America has always been known for its strength. Our economy, communities, government, and military have forever been the epitome of resilience, but on September 11, 2001, our nation was attacked and our strength was tested. The day began just like any other September morning, however by day’s end nearly 3,000 Americans had been taken from us and our nation was in mourning. That day, our brave first responders answered the call to action to defend our homeland, running towards danger without regard for their own safety. Our military stood ready to fight back against a new evil abroad. The world changed forever that day, transforming our national security and our daily lives. As a country we grieved, we fought, and as always, we persevered.
Over the last seventeen years, Congress has passed legislation to help fortify our national security and ensure the safety of all Americans. Just last week, the House passed several Homeland Security bills to toughen our border security, strengthen the Transportation Security Administration, and help better identify cyber threats. Among these bills was the Biometric Identification Migration Alert Program Authorization Act of 2018 (BITMAP), which makes it easier for law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and international partners to share biometric and biographical data on individuals who pose a potential threat to our national security. This program has already contributed to the identification of several hundred known or suspected terrorists, human traffickers, drug smugglers, child predators, murderers, and gang members.
Times continue to change and we live in a world where technology is ever-evolving. As a result, Congress must constantly work to better secure our homeland from potential threats. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has also been a critical piece of legislation accomplishing just that. This year, the NDAA provided the Defense Department with the ability to strengthen and rebuild America’s military by investing in missile defense and our nuclear deterrent. Additionally, it strengthens partnerships with our allies and guarantees America has the military capabilities to respond in any crisis situation. However, national security is more than just weaponry so the NDAA also provided our Armed Forces with the funds to modernize the Pentagon’s infrastructure and gave our troops their largest pay increase in eight years.
The old phrase, “You never truly know how strong you are, until you have no other option but to be strong,” rings true for the United States. In response to the attacks on 9/11, our country stood up – enraged, upset, shaken, but not broken. Congress has, and will continue, to take the steps necessary to prevent an attack like 9/11 from happening again. While we will never forget those we lost on that day in September 2001, we will also continue to do all we can to show the world that American strength has never wavered.
