James Sensenbrenner, September 5, 2002

Since September 11 last year, life has taken on new meaning. For some, that day’s devastation has caused them to become more cynical, changed by the events of a few hours. For others, each day since then has taken on more significance as they realize what it means when people say that you can’t take life for granted. But for all of us the memories of that day will live on as we not only think about the people trapped in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the hijacked planes, but also remember their loved ones who were helpless to prevent the tragedies. As the President said in his Proclamation earlier this month, "Those whom we lost last September 11 will forever hold a cherished place in our hearts and in the history of our Nation. As we mark the first anniversary of that tragic day, we remember their sacrifice; and we commit ourselves to honoring their memory by pursuing peace and justice in the world and security at home."

Life after September 11 took on new meaning for Members of Congress too. We reacted by changing our priorities, and began work on legislation to respond to that day’s horrific events. One of the first things we did was pass legislation authorizing the use of US Armed Forces against those responsible for the attacks. Since then, Congress passed numerous bills dealing with the issues that are widely believed to have allowed the events of September 11 to occur. They include: beefing up airline security, strengthening our nation’s borders, restructuring the Immigration and Naturalization Service to make it a more efficient agency, and passing the USA-PATRIOT Act to improve information sharing between law enforcement and intelligence communities. More recently, the House passed legislation to create a new Department of Homeland Security in response to the President’s request for a flexible, effective department, with the singular mission of protecting our nation. Financially, we have also passed legislation to provide the Department of Defense with the resources it will need to address the new challenges that now face the nation.

Many individuals have changed their priorities too. Spurred by our war against terrorism and the words of the Administration and various law enforcement agencies, Americans have begun to pay more attention to their surroundings and take better note of anything that appears out of the ordinary, particularly in airports. Gone are the days when one can easily dismiss peoples’ errant behavior as harmless without making sure that that is indeed the case. As we learned, the price to pay for not checking can be awfully steep.

After the events of that Tuesday, life in Washington, DC, returned to some semblance of normalcy. Yet, a year later, although life appears the same as always, there is a difference. Certainly, Congress is in the middle of its appropriations debates as it almost always is this time of year and Republicans and Democrats are embroiled in many of the same arguments that typically take place around now. However, there is now an underlying sense of wariness in our nation that didn’t exist before -- but this is good, as it shows that we have learned from last year’s events. It demonstrates that as a nation, we have grown. September 11, 2001, wasn’t that long ago, but America has lived a lifetime in the year since that fateful day.

James Sensenbrenner, a Republican, represents the Ninth Congressional District of Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives.