| Sponsor | Rep. Hoyer, Steny H. |
| Date | September 9, 2009 (111th Congress, 1st Session) |
| Staff Contact | Adam Hepburn |
H.Res. 722 is being considered under suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds vote for passage. The legislation was introduced by Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and John Boehner (R-OH) on September 8, 2009.
H.Res. 722 resolves that the House of Representatives:
• "Recognizes September 11 as both a day to mourn and remember those taken from their loved ones and fellow citizens, and a day for the people of the United States to recommit to the Nation and to each other;
• "Once again extends its deepest sympathies to the friends, families, and loved ones of the innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks;
• "Honors the heroic service and sacrifices of first responders, law enforcement personnel, State and local officials, volunteers, and others who aided the victims and, in so doing, bravely risked and often sacrificed their own lives and health;
• "Expresses gratitude to the foreign leaders and citizens of all nations who continue to stand in solidarity with the United States against the international scourge of terrorism;
• "Asserts, in the strongest possible terms, that the fight against terrorism is not a war on any nation, any people, or any faith;
• "Recognizes the heroic service of United States personnel, including members of the United States Armed Forces, United States intelligence agencies, and the United States diplomatic service, and their families, who have sacrificed much, including their lives and health, to defend their country against terrorists;
• "Vows that it will continue to take whatever actions are appropriate to defend the people of the United States and to identify, intercept, and defeat terrorists, including providing the United States Armed Forces, United States intelligence agencies, and the United States diplomatic service with the resources and support to effectively accomplish this mission; and
• "Calls on all Americans to renew their devotion to the universal ideals that make the Nation great: freedom, pluralism, equality, and the rule of law."
On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked and destroyed four civilian aircraft, crashing two of them into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and a third into the Pentagon outside of Washington, DC. Nearly 3,000 innocent men, women, and children were murdered in the attacks. Immediately following September 11, 2001, the U.S. Armed Forces moved swiftly against al-Qaeda and the Taliban, which the President and Congress had identified as enemies of America. Many members of the Armed Forces remain abroad, defending the Nation from further terrorist attacks and continuing to battle al-Qaeda and the Taliban.