Bill passes committee
U.S. Rep. John Murtha’s legislation to create a national memorial at the site where United Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11 was passed by the House Resources Committee. “I appreciate the committee’s prompt action in passing this important legislation just one day after the subcommittee held a hearing on it,” Murtha said. “This gives us momentum to get the legislation to the full House soon, and then I hope the Senate will act quickly, too.”
Murtha’s bill would establish a national memorial at the crash site to honor the passengers and crew of Flight 93, who fought back against hijacking terrorists and crashed the plane before it could reach its intended target in Washington, D.C., saving hundreds and perhaps thousands of lives.
In addition, Murtha’s bill would establish a Flight 93 Advisory Commission, which would work closely with a broader task force to develop plans for the memorial.
“We’ve set up a careful and deliberate process in which the families of passengers and crew, the local community, land owners, emergency responders, historians and others can work cooperatively with the National Park Service to come up with a plan that will provide a fitting tribute to those who were the first to give up their lives fighting terrorists here in America,” Murtha said.
The commission would have up to three years after passage of the legislation to recommend a plan to the secretary of interior and Congress.