Sen. Carper Statement on the 18th Anniversary of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks

Carper Reflects on Recent Trip to 9/11 Memorial & Museum with HSGAC Committee Members, Former DHS Secretaries

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In observance of the 18th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), senior Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) released the following statement:

“It’s important we never forget what happened 18 years ago today, and that we not only look back, but we use our memories of that tragic day and look forward. In the days, weeks and months following the deadly 9/11 terror attacks, we have mourned the loved ones we lost. We have also become stronger as a nation in our resolve to move forward and rebuild in their memory. Instead of giving in to fear, we rebuilt stronger.

“Immediately following the attacks, our nation responded in a big way. We brought to bear the entire weight of the federal government and our military. We established the 9/11 Commission, which endeavored to answer some of the most painful questions we were all asking ourselves in the aftermath of these attacks and in Congress, we worked together in a bipartisan way to pass major laws based on the commission’s recommendations. We created the Department of Homeland Security that had one critical mission: to ensure that our homeland is safe, secure and resilient against terrorism and other threats to our nation. Together, we took extraordinary measures to make sure something like this could never happen again.

“Today, it is important to take a moment to reflect on this progress we have made, as well as the challenges that still remain. This past weekend, I was honored to attend a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Hearing at the 9/11 Museum and Memorial and hear from three former Secretaries of Homeland about ways to secure our homeland today and in the future. The hearing served as an important reminder that 18 years later, our nation faces new, evolving threats that we must be prepared to work together to address —including cybersecurity, gun violence and mass shootings, and the effects of climate change.

“On this anniversary, I am reminded of the Latin phrase that adorns our nation’s seal, ‘E pluribus unum,’ which means ‘Out of many, one.’ We may all come from many different places, but we are one nation. In the immediate aftermath of one of the darkest days in our nation’s history, we came together as Americans and truly became one. With solidarity, we resolve to never forget.”

On Monday, Carper joined Senators Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) and committee members for a field hearing at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City titled: “18 Years Later: The State of Homeland Security after 9/11.” Committee members discussed how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has worked to secure the nation in wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks and ways to address evolving threats like homegrown terrorism, the increased prevalence of cyber attacks, and the effects of climate change. Committee members were joined by former DHS Secretaries Michael Chertoff, Janet A. Napolitano, and Jeh C. Johnson.