As we remember the immense loss we suffered in the early hours of September 11, 2001, it is fitting to take time to reflect on how these attacks impacted—and continue to impact—our nation.

Ten years later we are reminded of the selflessness of the American spirit as citizens from every walk of life came together to help one another from the rubble of the collapsed towers and the Pentagon.

We are reminded of the courageous fortitude of the American soul as passengers aboard Flight 93 sacrificed themselves to avoid even greater loss of life.

We are reminded what it means to stand united for our freedoms against a common enemy.

Despite the pain caused by terrorists that fateful morning, we stand as proof that the people of the United States of America will stand united when under attack.

May we never forget the great courage of firefighters, police officers and other first responders who paid the ultimate sacrifice. May our thoughts and prayers be with the many families who lost loved ones. And may we continue to support our troops who continue to put themselves in harm’s way to defend us against future attacks.

God bless… Read More

Any of you of my generation or older remembers where you were and what you were doing when you heard that President Kennedy had been shot. I think all of us, including two younger generations now, will always remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard about the attacks on 9/11/01. I was not yet in Congress, but was in my first year as a freshman Assemblyman in the California Legislature. I was at my home in Sacramento that morning reading the paper and quietly doing e-mails and preparing to write one of these missives, which I had already been regularly writing for a year to that point. My then Chief-of Staff called me at home to ask if I was watching the news. “No”, I replied. He said, “A plane crashed into the world Trade Center in New York”. “You mean like a Cessna or something?” I asked. “No”, he responded, “a big plane. You should turn on the TV”. I did. The State Capitol was closed that day as they assessed attack risks there. My house was under the flight pattern for Sacramento Airport and it was eerily quiet as all planes stopped flying for several days. When we went into the State Capitol the next day, I, along with a Democratic… Read More