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Congressional Daily Record
This section captures a floor statement or debate entry. It mentions members such as Christopher Henry Smith. Extensions of Remarks are statements submitted for the official record, even if they were not spoken live on the floor.
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September 15, 2026
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Extensions of Remarks
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Download official Extensions PDFReturn to issue contextHON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH
of new jersey
in the house of representatives
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, last week, a mournful Nation marked the 25th Anniversary of September 11th. I include in the Record my remarks offered at the Monmouth County 9/11 Memorial Ceremony in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.
Thank you, Commissioner Director Arnone, for your very
eloquent remarks. Commissioner Ross Licitra, our emcee, thank
you. Amy Harigel—that rendition of the national anthem on
this very, very somber day just lifts all of our spirits.
That was very beautifully done. Thanks to Rev. Sparks for his
moving invocation, and Jessica Cappadona, thank you—that was
a really powerful witness of why we must educate the next
generation about 9/11.
You know, 25 years later, all of us solemnly remember those
who lost their lives and the pain suffered by nearly 3,000
individuals—including 147 people from Monmouth County—who
were murdered by radical jihadists and the anguish endured by
their families and their friends both then and now.
We remember and honor the courageous first responders
running up the stairs of burning buildings with total
disregard for their own safety, attempting to save others at
the expense of their own lives. We honor the first responders
who have suffered and died from illnesses related to the
rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of 9/11.
According to the World Trade Center Health Program, an
estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants
in New York. 96,000 people have been diagnosed with physical
and mental health conditions as a result of the exposure to
the dust, the smoke, the debris, and the traumatic events of
9/11. Over 9,000 people have died after 9/11 itself with
illnesses directly linked to the attack.
You know, it's widely believed that Flight 93 was headed to
Washington. A mention was made earlier about how it was
brought down by the courageous men on that flight, especially
Todd Beamer from Cranbury who said “Let's roll!” And they
brought down that plane and they stopped what would have been
another horrific attack . . . we thought it was going for the
Capitol.
You know, a member of my staff, Kathy Wisniewski, who was
then a Howell resident, lost her husband Alan on 9/11. Alan
was an associate director for Sandler O'Neill Investment, and
his office was on the 104th floor of the South Tower. His
last phone call before the plane hit was to say, “Hey,
honey, I'm okay.” And then he died.
Through Kathy and their children, as well as from many of
the survivors who are here, including the Jersey Girls who
helped get the 9/11 Commission—it was going nowhere until
they said, “We have to know the who, what, when, where, why,
of all of this, so it never happens again.”
And of course, that 9/11 Commission was headed so ably and
so effectively by Tom Kean, our former governor. And that was
the blueprint for what we do in follow-up. What happened,
what led up to it, and what do we need to do to mitigate the
possibility of this ever happening again?
As we remember the victims, every one of us need to
seriously recommit ourselves to persevering prayer; a sense
of reconciliation, yes; but also support for effective
intelligence gathering and law enforcement to better
interdict violence in all of its ugly manifestations.
Mention has been made a couple times—and Jessica, thank
you for doing this again—about the young people—and Tom,
you said it as well: the 9/11 Memorial and Museum reminds us
that 100 million Americans were too young to remember that
day that, as they put it, changed our city and nation
forever. It is our shared promise made 25 years ago never
forget, those who were born after 9/11, to learn the
significance and the enduring legacy. As we commemorate this
anniversary, a new generation will learn about the
unimaginable loss that was experienced by so many and the
inspiring stories of bravery, compassion, unity, and service
that we witnessed that will ripple through the decades.
Thank you to the Monmouth County Commissioners for so
effectively bringing us together to remember, and to pray
that it never happens again, and do everything we can to help
those who have suffered so much. Thank you.