President Obama's Weekly Address 9/10/16: Upholding the Legacy of Those We Lost on September 11th

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, President Obama marked the 15th anniversary of the September 11th attacks and paid tribute to the victims, survivors, first responders, and those who have served our country. The President said that although a lot has changed over the past 15 years, the core values that define us as Americans have remained the same. As Americans we are resilient, we will never give into fear, and we will always look out for one another. Our strength is in our diversity, our welcoming of all talent, and our fair treatment of everyone – no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, or faith. The President said that’s part of what makes our country great – and if we uphold those values, we will carry on the legacy of those we lost and keep our nation strong and free.

Remarks of President Barack Obama as Prepared for Delivery

Weekly Address

The White House

September 10, 2016

Fifteen years ago, a September day that began like any other became one of the darkest in our nation’s history. The Twin Towers were reduced to rubble. The Pentagon was in flames. A Pennsylvania field burned with the wreckage of an airplane. And nearly 3,000 innocent lives were lost. Sons and daughters, husbands and wives, neighbors and colleagues and friends. They were from all walks of life, all races and religions, all colors and creeds, from across America and around the world.

This weekend, we honor their memory once more. We stand with the survivors who still bear the scars of that day. We thank the first responders who risked everything to save others. And we salute a generation of Americans—our men and women in uniform, diplomats and our intelligence, homeland security and law enforcement professionals -- who serve, and have given their lives, to help keep us safe.

A lot has changed over these past 15 years. We’ve delivered devastating blows to the al Qaeda leaders that attacked us on 9/11. We delivered justice to Osama bin Laden. We’ve strengthened our homeland security. We’ve prevented attacks. We’ve saved lives.

At the same time, the terrorist threat has evolved, as we’ve seen so tragically from Boston to Chattanooga, from San Bernardino to Orlando. So in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and beyond, we’ll stay relentless against terrorists like al Qaeda and ISIL. We will destroy them. And we’ll keep doing everything in our power to protect our homeland.

As we reflect on these past 15 years, it’s also important to remember what has not changed—the core values that define us as Americans. The resilience that sustains us. After all, terrorists will never be able to defeat the United States. Their only hope is to terrorize us into changing who we are or our way of life. That’s why we Americans will never give in to fear. And it’s why this weekend we remember the true spirit of 9/11. We’re still the America of heroes who ran into harm’s way; of ordinary folks who took down the hijackers; of families who turned their pain into hope. We are still the America that looks out for one another, bound by our shared belief that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper. /p>

In the face of terrorism, how we respond matters. We cannot give in to those who would divide us. We cannot react in ways that erode the fabric of our society. Because it’s our diversity, our welcoming of all talent, our treating of everybody fairly—no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, or faith—that’s part of what makes our country great. It’s what makes us resilient. And if we stay true to those values, we’ll uphold the legacy of those we’ve lost, and keep our nation strong and free. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Here to Stay

From the E-Newsletter of Congressman Rush Holt:

For years, I’ve worked with Josh Vandiver of Central New Jersey to help him fight deportation actions against his husband, Henry Velandia, a native Venezuelan.  My belief has always been that Josh and Henry deserve the same benefits and protections afforded to other committed couples under U.S. immigration law.

Last June, Josh and Henry celebrated the news that the Department of Homeland Security had canceled deportation actions – but that decision applied only to their specific case, raising the possibility that other same-sex families like theirs might still be torn apart.

I recently joined 83 other members of Congress in urging federal officials to announce a formal policy that all American families, regardless of their sexual orientation, will be treated equally by our immigration system.

Over the weekend, we received good news.  The Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, replied to say that she has directed immigration officials “to disseminate written guidance to the field that the interpretation of the phrase ‘family relationships’ includes long-term, same-sex partners.”

This is a major step forward, but because it is only a statement of administration policy, it could be reversed by a future president or disregarded in a specific case.  I will continue to push for Congressional action, including the repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, to ensure that no couple ever again faces the fear and confusion that Josh and Henry lived with for so long.

October 16 is Your Last Chance to Register to Vote in November

October 16 is the last day that New Jersey residents can register to vote in this year’s federal, state, county, and local elections. Registration forms and information about how to register can be found online.

I also want to remind you that in New Jersey, any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot for any election; you need not show that you are out of state or ill. To send you the ballot, your county clerk’s office must receive your absentee ballot application no later than October 30, seven days before the election.

Remembering Barry Commoner

Last weekend, Barry Commoner – a biologist and political advocate who founded the Citizens Party and ran for president in 1980 – passed away.  He was 95 years old.

Commoner’s most enduring legacy is his work to bring the science of ecology to the center of our public debate.  His studies of radioactive fallout helped demonstrate the human impact of nuclear radiation, contributing to the passage of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963.  And he shaped the thinking of generations of environmentalists through his “four laws of ecology:”  Everything is connected to everything else; everything must go somewhere; nature knows best; there is no such thing as a free lunch.

To be sure, Commoner had his flaws as an advocate.  He could be strident, combative, and dismissive even toward those who agreed with him, and his politics were clearly not to everyone’s liking.  Yet his passion and enthusiasm were unmistakable, and he did as much as anyone to create a public movement to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink.  He exemplified the responsibility of scientists to consider the public effects of technology, and he established a model of how scientists can transform the public debate.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

Pallone Announces Grant to All-Volunteer First Responder Squad in Atlantic Highlands

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 2, 2012

First Responders to Receive Funds for Improved Equipment and Training Opportunities


WASHINGTON D.C.—Today, Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06) announced the Atlantic Highlands First Aid and Safety Squad will be awarded a $13,381 grant under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program.

“Thanks to this grant, the Atlantic Highlands First Aid and Safety Squad will have more resources for training and equipment so they may continue to provide valuable, free medical services in the community,” said Pallone.

The AFG program is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security and is part of a coordinated effort to improve the nation’s ability to respond to emergencies.

The Atlantic Highlands First Aid and Safety Squad is an all-volunteer emergency medical services and rescue operation which provides the Atlantic Highlands with free, around-the-clock emergency medical services. The Squad will be able to use the funds for training and equipment.

In 2011, under the U.S Department of Homeland Security and FEMA, the AFG Program delivered more than $380 million in competitive grants to the nation’s fire departments and first responders. The Atlantic Highlands First Aid and Safety Squad competed with fire departments and first responders throughout the country and were awarded funding based on the strength and success of the organization and their applications.

Pallone Announces Over Half a Million Dollars in Fire Grants for Ocean Twp., Middletown Fire Departments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 21, 2011

Middletown Township Fire Department will receive $465,320

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. Wednesday announced that two fire departments that serve his constituents in Ocean Township and Middletown have each been awarded Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG). Ocean Township Fire District 1 will receive $175,468 and the Middletown Township Fire Department will receive $465,320. The Ocean Township fire department will spend the grant on a new breathing apparatus which will replace 36 units that are at the end of their useful life. The Middletown Fire Department will purchase new radios to replace radios made obsolete by new Federal Communications Commission standards.

“Christmas has come early this year for these local fire departments, because without this grant it would be difficult to afford this necessary equipment,” said Pallone. “This funding will make a difference locally by making it safer for local firefighters and first responders to do their job and save lives.”

The AFG program is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security and is part of a coordinated effort to improve the nation’s ability to respond to emergency situations.

Over the past year, over one million dollars in grant money has been awarded to fire departments in the sixth Congressional district to improve community emergency services.

President Obama's Weekly Address 9/10/11: Coming Together as One Nation to Remember

President Obama marks the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks and pays tribute to the first responders, those serving our nation in the military, and those who lost their lives on that tragic day.