|
Washington DC - U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) today marked the second anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on America with the following statement.
"September 11th marked a profound change in American life. For those who lost friends and family, or were directly affected by the tragedies in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania, our thoughts and prayers are with them today.
"The priority of Congress in the wake of September 11th is to make America safer, and we have made significant strides towards that goal. America has rooted out terrorism on foreign shores: fighting Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, eliminating Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. We have broken up terrorist cells at home and abroad while dismantling the financial network supporting their homicidal missions.
"America now has a better-coordinated system of homeland security through the cooperative efforts of federal, state, and local intelligence and law enforcement. We have much more to do, however, before we can say the threat is minimal with a level of confidence the American people deserve. Security for our airlines, shipping, energy production, food and water supplies, and infrastructure must be improved and streamlined.
"We learned a painful, tragic lesson two years ago. There are those in the world who despise our freedoms enough to take sons from their mothers and fathers from their daughters. They are heartless and cold-blooded killers, from those who planned and financed these acts to those who carried out the attacks.
"I am moved by the bravery, the kindness, and the patriotism Americans have displayed over the last two years. But I am just as aware that it cannot begin to fill the void in our lives that we are aware of today."
Later today, Emerson will attend a remembrance ceremony on the West Front Terrace of the U.S. Capitol. |
