III

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 243

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

OCTOBER 31, 2001

Received and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Public Safety

Officer Medal of Valor should be presented to the public

safety officers who have perished and select other public

safety officers who deserve special recognition for outstanding valor above and beyond the call of duty in

the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the United

States on September 11, 2001.

Whereas on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked and destroyed 4 civilian aircraft, crashing 2 of them into the

towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a

third into the Pentagon, and a fourth in rural southwest

Pennsylvania;

Whereas thousands of innocent Americans and many foreign

nationals were killed and injured as a result of these
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surprise terrorist attacks, including the passengers and

crews of the 4 aircraft, workers in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency assistance personnel, and bystanders;

Whereas hundreds of public safety officers were killed and injured as a result of these terrorist attacks because they

immediately rushed to the aid of innocent civilians who

were imperiled when the terrorists first launched their attacks, many of whom would perish when the twin towers

of the World Trade Center collapsed upon them;

Whereas thousands more public safety officers are risking

their own lives and long-term health in sifting through

the aftermath and rubble of these terrorist attacks to recover the dead;

Whereas the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of

2001 (Public Law 107–12; 115 Stat. 20) authorizes the

President to award and present, in the name of Congress,

a Medal of Valor to public safety officers for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty;

Whereas the Attorney General of the United States has discretion to increase the number of recipients of the Medal

of Valor under that Act beyond that recommended by the

Medal of Valor Review Board in extraordinary cases in

any given year;

Whereas the terrorist attacks in the United States of September 11, 2001, and their aftermath constitute the single most deadly assault on our American homeland in our

Nation’s history; and

Whereas those public safety officers who have perished and

those who lead the efforts to rescue innocent civilians

from the terrorist attacks, are the first casualties and
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veterans of America’s new war against terrorism, which

was authorized by the authorization for use of military

force enacted September 14, 2001: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—

3 (1) the President should award and present, in

4 the name of Congress, a Public Safety Officer Medal

5 of Valor to those public safety officers who were

6 killed in the terrorist attacks in the United States

7 on September 11, 2001; and

8 (2) the President should award and present a

9 Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor to those public

10 safety officers who have earned special recognition

11 for outstanding valor above and beyond the call of

12 duty as named—

13 (A) in consultation with the Mayor of the

14 City of New York and Governor of the State of

15 New York for the attacks on New York—

16 (i) Commissioner of the New York

17 City Police Department;

18 (ii) Commissioner of the New York

19 City Fire Department; and

20 (iii) Executive Director of the Port

21 Authority of New York and New Jersey;

22 (B) in consultation with the Chair of the

23 Washington Metropolitan Council of Govern-
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1 ments, including the sitting Chairs of the Police

2 and Fire Chief Committees; and the Fort Myer

3 Federal Fire Chief, and the Governor of the

4 Commonwealth of Virginia for the attack at the

5 Pentagon—

6 (i) Fire Chief of Arlington County,

7 Virginia; and

8 (ii) Police Chief of Arlington County,

9 Virginia; and

10 (C) in consultation with the Governor of

11 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the

12 plane crash in Pennsylvania—

13 (i) Commandant of the Pennsylvania

14 State Police; and

15 (ii) Adjutant General of the Pennsyl16 vania National Guard,

17 or any of their designees, for their heroic actions on

18 September 11, 2001, and thereafter during the res19 cue and recovery missions.

Passed the House of Representatives October 30,

2001.

Attest: JEFF TRANDAHL,

Clerk.