Remembering 9/11 by Honoring the Victims and Protecting Our Future

Dear Friend,

Thirteen years ago, our nation was shocked to witness the terrorist attacks of September 11th. Americans across the country, and the others around the world, watched these tragic events unfold before their eyes. In the days, weeks and months following these attacks, we mourned the loved ones we lost, but we also became stronger as a nation in our resolve to move forward and rebuild in the memory of those we lost. Today, the friends and families of 9/11 victims have shown us how to do this by channeling their grief and using it as a force for good, inspiring all of us to keep the memory of the victims alive.

On that day, our nation fundamentally changed. We asked ourselves what lessons we could learn to make our country and the world a safer place.

Today, we can say that the mastermind of the attacks has been brought to justice for his heinous actions and that our nation’s security and emergency response efforts are stronger. However, we still live in a dangerous world and in complicated and challenging times. We can’t rest on our laurels. As chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, it is my priority to assess the threats to our national security and make sure the government has the ability to stop them before they can bring harm to our shores.

On Wednesday, I held a hearing to examine evolving national security threats withofficials from the Department of Homeland Security, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. From cyber security threats to terrorists abroad, there is much to do when it comes to securing the homeland. But that is why, more than ever, we need to work together and recapture the sense of unity that swept over the country in the aftermath of 9/11.

This anniversary provides us with an important opportunity to think about all the efforts and sacrifices we have taken to secure our country since that fateful day, as well as the challenges that lie ahead. We must remain vigilant and remember that our nation still faces great challenges that threaten our safety at home. In this spirit, I urge my colleagues in Congress, Delawareans, and all Americans to remember those we lost 13 years ago and to renew their commitment to that spirit of unity.

Dutifully yours,

Tom Carper