SCON 75 IS

107th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. CON. RES. 75

To express the sense of the Congress that the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor should be presented to public safety officers killed or seriously injured as a result of the terrorist attacks perpetrated against the United States on September 11, 2001, and to those who participated in the search, rescue, and recovery efforts in the aftermath of those attacks.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 4, 2001

Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. WARNER, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. HELMS, Mr. CORZINE, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. VOINOVICH, and Mr. LIEBERMAN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To express the sense of the Congress that the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor should be presented to public safety officers killed or seriously injured as a result of the terrorist attacks perpetrated against the United States on September 11, 2001, and to those who participated in the search, rescue, and recovery efforts in the aftermath of those attacks.

Whereas on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked and destroyed 4 civilian aircraft, crashing 2 of them into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third into the Pentagon, and a fourth in rural southwest Pennsylvania;

Whereas thousands of innocent Americans and many foreign nationals were killed and injured as a result of the surprise terrorist attacks, including the passengers and crews of the 4 aircraft, workers in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency assistance personnel, and bystanders;

Whereas hundreds of public safety officers were killed and injured as a result of the terrorist attacks, many of whom would perish when the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed upon them after they rushed to the aid of innocent civilians who were imperiled when the terrorists first launched their attacks;

Whereas thousands more public safety officers continued to risk their own lives and long-term health in sifting through the aftermath and rubble of the terrorist attacks to rescue those who may have survived and to recover the dead;

Whereas the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-12, 115 Stat. 20) authorizes the President to award and present in the name of Congress, a Medal of Valor to public safety officers for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty;

Whereas the Attorney General of the United States has discretion to increase the number of recipients of the Medal of Valor under that Act beyond that recommended by the Medal of Valor Review Board in extraordinary cases in any given year;

Whereas the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001 and their aftermath constitute the single most deadly assault on our American homeland in our Nation's history; and

Whereas those public safety officers who perished and were injured, and all those who participated in the efforts to rescue whomever may have survived the terrorist attacks and recover those whose lives were taken so suddenly and violently are the first casualties and veterans of America's new war against terrorism, which was unanimously authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Senate Joint Resolution 23, enacted September 14, 2001): Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--

(1) the President should award and present in the name of Congress a Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor to every public safety officer who was killed or seriously injured as a result of the terrorist attacks perpetrated against the United States on September 11, 2001, and to deserving public safety officer who participated in the search, rescue, and recovery efforts in the aftermath of those attacks; and

(2) such assistance and compensation as may be needed should be provided to the public safety officers who were injured or whose health was otherwise adversely affected as a result of their participation in the search, rescue, and recovery efforts undertaken in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.