By Collin Roth
On Tuesday, Americans will pause and reflect on the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. A day that truly changed everyone who lived through it.
But it is also appropriate to flashback to September 13, 2006, when the U.S. House of Representatives voted on a resolution to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Despite a bipartisan consensus on honoring the victims, 22 members of Congress voted against the resolution that ultimately passed 395-22. One of those “no” votes was Rep. Tammy Baldwin (WI-2).
Rep. Baldwin attempted to explain her “no” vote by decrying what she called the endorsement of “highly controversial measures.” Rep. Baldwin was speaking of the PATRIOT Act and measures that have increased border security. The passage that Rep. Baldwin found objectionable reads:
Whereas Congress passed, and the President signed, numerous laws to assist victims, combat the forces of terrorism, protect the Homeland and support the members of the Armed Forces who defend American interests at home and abroad, including the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and its 2006 reauthorization, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004;
Whereas the House of Representatives in the 109th Congress passed the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, the SAFE Port Act of 2006, and the 21st Century Emergency Communications Act of 2006;
Of course, this was simply one part of a much longer resolution that honored the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the victims of terror worldwide, and honored service members and first responders for their courage and strength. By playing politics with this small bit of phrasing, Rep. Baldwin voted against endorsing these 8 resolutions by the U.S. House of Representatives:
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the House of Representatives–
(1) continues to recognize September 11 as a day to remember and mourn those who lost their lives that fateful day;
(2) encourages Americans to make September 11 a day of national service;
(3) extends its deepest sympathies to the spouses, children, mothers, fathers, and other loved ones of the victims of September 11, 2001;
(4) honors the heroic actions of first responders, law enforcement personnel, State and local officials, volunteers, and others who aided the innocent victims and bravely risked their own lives and health following the September 11, 2001 attacks;
(5) extends its deepest gratitude to military, intelligence and law enforcement personnel serving both at home and abroad in the global war on terrorism and for the sacrifices of their families and loved ones;
(6) expresses its gratitude to all foreign nations and their citizens who have assisted and continue to assist the United States in the global war on terrorism;
(7) vows that it will remain vigilant in efforts to provide the Federal Government with all the tools necessary to fight and win the global war on terrorism; and
(8) reaffirms that the American people will never forget the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and the loss of innocent lives that day, will continue to fight the war on terrorism in their memory, and will never succumb to the cause of the terrorists.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner (WI-5) was one of three co-sponsors of the resolution.