As a nation, we are standing strong together to denounce the cowardly acts of terror against our people and our nation. The U.S. House of Representatives passed 4 bills that show the strength of our country united.

The first bill encourages every citizen of the United States to display our country's flag, as a symbol of our solidarity. We must remember those who have been lost and show the resolve and strength of our nation.

We have seen true heroism. Those heroes include the rescue workers who were first on the scene when disaster struck and those who are still there, working to remove the rubble and rescue victims trapped inside of the Pentagon and the World Trade Center in New York City. Congress has expedited the benefit payments under the Public Safety Officer Benefit program for the public safety officers who were killed or suffered a catastrophic injury in the line of duty in connection with the terrorist attacks. Specifically, this bill requires payments to be made to the victims and/or their families in 30 days or less of the government receiving their requests.

A section of our tax code provides a tax reduction for Members of the Armed Forces who are killed or who die as a result of injuries suffered while serving in a combat zone. Legislation has been passed that will extend this same preferential tax treatment to individuals who were killed as a result of Tuesday's terrorist attack or who die as a result of injuries suffered from that attack. This bill also clarifies that the $25,000 per passenger payments made my United Airlines will be exempt from federal income taxes. Any similar payments made by American Airlines would receive similar treatment. Finally, it makes sure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance payments are exempt from federal income taxes as well.

A disaster of this magnitude will require substantial assistance to the people in New York, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. We send them our prayers, our support, our manpower and, also, funding so that excavation can begin and then we can start to re-build. The House of Representatives will also approve an emergency spending bill to give the folks on the front lines of this disaster the resources they need without delay.

Our lives and our nation have changed forever. We in Congress are sending a strong signal to millions of people here at home and abroad that the ideals of freedom and democracy live on undeterred.