I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 401, a resolution to recognize the heroism and courage displayed by airline flight attendants each day.
The anniversary of the September 11 terrorist hijackings and attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon is just two days away. All Americans remember and mourn the lives lost that tragic day.
The world has changed for all of us. Before that time, flight attendants and their families and loved ones lived and worked with the knowledge that rare instances of mechanical failure or hijackers could endanger their lives. But no one imagined the dreadful assault of September 11, when terrorists turned four airborne planes into missiles used to attack thousands of Americans.
That day, flight attendants again demonstrated their courage in the face of extreme danger. From all that we know of the final minutes on those flights, flight attendants worked to communicate with the ground, and in all likelihood helped prevent Flight 93, which crashed in rural Pennsylvania, from taking many more lives.
I would like to bring my colleagues' attention to the heroism of Betty Ong, a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, whose family lives in my district of San Francisco. On September 11, Betty called the airline reservations center from the plane to sound the alarm and provide information about the terrorists who had taken over the plane. I am aware of the enormous pain and suffering her family has been experiencing and extend them my deepest sympathy. It is an honor to pay tribute to Betty and express my appreciation for her life and bravery in the face of enormous danger.
Now, even stepping onto an airplane is an act requiring willpower and courage
for many Americans. Yet flight attendants do it every day. Flight attendants
deserve our respect, cooperation, courtesy, and commendation for their hard
work and courage their hard work. I urge my colleagues to vote for this resolution.
Thank you.