00:00I ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with.
00:05Mr. President, 24 years ago today, September 11th, 2001,
00:12started off like any other day in New York City.
00:15The weather was beautiful.
00:18People were out and about.
00:20It was primary day.
00:22People were lining up to vote.
00:24Then, in an instance, everything changed.
00:29At 8.46 a.m., Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
00:35There was chaos and confusion.
00:38Seventeen minutes later, Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower.
00:45The reality of what was happening became clear.
00:48This wasn't a horrific accident.
00:51America was under attack.
00:53New York City was ground zero.
00:56The course of American history was changed forever.
00:59Twenty-four years later, not a day has passed that I haven't thought about the people we lost that day,
01:07including three friends of mine.
01:10A guy I played basketball with in high school.
01:13A businessman who helped me on the way up.
01:16A firefighter I did blood drives with around the city.
01:20May their memories be a blessing.
01:23I still think about the scenes when I arrived at ground zero in the aftermath of the attack the day after.
01:29The putrid smell of death of burnt flesh was in the air.
01:34I remember the rows upon rows of people holding up makeshift signs with photos of their missing loved ones,
01:42because no one knew who was alive and who wasn't.
01:45Have you seen my brother Bill?
01:47Have you seen my daughter Mary?
01:49The anguish on their faces stays in my mind to this day.
01:56They're the kind of heart-wrenching images that will stay with me for a lifetime.
02:02While 9-11 was America's darkest hour, I also saw New Yorkers in our finest moments.
02:08There were countless acts of kindness by strangers to help each other.
02:12In the midst of the tragedy that the world saw, the true strength of America and New York came through.
02:18The next day, I called on every American to display the flag on their clothes outside their homes as a sign of solidarity.
02:27And ever since that day, I wear this flag on my lapel.
02:31And every time I look at it, I think of those who were lost.
02:35It's a small but constant reminder of our sacred promise.
02:39Never, never forget.
02:42Never forget especially means honoring the countless brave first responders who ran towards danger,
02:47not away from it to save lives.
02:50In our darkest hours, these heroes, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, so many others risked their lives,
02:57construction workers, to rescue others.
03:00Many of the finest first responders became sick because of the toxins in the air.
03:05Many were diagnosed with rare deadly cancer and diseases.
03:08And many, far too many, succumbed to their illnesses, including my great friend, Ray Pfeiffer.
03:15May he rest in peace.
03:18That's why I have fought to secure nearly $1.7 billion for the World Trade Center Health Program,
03:24to help sick first responders get the care they need.
03:28Sadly, sadly, it's been such a struggle to get that money.
03:36It has been a difficult few months for many 9-11 first responders and others now sick due to exposures at Ground Zero.
03:44Cuts to this program are wrong, immoral, and I have fought in a bipartisan way with fellow Republicans and Democrats to oppose them.
03:53I have also fiercely opposed the firing of thousands of HHS staffers who support the World Trade Center Health Program.
04:00The heroes who rush to their towers, the families who have lost loved ones and have sick loved ones,
04:06don't deserve this kind of chaos, uncertainty, and uncaringness.
04:11They don't deserve to have their treatment put on hold because of a backlog or because of disorganization.
04:17And I repeat, this is not a Democratic or Republican issue.
04:22Taking care of 9-11 families is an American issue to its core.
04:26One of the best ways to never forget is ensuring the World Center Trade Program is fully funded,
04:33is fully staffed, is fully operational.
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