flames to save lives to be the first soldiers killed in the war on
terrorism. I doubt that many in the military would disagree, and I
think this body needs to honor them appropriately. The True American
Heroes Act will award Congressional Gold Medals to the brave rescuers
who perished in the attacks, to the individual precinct houses,
firehouses and emergency response stations that suffered losses, to the
offices of the mayor and Governor of New York, and the head of the Port
Authority which ran the World Trade Center for its 28-year life span.
For the Port Authority, this is an especially fitting honor. My friend
Neil Levin was head of the Port Authority. On September 11, Neil was
among those lost in the attack trying to save others.
New York City is thankful to all Members of this House for this honor
and for helping the City of New York recover since the attack. Why are
these medals important? Let us put ourselves in the place of the men,
women, and children who lost family members on September 11. They
learned that something horrible had happened. They turned on the
television like the rest of us. They watched in horror as the towers
burned, the people jumped and the buildings collapsed. Then they waited
and wondered and prayed and wept. As the day turned to night and night
to morning, they waited for a reassuring call from a familiar voice
that never came. When the realization finally sank in, they were
confronted with the articles of continuity that had become in an
instant artifacts of a life ended in midstream by an act of sheer
insanity: an empty pair of shoes, a chair at the dinner table, a side
of the bed. To grasp what that must have felt like even for a moment is
to get a glimpse of grief in its purest form. We need to give these
family members, their loved ones and colleagues another artifact of
that day, one worthy of the rescue workers' courage, sacrifice and
love, something affirming, something tangible, something precious,
something gold, the most distinguished honor that can be bestowed by
this Congress. The U.S. Mint will make bronze reproductions of the
medals available to all Americans who wish to honor the rescue workers.
Finally, the bill is much improved, with language provided by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel). This Spirit of America coin is a
highly appropriate commemorative for this solemn occasion. I thank the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) for his contribution to the
legislation as well as the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), my
counterpart on the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary
Policy, Trade, and Technology. And we thank the gentleman from Ohio
(Mr. Oxley) for his strong support of this legislation and ranking
member, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).
New York City is thankful to all Members of this House. We thank you
for responding to the City of New York in its time of greatest need.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was going to yield time to the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), but he has agreed to
defer to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), so I will reserve the
balance of my time.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
the great State of New York (Mr. Engel).
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding time to me,
and I thank the gentleman from New Jersey.
I rise to offer my strong support for H.R. 1538, the True American
Heroes Act of 2003. I also rise to thank the gentleman from New York
(Mr. King) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for their
leadership on this bill and also my colleague and friend from the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Stearns), who has been a stalwart ally in this effort. Finally, I want
to thank the House majority and minority leadership for agreeing to
bringing

[[Page H8205]]

this bill up under unanimous consent and today on September 11. It is
very fitting that we do this on September 11.
Today is the second anniversary of the greatest attack on America
since our Republic was founded. Since that day, Americans have stood
together, united as we never have before. Thus, it is fitting and
appropriate that the House takes up this legislation. It provides the
heroes of that day with a Congressional Gold Medal. It awards these
medals to government workers and others who responded to the attacks on
the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and perished and to the people
aboard United Airlines Flight 93 who helped resist the hijackers and
caused the plane to crash. This bill is combined with a bill that I had
that we had a majority of Members of this House cosponsoring which
requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration
of the spirit of America, recognizing the tragic events of September
11, 2001. I am delighted that we have combined these two bills into one
really very special bill.
Mr. Speaker, on September 12, 2001, after coming down to Washington
from New York, I was in New York City on September 11, I spoke on the
House floor. I would like very much to read what I said that day,
September 12, one day after the terrible attacks in 2001, because it is
the way I feel now, and I think it is the way so many of us feel.
``Mr. Speaker, I am going to speak from the heart. I have had a very
tough couple of days. I think America lost our innocence yesterday, and
I just kept thinking that perhaps this was a bad dream and we would
somehow wake up and it would not be true, but we all know it is.
``Mr. Speaker, I am a New Yorker, born and bred. I love our city. I
was in New York when this tragedy occurred. I often say to my children
when we come back to New York, look at the skyline, look at the World
Trade Center. It is so invigorating. It makes me feel so wonderful just
to be in this city, the city I love, the city in which I was born.
``Mr. Speaker, we New Yorkers are a tough breed; but I have to tell
my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, this morning at 7 a.m. when I went over the
George Washington Bridge to come back down here to Washington and I
took a look at the New York skyline and saw the Twin Towers were not
there and in its place I saw the smoke and the fire, I really lost it.
I really lost it.
``Mr. Speaker, as much as I have lost it because I do not see the
towers there, it pales by comparison when I think of the victims, the
men, women and children who lost their lives; the firemen, the
policemen who came there to save people's lives and lost their lives.

{time} 1045

``People who go to work, like millions of people in this great
country, go to work to earn a living to support their families, they go
to work and they are killed by lunatics.
We have some questions to be asked, Mr. Speaker. We have to ask why
our intelligence failed us, why our security failed us. Congress has to
get to the bottom of this and ask these questions. Congress will find
out.
Let me say to the terrorists and those people in the streets that we
saw, the Palestinians and others who were dancing in the streets with
glee, let me say to them and Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban and all
the people that support terrorism, you have awakened a sleeping giant.
The United States will not rest until we root out every one of you,
until we root out the terror and the terrorist cells. We are going to
rally around our President, as we always have, with bipartisanship. We
are all one America. God bless this wonderful Nation. God bless
America.''
Mr. Speaker, I hope that the vote on this bill today will be
unanimous, because 2 years later, we in this Congress are just as
resolute as we were 2 years ago to destroy the scourge of terrorism and
to honor the brave men, women and children who lost their lives and to
the people who responded who gave their lives so that others may live.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen).
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me
time, and I congratulate the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) and his
colleagues, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) and the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), for their proposal, and I strongly
support it.
Mr. Speaker, no words nor any precious medal can capture the grief
and heartache of September 11 better than the words of the poem ``The
Names'' by Billy Collins, the Poet Laureate of the United States, who
gave us this wonderful piece of poetry so eloquently as we met in a
special session of Congress in New York last year at this very time.

``Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night.
A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze,
And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows,
I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,
Then Baxter and Calabro,
Davis and Eberling, names falling into place
As droplets fell through the dark.
Names printed on the ceiling of the night.
Names slipping around a watery bend.
Twenty-six willows on the banks of a stream.
In the morning, I walked out barefoot
Among thousands of flowers
Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears,
And each had a name--
Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal
Then Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and Jenkins.
Names written in the air
And stitched into the cloth of the day.
A name under a photograph taped to a mailbox.
Monogram on a torn shirt,
I see you spelled out on storefront windows
And on bright unfurled awnings of this city.
I say the syllables as I turn a corner--
Kelly and Lee,
Medina, Nardella, and O'Connor.
When I peer into the woods,
I see a thick tangle where letters are hidden
In a puzzle concocted for children.
Parker and Quigley in the twigs of an ash,
Rizzo, Schubert, Torres, and Upton,
Secrets in boughs of an ancient maple.
Names written in the pale sky.
Names rising in the updraft amid buildings.
Names silent in stone
Or cried out behind a door.
Names blown over the earth and out to sea.
In the evening--weakening light, the last swallows.
A boy on a lake lifts his oars.
A woman by a window puts a match to a candle,
And the names are outlined on the rose clouds--
Vanacore and Wallace,
(Let X stand, if it can, for the ones unfound)
Then Young and Ziminsky, the final jolt of Z.
Names etched on the head of a pin.
One name spanning a bridge, another undergoing a tunnel.
A blue name needled into the skin.
Names of citizens, workers, mothers and fathers,
The bright-eyed daughter, the quick son.
Alphabet of names in a green field.
Names in the small tracks of birds.
Names lifted from a hat
Or balanced on the tip of the tongue.
Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory.
So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the
heart.''

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Watson).
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me
time.
Mr. Speaker, two years ago to the day after the tragic terrorist
attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11,
this date will always be etched in the minds of every American as a new
day of infamy, when over 3,000 innocent people lost their lives. My
most heartfelt prayers go out to the victims, survivors, families,
friends and the representatives who suffered losses on this tragic day.
The debris has been cleared and buildings repaired, but none of us
will ever forget the massive loss of lives and the real fear that
confronted each of us on that fatal day. In particular, my thoughts and
prayers go out to thousands of our Nation's first responders, our
firemen and women, emergency medical personnel, our police officers,
who selflessly put themselves in harm's way, and in numerous instances
paid the ultimate sacrifice with their own lives.
Despite these terrible events, we as a Nation must remain strong, and
we have; we must persevere, and we have; and we must remain resolute in
our thoughts and actions, that never again will this happen on
America's soil.

[[Page H8206]]

The anniversary of September 11 also provides a time for an honest
assessment of where we stand on our own Homeland Security. Providing
for the security of our homeland must be the number one priority of
government today. Despite the steps that have been taken to improve
homeland security, I believe we must do more. In memory of the
thousands who perished innocently when they got up that morning, not
knowing what fate had in store for them, we must concentrate on how we
protect our borders.
We currently have 600,000 containers coming into our ports each day,
but less than 3 percent of the cargo containers entering America's
ports are ever checked to determine their contents. And, tragically,
our Nation's first responders still do not have the equipment and
training they need to respond to another terrorist attack.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that as we memorialize all of these innocent
Americans, that we pay attention to what their sacrifices mean and
interpret it as meaning we must concentrate and move ahead.
Finally, to better protect our people, we must learn everything we
can about this fatal date of 9/11. So I am looking forward to seeing
the report that came in on lessons learned.
We must honor the people who were sacrificed, and we must see and put
in place those necessary programs and projects, and we must have a
philosophy that we start here today in memory of our dead to protect
our own, as we protect others around the globe.
May God bless their souls. May they all rest in peace.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as
he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble).
Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from New York for yielding
me time.
Mr. Speaker, today, of course, we commemorate what occurred 2 years
ago, an event that changed the face of America forever. We are not the
same country we were then.
Our country was once referred to as a giant hotel lobby, where you
come and go at will. Well, giant hotel lobbies that are open,
notoriously are easy pickings for terrorists, and they were easy
pickings that day.
My friends from New York lost many constituents that day, Mr.
Speaker. I lost, as far as I know, only one. Sandy Bradshaw was a
flight attendant on the United Airlines flight that ditched in
Pennsylvania, and I believe that she and her fellow crew members saved
many lives by having elected to ditch that day.
Today, at Eastern Randolph High School in Ramseur, North Carolina, my
district, there is a special event that will commence very shortly in
honor of Sandy Bradshaw, who was an alumni of that school.
These people who came calling, and I will have to give the sanitized
version of how I have referred to them, because I have referred to them
in language that perhaps would not be acceptable to you, Mr. Speaker,
or to the House, but, for want of a better word, they are cowardly
criminals, murderers, who came calling that day. But they have not won.
We are of strong resolve, and I am confident we will prevail.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from the great State of North
Carolina for his very moving comments.
Mr. Speaker, I want to say that the authors of this legislation have
worked on it for 2 years to create a fitting honor for the heroes of 9/
11. This is actually the third time this legislation has come to the
floor. We have passed it twice out of the House, and this is the first
time this extremely worthy issue has been raised.
In response to the request from Members in the Senate, we have tried
to be all-inclusive and have broadened the categories of medal
recipients to include all the police, fire and rescue workers who
responded to the attacks.
Mr. Speaker, I feel it is very important that we pass this very
important legislation today on 9/11, on the anniversary, and move
forward.
Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentleman for his leadership and
consistency. The gentleman has stayed on this like a pit bull to get it
to the floor for the third time. I thank also the chairman of our
committee, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) and the ranking member,
the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank). I hope we will be able to
pass it for the third time today with his leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me, in conclusion, once again thank the gentlewoman
from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for the tremendous effort she has made
over the past 2 years in doing all she can and working with me in a
bipartisan way to move this legislation forward.
Let me thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), who is one of
the first who authored a bill after September 11 commemorating those
who died on that tragic day, and also has worked so closely with us,
all of us trying to put egos aside, and we did definitely put partisan
interests aside to move this forward. I think that really in many ways
symbolizes the very best of September 11. We realize there is something
more than our own narrow parochial interests, that there is a larger
cause.
So I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) and the
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for the way they have
conducted themselves, for the assistance they have given me and for the
dedication they have to this matter.
I also want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Oxley), who
has been cooperative throughout. I want to thank the majority leader,
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) and the minority leader, the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), for agreeing to bring this
legislation forward on September 11. To me it is the most fitting day
of all it could be brought on.

{time} 1100

Also, I would say that as we remember those who died, as we honor
those who died in the line of duty that day, that we realize that their
families are still going forward. So as we honor those who died, let us
not forget those who survived them who still, every day, must confront
the dilemma of going forward, the emptiness, the sorrow, the tragedy
that occurred to them on September 11 and will be with them throughout
the remainder of their lives. We should just try to put ourselves in
their position, to understand some of the terrible trauma that was
inflicted on them. In doing that, that should give us more momentum to
make sure this bill not just passes today, but also to work with the
Senate to find a way to get it through.
Mr. Speaker, this is not just passing a bill for the sake of passing
a bill. I think it is a real duty and obligation on the Congress of the
United States that we record and let it be known the way we feel and
the respect and the honor that we have for those who died in the line
of duty on September 11. And by awarding a Congressional Gold Medal,
that is the way that we can pay that tribute, not just to them, but to
history, so that history will record exactly what they did and the
extent to which we thought about it. And, in doing that, out of that
twisted steel and burning rubble of the World Trade Center, out of the
terrible destruction at the Pentagon, and out of the plane that was
literally obliterated in the fields of Pennsylvania, from those
horrible moments will come a greater America and a lesson for future
generations to realize what people should do when confronted by crisis.
Because all of us in this House, we can all talk a good game, but the
reality is, no one ever knows what they will do when they are really
put to the test. On September 11 we had so many hundreds of people, if
not thousands of people, who were put to the test, and they all passed
the test. So by them passing that test that day, by them showing the
courage and determination that they did, that has allowed us to go
forward as a Nation.
So let us go forward from this bill today, standing together behind
our President, behind the united leadership of the House and the
Senate, committed to America. We can have partisan differences, we can
have differences on tactics, but we should never, ever again disagree
on the overriding goal of America destroying the forces of
international terrorism, protecting our borders, and doing all we can
to ensure that a September 11 will

[[Page H8207]]

never again occur, and that these men and women did not die in vain.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to the order of the House of Wednesday, September 10, 2003,
the bill is considered read for amendment, and the previous question is
ordered.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the
table.

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