09.12.01

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell's Statement in Response to Terrorists Attacks

Yesterday’s vicious terrorist attack left an uncounted number of Americans dead and injured, and countless others grieving for friends and loved ones they have lost. We offer our hearts and prayers to those people, who have suffered a pain so deep it is beyond understanding. But we not only support them in their pain and grief, we also share it.

Every American was wounded in yesterday’s attack, because it was an attack on our freedom and fundamental values as a people. Some have called this attack an act of madness, but it was not. It was an act of war – an organized, coordinated, pre-meditated murder of thousands of Americans, designed and carried out for political advantage. We will not allow it to go unpunished.

We will stand behind the President as he brings our law enforcement, military and intelligence forces together to find these murderers and their allies, and as he takes the steps necessary to demonstrate clearly to all the world that terrorism against our nation will not be tolerated.

Here at home we must continue to work together to bind up the wounds of this nation and heal the widespread injuries and anxieties that these acts have caused. We are profoundly grateful for the efforts and sacrifices made by the relief workers, police, and firefighters – and we deeply grieve for those heroes that we lost yesterday in New York. We are also reassured at the selflessness of Americans across the nation who donated blood and resources to get us through this tragedy.

This isn’t the first time terrorists have tried to attack the United States – and it won’t be the last. At the turn of the new Millennium, an orchestrated terrorist attack was stopped when border guards in Washington state intercepted terrorists who were bringing explosives into the United States from Canada. They intended to plant bombs at a New Year celebration in downtown Seattle and to kill as many people as they could. Fortunately, we discovered that plot and stopped it. This time, we weren’t so lucky.

But attacking this country is not enough to defeat it. It never has been. That’s something our enemies have discovered again and again. America’s history is the story of a nation, of a people, that has repeatedly overcome what seemed like insurmountable challenges – fueled by our individual liberty, our respect for the rule of law, and our belief in the value of every human life.

America began as a nation by overcoming tyranny. We will continue by overcoming terrorism. And we will do it without sacrificing who we are as Americans. We will do it by upholding the principles of "liberty and justice for all."

Thank you.