September 23, 2001

Washington, D.C.- There is no way to aptly put into words the feelings of grief, fear, and anger Americans have been struggling with for the last two weeks. We as a nation are coming to terms with the heavy emotional toll of this attack, while at the same time facing the prospect of a potentially long and protracted war half a world away. As Thomas Paine said, "these are the times that try men's souls." No doubt, we will be tested as a nation. But I believe it is times like these when the American people will not only find the resolve to carry on, but to persevere and stand stronger as a nation than ever before. I've come to that conclusion since the Sept. 11 terror attacks on our country, after observing the actions of our government and of our nation.

I've seen 518 members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, come together to vote to give the President the authority to use military force against the terrorists. I can definitely say that I have the pleasure of working with members of Congress from every side of the political spectrum, and from every walk of life. It was impressive to see a body as diverse as ours come together and in near unanimous fashion set aside partisan squabbling to put the interests of the nation first.

I've seen that same Congress respond unanimously to the President's request for emergency disaster relief assistance. I can't stress enough how impressive a unanimous vote for federal funding really is. Before Sept. 11, you wouldn't have been able to get a unanimous vote on which way is up. But when the President said the people of New York and Washington would immediately need $20 billion as a down payment on disaster relief, Congress responded by swiftly approving $40 billion. Every member of the House and Senate agreed with the President that this money was needed immediately, for the recovery efforts, for the massive criminal investigation already underway, for increased transportation security measures, and to repair public facilities and transportation systems damaged by the explosions.

I've seen it in my travels through the sixth district since the attacks. Everywhere I go I see Old Glory waving proudly. From front porches to store windows, Americans are showing their pride and their support for our country by flying the flag. And they're telling me that they support their President during this national crisis, and that they want to see justice. They don't want random justice, but justice that will keep a tragic event like this from happening again.

But by far what is most impressive are the stories - stories of common Americans with uncommon courage. The hundreds of firefighters who went directly to the World Trade Center, racing up the buildings to rescue injured workers, knowing they were putting themselves in grave danger. More than 200 of those firefighters went down with those buildings, doing their duty in an attempt to save the lives of their fellow New Yorkers.

There are stories of the countless rescue workers still clawing through tons of rubble, so that family members still holding out hope for loved ones can continue to do so, and so when they have lost all hope, they can give their loved ones a final resting place.

There are stories of the passengers who sacrificed their own lives so they could spare lives on the ground. Once they knew of the terrorist plot and heard through cell phone conversations that two planes had already been used as missiles in New York, the men of United Airlines flight 93 took a vote, and decided to try to overtake the plane from the hijackers, even though they knew it meant certain death. The plane crashed 80 miles outside of Pittsburgh. It was headed for Washington. There is no telling how many lives these passengers saved. I find it a tragic but fitting tribute to the depths of our belief system, that these men used an act of democracy - a vote - to foil an attempt to bring down our democracy.

There are stories of the thousands of people across the United States, with no connections to the people directly affected other than learning of their plight, giving money, or blood, or their time. In Oklahoma alone more than 15,000 units of blood have already been donated, a state record.

There are stories of the servicemen who know a long conflict with another country will put them in harm's way, yet overwhelmingly urging U.S. military action. Many have already been shipped out, and more could be on the way.

And finally there are stories of the families of the victims who simply carry on, as hope to find their loved ones flickers away, hour by hour. None of us can comprehend their struggle to try to fill the immeasurable void in their lives with the memories of the years gone by, while trying to push out the horrific pictures of their final seconds.

These stories have touched us all, in a way that will change us as a nation, and as individuals. We pray for the firemen, the passengers, the victims, the servicemen, the families, and the country. One day our nation will be whole again. We will bring the terrorists to justice, we will rebuild the destruction, and we will heal our physical and emotional wounds. After hearing the stories of the courage and perseverence in the face of what we've all witnessed, I have no doubt we will come back as a nation, stronger than ever before.