[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 48 (Wednesday, April 20, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H2160-H2165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING A NATIONAL WEEK OF HOPE IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 10-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY OF THE TERRORIST BOMBING IN OKLAHOMA CITY
Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 184) recognizing a National Week of Hope in
commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist bombing in
Oklahoma City.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 184
Whereas on April 19, 1995, at 9:02 a.m. central daylight
time in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, America was attacked in one
of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil, killing 168
and injuring more than 850 Americans;
Whereas this dastardly act of domestic terrorism affected
thousands of families and horrified millions of people across
the State of Oklahoma and the United States;
Whereas the people of Oklahoma and the United States
responded to this tragedy through the remarkable efforts of
local, State, and Federal law enforcement, fire, and
emergency services, search and rescue teams from across the
United States, public and private medical personnel, and
thousands of volunteers from the community who saved lives,
assisted the injured, comforted the bereaved, and provided
meals and support to those who came to Oklahoma City to help
those endangered or otherwise affected by this terrorist act;
Whereas the people of Oklahoma and the United States
pledged themselves to create, build, and maintain a permanent
national memorial to remember those who were killed, those
who survived, and those changed forever;
Whereas the Oklahoma City National Memorial draws hundreds
of thousands of visitors from around the world every year to
the site of this tragic event in American history;
Whereas the Oklahoma City National Memorial brings comfort,
strength, peace, hope, and serenity to the many visitors who
come to the memorial and museum each year to remember and to
learn about this tragic event;
Whereas the 10th anniversary of the terrorist bombing of
the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, is on April 19, 2005; and
Whereas the Oklahoma City National Memorial will
commemorate the anniversary of the terrorist bombing by
recognizing the week of April 17-24, 2005, as the National
Week of Hope, which will include a day of faith, a day of
understanding, a day of remembrance, a day of sharing, a day
of tolerance, a day of caring, and a day of inspiration, and
the annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, A Run to
Remember: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) joins with all Americans to send best wishes and
prayers to the families, friends, and neighbors of the 168
people killed in the terrorist bombing of the Alfred P.
Murrah Federal Building;
(2) thanks the thousands of first responders, rescue
workers, medical personnel, and volunteers from the Oklahoma
City community and from communities around the Nation who
answered the call for help that April morning and in the days
and weeks that followed;
(3) sends best wishes and thoughts to those injured in the
bombing, and expresses gratitude for their recovery;
(4) resolves to stand with all Americans to promote the
goals and mission established by the Oklahoma City National
Memorial as stated in the following mission statement of the
memorial: ``We come here to remember those who were killed,
those who survived, and those changed forever. May all who
leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial
offer comfort, strength, peace, hope, and serenity.'';
(5) encourages Americans to observe a National Week of
Hope--
(A) to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Oklahoma
City bombing; and
(B) to allow each American to participate in an event each
day of that week to teach a lesson that--
(i) hope can exist in the midst of political violence;
(ii) good endures in the world even among those who commit
bad acts; and
(iii) there is a way to resolve differences other than by
resorting to terrorism or violence;
(6) congratulates the people of Oklahoma City for making
tremendous progress over the past decade and for
demonstrating their steadfast commitment to such lessons; and
(7) applauds the people of Oklahoma City as they continue
to persevere and to stand as a beacon to the rest of the
Nation and the world attesting to the strength of goodness in
overcoming evil wherever it arises.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Marchant) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Marchant).
General Leave
Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 184.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this important resolution recognizes the National Week
of Hope in commemoration of the 10th-year anniversary of the terrorist
bombing in Oklahoma City.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook), the distinguished sponsor of House
Resolution 184.
Mr. ISTOOK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
[[Page H2161]]
House Resolution 184 recognizes a National Week of Hope. Some people
might be surprised to think that we are commemorating an incident that
took 168 lives, and we are talking not in terms of the lives taken, but
we are talking in terms of the hope that has been generated.
It was 10 years ago yesterday that, intentionally, domestic
terrorists exploded a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah
Federal Building in Oklahoma City. One hundred sixty-eight lives were
lost, including 19 children. Eight hundred fifty people were injured;
hundreds of buildings were damaged in addition to the destruction of
the Murrah Building. Thirty children were orphaned; 219 children lost
at least one parent. And yet despite all this, all this, we talk about
hope because the response of Oklahoma City has shown that not only are
we not deterred by acts of terrorism, but the best qualities of our
community in Oklahoma City are brought to the forefront by that.
{time} 1100
We are grateful for the thousands of people who came from across
America to assist in the disaster relief efforts, but we are more
grateful for the thousands of Oklahomans who since that time have
pitched in to remember what happened there and to use it as a
foundation for making better lives.
The children of those who were killed, all through private donations,
have college funds guaranteed to them. We have now the national
memorial built on the site of the former Murrah Building where
yesterday we had services with Vice President Cheney, former President
Bill Clinton, the governor and former governor of Oklahoma, myself and
many others, speaking to commemorate and remember the lives lost and
the lives changed forever in that building.
The Murrah Building housed regional offices for a number of Federal
agencies: Secret Service; Social Security; Drug Enforcement Agency;
Housing and Urban Development; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives; Armed Services Recruiting and many others. But where once
it was a symbol of the Federal Government, now it is a symbol of people
who, because of tragedy, turned to their faith, turned to caring for
one another, caring for the victims, caring for the survivors, caring
for the rescue workers.
We want to commemorate that with a National Week of Hope, to know not
only will we not be deterred by terrorist acts, but also we are
resolved to make it known that even among hate there is a people and a
community of faith in the United States of America. That is the
community of Oklahoma City, and hope can exist in the midst of
violence.
God endures in the world, even when bad acts are committed, and there
is a way to resolve differences other than by resorting to terrorism or
violence. Because of that, a museum was established that promotes hope.
The Murrah National Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism has been
established, and we are grateful to the entire Nation, not only for the
outreach of people that came for rescue operations and have helped in
the rebuilding, but for the thoughts and the prayers, and we want to
remember that with the National Week of Hope.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such
time as he might consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Boren), a
new Member of the House and a cosponsor of this resolution from the 2nd
District of Oklahoma.
Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for
yielding time. I want to thank the Members of the Oklahoma delegation,
the gentlemen from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook, Mr. Lucas, Mr. Sullivan and
Mr. Cole), for coming together to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today and join my colleagues in voicing support
for House Resolution 184. Just over 24 hours ago marked the 10th
anniversary of the Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City. We
should never forget the lives lost and forever changed by the events of
this day.
On April 19, 1995, at 9:02 a.m. while the building employees worked
at their desks, the visitors walked the halls and the children played
in the day care center, a massive explosion caused by a terrorist bomb
leveled the entire north side of the building. In the end, 168 innocent
men, women and children senselessly lost their lives as they were
carrying on with their daily schedules.
The devastation does not end, however, with the sons and daughters,
the husbands and wives, and the brothers and sisters that lost their
lives on that day. Left in the aftermath were 30 orphaned children and
219 children who lost at least one parent. These, too, are victims of
this horrific act. In total, 850 people were physically injured by the
bombing.
In addition to the human loss, there was damage to over 300
buildings. This damage caused over 7,000 Oklahomans to be left without
a place to work and left 462 residents homeless. With this in mind, my
heartfelt sympathy goes out to all the families in my State of Oklahoma
and around the Nation who suffered a loss during this tragedy.
I tell my colleagues that during the 10 years since the bombing, the
healing process has been taking place in Oklahoma City, and the scars
are healing in a remarkable fashion. The healing is attributable to the
people of the city and the State who have shown their strong will and
perseverance over the past decade by rebuilding. Out of the rubble and
the heartbreak, they have built a beautiful memorial for all to visit.
Rather than allowing fear to keep them away from the downtown area,
the people of Oklahoma City have continued the city's growth beyond the
memorial. The area surrounding the memorial is now flourishing with
businesses, restaurants and family entertainment. Oklahoma City and the
State of Oklahoma could have given up during this tragedy, but instead,
they became emboldened as they faced the difficult challenges placed
before them.
This growth in Oklahoma City shows the strength that can be
accomplished through the power of hope. My colleague, the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook) mentioned that earlier. It shows Oklahomans'
hope for a safe place to work, our hope for a safe place to take our
families, and above all, our hope for normalcy after such a tragic
event.
The great accomplishments that have been demonstrated by my fellow
Oklahomans since April 19, 1995, should be an example to all those in
our Nation and around the world who face adversity in their own lives.
The people of Oklahoma City deserve the recognition and remembrance
that this resolution provides them. I am honored to give my support to
this resolution which recognizes a National Week of Hope and
commemoration of not only the loss in Oklahoma City, but the resilience
of its residents.
Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to
the gentleman from the State of Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), my distinguished
colleague. The gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole) was the Oklahoma
Secretary of State on April 19, 1995.
(Mr. COLE of Oklahoma asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from
Texas for yielding me time, and I certainly want to thank the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook) for offering this thoughtful and gracious
and heartfelt resolution.
I want my remarks on the floor today to be spontaneous, just as the
response to the bombing in Oklahoma City was by thousands of Oklahomans
and millions of Americans.
There are some dates that one remembers in their life. If one is from
my generation, they remember the day that President Kennedy was
assassinated, with crystal clarity; and I think all Americans remember
where they were and what they were doing when the awful tragedy of 9/11
unfolded; and certainly all Oklahomans, and I think many Americans,
remember where they were on April 19, 1995.
I certainly remember where I was. I was walking into the West
entrance of the State capitol through a tunnel just at 9 o'clock, and I
felt the tremble, and I wondered what it was, walked on down the hall
into my office. My secretary immediately came and said something awful
has happened in downtown Oklahoma City; we do not know what, but
something terrible has happened.
[[Page H2162]]
That was followed immediately by a call from my wife who at the time
was three blocks away from the blast site, working in a law office in
downtown Oklahoma City, fortunately on the 14th floor and fortunately
out of harm's way. But she called to say, something terrible is
occurring. She said, I can see through my windows there is smoke
billowing up out of downtown, and there are hundreds of people in the
streets, streaming away; something awful has happened.
I immediately left my office and walked upstairs to the governor's
office. As I walked through the door, I looked to my right, which was
where the press room was located in that suite of offices, and I saw
Governor Keating and his chief of staff, Clinton Key, and they were
watching on television, only 9 minutes into the disaster at that point,
but already helicopters from local televisions stations were there and
giving us an aerial view. There was a great deal of speculation on the
television about what had occurred, people attributing this to a
natural gas explosion.
Governor Keating, who was a former FBI agent and had investigated
incidents of terrorism in the 1960s on the West Coast, knew immediately
what it was. He said that is no natural gas explosion. That is a car
bomb. That is some sort of explosive device that has been set off
deliberately.
From that moment forward, I watched an extraordinary response from
one of the great public leaders that I have ever been privileged to
associate with, Governor Frank Keating, as he marshaled the State and
moved it forward to deal with the tragedy in front of him.
I saw a marvelous response from his wife, to skip ahead just a
moment, Cathy Keating, who organized the memorial service that moved
most Americans. That was her idea on the second day of the tragedy.
We were meeting that night, still not knowing, frankly, how many
people had died, whether or not survivors were there, still dealing
with all the tragedy associated with the event. She came into the
meeting we were having in the governor's mansion and said, We need to
have a memorial service; people need to grieve.
I remember honestly thinking at the time, how in the world can we
pull off something like this; we have more than we can handle in front
of us. I made that sentiment known, and the first lady, to her enduring
credit, said, You leave it to me. People want to be involved.
I watched that extraordinary thing come forward as volunteers pitched
in, as thousands of people who could not help immediately wanted to do
something to respond and to help and to assist the victims of the
tragedy. She made that happen, and without her, frankly, it would have
never occurred.
I remember many other people. There were so many heroes in those
days, so many people. Ron Norick, the mayor of Oklahoma City, again I
think one of the great public leaders in history, certainly in my
State, the fire chiefs, the police officers, the responders, but most
important, just average people, we could not ask for something and not
get it. Frankly, we had more help pouring in than we could easily
coordinate on the first few days.
I will tell my colleagues this, too. I am a very strong and very good
Republican, and I certainly never voted for Bill Clinton, but I have
got to tell my colleagues, he was a great President of the United
States in that particular tragedy. I will always be grateful for what
he did.
I remember the first day, again, of the incident, and President
Clinton had called at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. By that point, the
governor and his team had moved to the Civil Emergency Management
Center, an underground location at the capitol complex in Oklahoma
City, and President Clinton and Frank Keating were old friends. Frank
Keating had been the student body president at Georgetown when
President Clinton was the sophomore class president at Georgetown. So
there was a familiarity and an ease of communication that was wonderful
to have in a crisis like that.
I remember the President immediately offering all the aid at the
disposal of the United States of America; and let me tell my
colleagues, my fellow Americans, you do not know how lucky you are when
you are in a crisis to be an American until that happens to you,
because the response was overwhelming, and the President was generous
and gracious and amazingly helpful.
As we moved forward in that discussion, President Clinton asked
Governor Keating the obvious and most important question in some ways:
Do you have any idea who is responsible for this terrible event? I
remember there was lots of speculation about who might be responsible.
There is still some speculation today, I suppose, but Governor Keating
was nothing if not cautious and careful as a law enforcement official;
and he said, We have no earthly idea and we need to be very careful
here that blame not be placed on communities or things that did not
happen.
The President very thoughtfully said, Well, I certainly hope it was
not a foreign national, because if it was, we will be at war someplace
in the world in 6 months. I thought about that a lot after 9/11 and
what unfolded there and how prophetic he was, indeed, in that
particular vision.
The day went on and it was a remarkable day, it was an intense day,
but I suppose my most enduring memory of the day is leaving the capitol
at 3:00 in the morning and driving down Lincoln Boulevard to get home
and looking out the window and seeing this incredible line of people
standing outside of a blood center at 3:00 in the morning, still
wanting to do something to help. Amazing.
{time} 1115
My role in that particular crisis, as it unfolded, was to do what
Governor Keating told me to do; and that was to work with the Federal
Government on the rebuilding process, and I focused my energy on that.
We got a study and figured out how much damage there had been, and we
began to understand how many lives and how terrifically awful it would
be. And then I turned to the person that I knew would be the most
helpful in that crisis at the Federal level and that was my good
friend, Congressman Lucas. He represented that area of Oklahoma City at
that point. And let me tell you, he was a tyrant, a Trojan in working
on behalf of Oklahoma City and the victims. He did everything you could
ask him to do and more, just simply a magnificent response on the part
of my dear and good friend.
In that crisis, there was a lot of praise, and I think justifiably
for Oklahomans, but I also think a vein of speculation, Well, only
Oklahomans would respond this way. It is kind of a frontier community,
it is relatively homogeneous, it is very conservative, it is very
family oriented, has a strong basis of faith, and only in a place like
that would a response like that occur.
I did not think that was true, but I have to tell you, on 9/11, when
I watched a very diverse and very secular and very different New York
City respond in exactly the same way as Oklahomans had responded, I had
confirmed in an awful moment what I knew then, that the Oklahoman
response was fundamentally an American response. That is the way
Americans behave toward one another when things do not go well. So I
will always remember this particular day.
Obviously, it is seared in my memory very, very deeply, and I
remember the tragedies that unfolded afterwards and, frankly, remember
the response to those tragedies even more profoundly.
But in closing, I would like to say, in reflecting on Oklahoma City,
and I think it is clearly the lessons of 9/11 as well, that out of
evil, grace comes; and I saw enormous grace on April 19, 1995, in
Oklahoma City. And out of terror, courage comes; and I saw great
courage, from the first responders to the average person that went in.
I remember Rebecca Anderson, who was the one first responder and
nurse whom we lost, because she went back into a dangerous building.
And I remember my good friend Tim Giblet, who was working downtown at
the time, who saved a number of people, again going into a building,
doing what he had no training to do. He was not an emergency worker, he
just knew people needed help. So the courage was there.
And out of despair, hope, because there is a great deal of hope that
comes when you see how your country and your fellow human beings
respond in a
[[Page H2163]]
crisis. And, finally, out of adversity, as my good friend, the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook) mentioned, triumph. Because if you
went to Oklahoma City today and you went to that exact spot, you would
find a magnificent memorial. You would find, more importantly, a museum
that not only tells the story, but puts the awful nature of terrorism
in a broader context; and you would find a city that believes in itself
and its future, probably more profoundly today than it did on April 18
of 1995.
That is a lesson I think all of us as Americans ought to remember. We
all believe in our country, but when you have a particular crisis, that
is when America is at its very best. Certainly, on this particular day
that is when Oklahoma was at its very best. And I will always be
grateful to Governor Keating, the First Lady, Cathy Keating; to my good
friend Frank Lucas, who was there when we needed him; to the other
members of our delegation, Senator Nickles, Senator Inhofe, who were
also magnificent; but first and foremost to the people of Oklahoma
City, who showed when you are challenged what you can do; and then to
our fellow Americans, who at every level, at every moment, responded in
the most helpful, the most thoughtful, and in the most supportive of
ways.
It is a day to remember not only in terms of what is worst in
humanity but what is best about America.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 184, a
resolution recognizing a National Week of Hope in commemoration of the
10-year anniversary of the terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City. I also
would like to commend my friend and colleague, the gentleman from
Oklahoma, Mr. Istook, for his efforts in bringing such a meaningful
bill before the House for consideration.
April 19, 1995, will always be seared in my memory as a day on which
I see the worst and the best of human nature. As the then acting
Secretary of State for Oklahoma, it was not just the facts of that
fateful day alone that cut quick to my heart. It was the realization
that what happened in Oklahoma City would impact all of Oklahoma, all
of America, and all of the world in the weeks ahead.
But, Mr. Speaker, as the world witnessed this tragedy, and as
Americans sought answers to untold numbers of questions--the most
compelling being why--there came an unexpected response: it was clear
that Americans did not need an answer in order to move forward. Mr.
Speaker, Oklahomans responded immediately, and that response began at
the exact same place of the tragedy the base of the Murrah Federal
Building itself, only moments after 9:02 AM. Amazingly, this reply sent
a shockwave that was not only felt for just a few miles radius, but one
that resonated all over the world.
On April 19, 1995 terrorism struck the heartland of America. But, if
168 lives taken, 850 individuals injured, families ripped forever of
loved ones, and lives changed forever represented America's loss, then
12,384 volunteers and rescue workers, 190,000 estimated Oklahomans
attending funerals for bombing victims, and an unprecedented outpouring
of love, aid, and hope from across the country represented America's
spirit. And Americans response America's heart may have suffered a
terrible blow, but America's spirit only grew stronger.
This bill commemorates the 10 year anniversary of a terrible tragedy
and I am proud as an Oklahoman to stand in this chamber to offer my
full support of its passage. This anniversary is not only an
opportunity to remember, but an opportunity to celebrate the American
spirit that unifies and buoys her citizens in their most challenging
times of need.
Mr. Speaker, I again praise the gentleman from Oklahoma for this
timely legislation and urge support for the passage of H. Res. 184.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, the United States was forever changed on April 19, 1995,
at 9:02 a.m. Central time. What began as a perfect spring day in
Oklahoma City, quickly turned into a nightmare when a bomb exploded in
front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people and
injuring more than 850.
Today, as we reflect on that horrific event, I am proud to stand
before you in support of H. Res. 184, recognizing a National Week of
Hope in commemoration of the 10th-year anniversary of the terrorist
bombing in Oklahoma City. So much has changed since that fateful day.
No longer do we as American citizens believe that we are isolated from
terror. We know that the threat of another terrorist attack is very
real. In the face of this threat, however, we have chosen to face our
fears and to work together to keep our country safe.
Immediately following the explosion on April 19, the true character
of Americans emerged. Law enforcement personnel, bystanders, and those
who had narrowly escaped harm rushed toward danger to attend to those
who were injured by the explosion. Because of their heroism, many lives
that otherwise would have been lost were saved that day.
In Oklahoma City today, where the Alfred Murrah Building once stood,
stands a poignant memorial that reminds us of each cherished life that
was lost that tragic day. It also serves as an important reminder to
all of us that each day is truly a blessing.
Mr. Speaker, I want to state my emphatic support for this bill. The
National Week of Hope will provide all Americans with the opportunity
to reflect on the importance and value of human life. The National Week
of Hope will include a day of faith, a day of understanding, a day of
remembrance, a day of sharing, a day of tolerance, a day of caring, and
a day of inspiration. Each day represents a core value that reflects
the strength of our Nation.
I want to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook) for
introducing this meaningful legislation. I pray that all Americans will
take cognizance of it and continue to demonstrate the bravery and
compassion that were exhibited that tragic day in Oklahoma.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, how much time does our side have
remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Graves). The gentleman from Texas has 5
minutes remaining.
Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my distinguished
colleague, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas).
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 184, a
bill recognizing a National Week of Hope in commemoration of the 10th
anniversary of the terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago, on April 19, 1995, an act of
unimaginable death and destruction occurred in Oklahoma City when the
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was blown up in one of the deadliest
terrorist attacks on American soil, killing 168 of our friends and
family, 19 of them children. In that instance, America's heartland lost
its innocence. It shocked our Nation. It changed our lives forever.
Few events in the past quarter century have rocked Americans'
perceptions of themselves and their institutions and brought together
the people of our Nation with greater intensity than this heinous act.
My primary district office was a block and a half away from the Murrah
Building. I will never forget, I will never forget being in Dallas with
the rest of the Oklahoma Federal delegation at a BRAC hearing when a
news station radio reporter tapped me on the shoulder and said,
Congressman, we have a report that the Federal building in Oklahoma
City has been bombed. They say the building is gone. Where is your
office? The thoughts that went through my mind in that instant about my
loyal staffers.
The delegation came rushing back. As I walked through my damaged
office, a block and a half away, on the opposite side of the Murrah
Building, looking at the destruction, and being thankful I had lost
none of my people, but knowing the heartbreak, the helplessness we all
felt looking at that terror, that devastation that transpired on that
day.
Now, the bombing was a cowardly act of tragic proportions, and 10
years after the bombing, many of those affected are still trying to
make sense of it. But what we know for certain is that on that day we
came together as a State and as a Nation in the face of adversity. We
comforted those afflicted, we rebuilt our devastated city, we did not
let the terrorists win.
I want to take this time to honor and remember not only those who
lost their lives, but also those who survived. We honor those who lost
loved ones, those who upon hearing of the devastation rushed to the
city to offer what help they could, the firemen, the policemen, the
nurses, the structural engineers, even the community members who
brought food and water for
[[Page H2164]]
the rescuers. They are heroes to all Oklahomans.
Like so many other people in Oklahoma, this event has shaped my life,
and as the U.S. Congressman representing downtown Oklahoma City at the
time of the bombing, I have had the privilege and the opportunity to
work these past 10 years to help ease the burden on Oklahoma City as a
result of that devastating tragedy. From requesting Federal money to
assisting in the rebuilding efforts, to introducing to the House the
legislation that established the national memorial, I am honored to
have had the chance to help in some small way.
Mr. Speaker, I close today the way I closed a speech I made on this
very House floor on May 2, 1995, just 13 days after the attack. As you
remember, a spontaneous memorial formed around the perimeter of the
Murrah Building, just as one did years later in New York City, a mound
of wreaths, bouquets, teddy bears, tear-stained poems laid out, paying
tribute to those who perished.
One particular offering spoke, I believe, for all Oklahomans. It
consisted of a teddy bear with a paper heart attached, bearing a crayon
inscription which read as follows: ``Oklahoma, brokenhearted, yes;
broken spirit, never.'' Ten years after the bombing, we Oklahomans are
stronger than ever.
Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 additional minute to the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook), the sponsor of House Resolution
184, to close.
(Mr. ISTOOK asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. ISTOOK. Mr. Speaker, as is evident a great many people responded
to this situation. Over 12,000 emergency workers, rescue workers and
volunteer workers, were at the site within a matter of only a couple of
days. They came from all over America, for which we are grateful and
will always remember.
I want to add some additional thanks to some people that have not
been mentioned that I, as someone who shared representation of Oklahoma
City with Congressman Lucas at the time, and as someone who now
represents that specific building site, I want to express appreciation
for those with whom we also worked.
As a member of the Committee on Appropriations, I worked directly
with former Chairman Bob Livingston, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, and
former Infrastructure Chairman Bud Shuster in making sure that we
fashioned the correct Federal response. And, in fact, something in the
neighborhood of $200 million flowed in to reimburse law enforcement and
safety expenses, to pay the cost of rebuilding hundreds of damaged
properties, to establish a permanent revolving loan fund for the
redevelopment of the area, the area that surrounds the former Murrah
site, to build the new Federal building and campus, which was opened
just over a year ago, and of course to establish the national memorial,
museum, and the antiterrorism institute in Oklahoma City.
We are grateful for how the country reached out to our community and
to our State, and as has been made clear by everyone who has spoken, we
are most grateful of all for the wonderful nature, character and spirit
of the people of Oklahoma that have taken disaster and used it as
something to build upon and make a stronger America, with stronger
faith and a stronger Oklahoma.
Comments by Congressman Ernest Istook at April 19, 2005, 10-Year
Anniversary Commemoration of Murrah Building Bombing, Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma
Today we gather to remember and renew our strength and our
bonds as Americans and as Oklahomans.
Tomorrow, the U.S. House will designate this week as a
National Week of Hope, to carry across the Nation the message
of hope that we share today.
In this resolution, we state that we join with this
community in hope and prayer in a national week of hope and
ask the Nation to join us in the wish that we will all learn
these 3 lessons stated in the resolution: that hope can exist
in the midst of political violence, that good endures in the
world even among those who commit bad acts, and that there is
a way to resolve our differences other than by resorting to
terrorism and violence.
The resolution states that the Congress congratulates the
people of Oklahoma City for making tremendous progress over
the past decade and for demonstrating their steadfast
commitment to these three lessons. It applauds the people of
Oklahoma City for standing as a beacon to the Nation, and a
beacon to the world, attesting to the strength of goodness in
overcoming evil. How proper it is that it says that Oklahoma
City stands as a beacon.
So often I heard the words of former President Ronald
Reagan saying America needs to be a shining city on a hill.
Those looking for a shining city need look no farther than
Oklahoma City. We will adopt the resolution because America
has learned from what has happened here. America has learned
from our actions, not from our words, that have touched the
soul of the Nation. I want to mention 2 symbols; one not far
away from here sits atop the dome of the state Capitol. It is
a special symbol, a statue crafted by Enoch Kelly Haney
called `The Guardian,' an Indian brave with a tall spear, its
end planted in the earth.
That statue is a way of saying `Here we stand. We shall not
be moved.' That thought says a lot about the spirit of
Oklahoma, and the spirit of Oklahoma City, and our refusal to
be deterred by the obscenity of terrorism.
But being steadfast and immobile, we recognize here is only
a virtue if we are already in the right place and doing the
right thing. If we send a message that we will not be moved,
then we must make sure we are standing firm for what is good
and for what is virtuous. Fortunately, this is a place that
aspires to stand for the good, and we have fertile soil for
virtue.
Oklahomans know that it is not enough to inherit great
blessings; blessings have to be shared. We have to make this
a better community and a better land than we found it, better
for our children, better for our grandchildren.
And the key is to this found in the other symbol the
enduring emblem of this memorial, an American elm know as the
survivor tree.
The survivor tree was damaged. It was scarred. It was
denuded. Almost, but not quite, it was killed. Why did the
survivor tree withstand the blast and the shock? The answer
is quite simple, as President Clinton mentioned, it is the
roots; the roots preserved it. Despite all that it suffered,
its roots were deep, and they preserved it. And that is why
this city endures and prospers, despite the blast, the
deaths, the injuries. Here we stand, and the reason we shall
not be moved is because our roots go deep, and they are
planted in the proper soil. And that is the soil of faith the
eye that sees the foliage gradually return concealing some of
the scars as we see in the lives of so many survivors. Those
scars and the progress may be visible but what is not visible
is the roots. The roots were not created by any public
official, not any organization of survivors, not by the many
who so willingly came here to give aid. The roots of the
survivor tree were made by God, and this city's roots are
planted deeply in the faith in God. It is God who has
inspired the enduring faith that has mended hearts, sparked
outpourings of generosity, and provided sheltering arms for
people to shed their tears in that embrace. As one person
expressed it to me, `our faith is greater than their sin.'
So often, we invoke the words, `God bless America.' We need
to remember, God has already blessed America. God has already
blessed Oklahoma. God has already blessed Oklahoma City.
Instead of only asking for God's blessings, maybe we need to
spend more time with us blessing God, and praising him for
our lives and our land, and praising him for the faith that
sustains the city.
Without God, this city, this state, and this Nation have no
roots. With Him, our roots are solid and they nourish us. We
have many great symbols here in the city and in the memorial,
but it is God who has provided the greatest symbol of all--
the Survivor Tree. We could never do that, for only God can
make a tree.
Thank you for being the people of faith, and may America
bless God.
Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, on April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
suffered one of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil, killing
168 people and injuring more than 850 Americans. Before the terrorist
attacks of 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombing was the worst act of
terrorism ever committed on American soil.
As a native Oklahoman, I was devastated by this terrible act of
terror, the innocent loss of life, the destruction of the Alfred P.
Murrah Federal Building and the hundreds of other buildings that were
damaged in the surrounding Oklahoma City area.
The people of Oklahoma responded to this tragedy through the
remarkable and valiant efforts of local, state, and federal law
enforcement, fire, emergency services, and search and rescue teams from
across the United States. Thousands of volunteers from the community
came and saved lives, assisted the injured, comforted the bereaved and
gave hope to the victims and their families.
This tragedy could have torn Oklahoma City apart, but instead, the
tragedy united an entire community and an entire nation. On that
terrible day, out of the rubble, the people of Oklahoma City
resoundingly stood up against terror to stand as a beacon of light to
the rest of the nation and the world, attesting to the fact that good
will always triumph over evil, wherever evil may arise.
On the 10th anniversary of this tragedy, I commend my fellow
Oklahomans for their
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strength, their faith, and for their resolve to move forward in the
face of overwhelming odds to build a better Oklahoma and a greater
America.
Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Marchant) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 184.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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