9.11.2001

Terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon on 9.11.  Dingell calls for the country to unite and warns against Civil Rights violations following 9.11 attacks.  "As we mourn and grieve for loved ones, and grieve for our country, I promise you, Mr. Speaker, that our American ideals and values will survive, sustain us, and make us a stronger nation. Our country speaks with one voice and we are united behind the President. Make no mistake about it, this was an act of war, and will be dealt with as such. The perpetrators of these deplorable, cowardly deeds, and those that aid and comfort them, will be hunted down and brought to justice.""In our desire to avenge this vicious attack, and avenge it we will, we must not erode the civil liberties of Americans. During World War I and World War II, we trampled the liberties of Americans simply because of their ethnicity. These assaults on the freedom of German-Americans, Italian-Americans and Japanese-Americans left black marks upon our history. And we must not repeat those mistakes in the wake of this unspeakable tragedy. Indeed, depriving any group of Americans their liberty undermines the liberty of all Americans."(Dingell Press Release, 9.12.01)

9.14.2001

Dingell votes to authorize use of force against Afghanistan.  In the wake of the terrorist attacks Dingell joined a nearly unanimous Congressional passing a resolution that would "authorize the president to use all necessary and appropriate force against the nations, organization or people that he determines planned authorized, committed or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11th"…"(Vote #342, Passed 420-1, 9.14.01, JDD: Y, CQ Almanac p. H-118)

10.24.2001

Dingell votes against the Patriot Act.  He is one of 66 Members to do so.  In his floor statement, Dingell says:  "Mr. Speaker, we are considering under a very strange rule a very strange process which has resulted in a bill which is quite different than reported by the committee… What we are doing today is not considering just a few simple questions like expenditures of money. We are dealing today with basic constitutional rights. Ordinarily these are matters of the highest importance and are considered with great care under a rule, in an open process, because, after all, these are the things upon which Americans rely for their personal security and for their understanding that their rights are protected.
"All of a sudden sometime, probably last night, the Attorney General snuck up here to have a meeting. The result is that the bill suffered some extraordinary changes, all of which deal with the basic, fundamental rights of Americans in ways very different and probably much more unfavorably than did the committee bill.
"This is not the way. The United States is not so threatened that we have to throw away our rights without careful consideration, and that we have to disregard the careful and thoughtful and fine work done by the chairman, the committee, and by my distinguished friend, the ranking minority member.
"I find this a distressing process, one which reflects very poorly on the House--and one which indicates a great distrust and dislike for the work of the committee, which was superb--and for the basic fundamental liberties of the people of the United States.
"I find it denigrating basic constitutional rights, and I find it to have been done in a sneaky, dishonest fashion. It reflects very poorly on this body."
(Vote #398, Passed 357-66, 10.24.01, JDD: N; http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?r107:119:./temp/~r1070ePnv0:e426253)

12.21.2001

International Wildlife Refuge is signed into law.  Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Establishment Act, legislation created an International Wildlife Refuge along the Detroit River, an 18-mile refuge will stretch from Zug Island in Detroit to Sterling State Park in Monroe, and will be managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for public recreation, wildlife observation, hunting and fishing. It is the first-ever International refuge in the United States. (Dingell Press Release, 12.21.01)