15 years ago, I was at work in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Philadelphia
when I first learned what happened. I’ll never forget it. I’ll
never forget the first time I saw footage of the planes striking the towers.
I’ll never forget the phone calls to family members and friends
in New York. The hours spent watching the news, waiting for information,
worrying about everyone I knew who might’ve been near the place
that we would soon call ground zero.
We all have those memories. We all remember where we were when we learned
about the worst terrorist attack in American history. We’ll never
forget the horror of that day and the fear and anger that we felt.
But we remember just as clearly how that day brought out the best in us.
We’ll never forget the extraordinary courage of the first responders
who ran into the towers to get people out, who risked and in many cases
gave their lives to save others. We’ll never forget the civilians
who stepped up to help. We’ll never forget the way that we united
as a country to support the victims, families and survivors.
As we commemorate the 15th anniversary of the September 11th attacks,
it’s important to remember everything about that day. It’s
important to pass those memories on to the next generation. It’s
important to reaffirm our commitment to first responders, many of whom
now suffer from serious medical conditions as a result of their heroic
actions at ground zero. And it’s more important than ever that we
keep working to prevent terrorist attacks on American soil.
I’m proud that last year we successfully reauthorized the Zadroga
Act to ensure that the heroes of 9/11 continue to get the health care
and screening they deserve, and I’ll keep doing everything I can
to keep our country safe.
Kathleen