III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 656 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the terrorist attacks committed 

against the United States of America on September 11, 2001. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2008 

Mr. REID (for himself, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. 

ALLARD, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. BAYH, Mr. BENNETT, Mr. 

BIDEN, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. BOND, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. 

BROWNBACK, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. BURR, Mr. BYRD, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. 

CARDIN, Mr. CARPER, Mr. CASEY, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. 

COBURN, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. COLEMAN, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. CONRAD, Mr. 

CORKER, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. DEMINT, Mr. DODD, 

Mrs. DOLE, Mr. DOMENICI, Mr. DORGAN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. 

ENZI, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. GRASSLEY, 

Mr. GREGG, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. HATCH, Mrs. HUTCHISON, 

Mr. INHOFE, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. KENNEDY, 

Mr. KERRY, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. KOHL, Mr. KYL, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. 

LAUTENBERG, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mrs. LINCOLN, 

Mr. LUGAR, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. MCCAIN, Mrs. MCCASKILL, Mr. 

MENENDEZ, Ms. MIKULSKI, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. NELSON of Nebraska, Mr. OBAMA, Mr. PRYOR, Mr. 

REED, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. SANDERS, 

Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SHELBY, Mr. SMITH, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. 

SPECTER, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. STEVENS, Mr. SUNUNU, Mr. TESTER, 

Mr. THUNE, Mr. VITTER, Mr. VOINOVICH, Mr. WARNER, Mr. WEBB, Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE, Mr. WICKER, and Mr. WYDEN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the terrorist 

attacks committed against the United States of America 

on September 11, 2001. 


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•SRES 656 ATS 

Whereas at 8:46 AM on the morning of September 11, 2001, 

hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 was flown into the 

upper portion of the North Tower of the World Trade 

Center in New York City, New York; 

Whereas 17 minutes later, at 9:03 AM, hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the 

World Trade Center; 

Whereas the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the 

New York Police Department (NYPD), the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD), the Office of Emergency 

Management (OEM) of the Mayor of New York, and 

countless eyewitnesses and public health officials responded immediately and valiantly to these horrific 

events; 

Whereas at 9:37 AM, the west wall of the Pentagon was hit 

by hijacked American Airlines Flight 77, whose impact 

caused immediate and catastrophic damage to the headquarters of the Department of Defense; 

Whereas Pentagon officials, county fire, police, and sheriff 

departments, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport 

Fire Department, the Fort Myer Fire Department, the 

Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a National 

Medical Response Team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 

and Firearms, and numerous military personnel all responded promptly and courageously to this attack on the 

United States military establishment; 

Whereas the passengers and crew of hijacked United Airlines 

Flight 93 acted heroically to retake control of the airVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:14 Sep 12, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR656.ATS SR656

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•SRES 656 ATS 

plane and thwart the taking of additional American lives 

by crashing the airliner in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, 

and, in doing so, gave their lives to save countless others; 

Whereas nearly 3,000 innocent civilians were killed in the 

heinous attacks of September 11, 2001; 

Whereas the Fire Department of New York suffered 343 fatalities on September 11, 2001, the largest loss of life of 

any emergency response agency in United States history; 

Whereas the Port Authority Police Department suffered 37 

fatalities in the attacks, the largest loss of life of any police force in United States history; 

Whereas the New York Police Department suffered 23 fatalities as a result of the terrorist attacks, the second largest 

loss of life of any police force in United States history, 

exceeded only by the number of Port Authority Police 

Department officers lost that same day; 

Whereas seven years later, the people of the United States 

of America and people around the world continue to 

mourn the tremendous loss of innocent life on that fateful day; and 

Whereas seven years later, thousands of men and women in 

the United States Armed Forces remain in harm’s way 

defending our Nation against those who seek to threaten 

the United States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes September 11, 2008, as a day of 

3 solemn commemoration of the events of September 

4 11, 2001; 


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1 (2) offers its deepest and most sincere condo2 lences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the 

3 innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, ter4 rorist attacks; 

5 (3) honors the heroic service, actions, and sac6 rifices of first responders, law enforcement per7 sonnel, State and local officials, volunteers, and 

8 countless others who aided the innocent victims of 

9 these attacks and, in doing so, bravely risked and 

10 often gave their own lives; 

11 (4) recognizes the valiant service, actions, and 

12 sacrifices of United States personnel, including 

13 members of the United States Armed Forces, the 

14 United States intelligence agencies, the United 

15 States diplomatic service, law enforcement personnel, 

16 and their families, who have given so much, includ17 ing their lives and well-being, to support the cause 

18 of freedom and defend our Nation’s security; and 

19 (5) reaffirms that the people of the United 

20 States will never forget the challenges our country 

21 endured on and since September 11, 2001, and will 

22 work tirelessly to defeat those who attacked our Na23 tion. 

Æ 


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