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Cole Statement on 17th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks

September 11, 2018

"Seventeen years ago I was in Washington D.C. the day of the 9/11 attack on America. While I was not a member of Congress, I was sitting in the offices of the US Chamber of Commerce looking directly at the White House across Lafayette Square. Gathered with my colleagues and others we turned on our television just in time to see the second plane crash into the twin towers. Minutes later we saw people pour out of the White House, fleeing out of fear that the home of America's first family would be the next target. We could see smoke rising from the site of the Pentagon and later we learned of the life and death struggle that took place on flight 93, where brave passengers fought their hijackers, almost certainly saving hundreds of lives in Washington D.C.

"Like all Americans who lived through that horrific day, I have never forgotten the vicious attack on our country and the thousands of innocent Americans who died as they went about their business on U.S. soil. I have spent my congressional career doing my best to make sure America never experiences such a day again.

"As we go through a contentious political season let us never forget that the things that bind us together as Americans are greater than our petty disputes and partisan differences. The best way to honor those who died seventeen years ago is to celebrate what is good in our country, fix what is broken, defend our people and thank God every day for the freedom and blessings we enjoy as Americans."

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