Washington, D.C.--The following is a statement from Congressman Eliot Engel on the eight year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

“When I return home to New York, I am always affected by the first sight of Manhattan without the World Trade Center. It may have been eight years ago when they were toppled, but to me it feels like yesterday. President Franklin Roosevelt called the attack on Pearl Harbor “a date which will live in infamy.” For this generation, September 11, 2001 is also a day to live in infamy.

“September 11, 2001 displayed the worst of mankind as well as the best. There were incredibly touching displays of brotherhood and humanitarianism, as witnessed by the thousands of first responders and volunteers who stayed for months searching for survivors and victims.

“Sadly, many of them continue to be victims of 9-11 as a result of diseases contracted from exposure to the fumes and debris from the pile. That is why I have repeatedly called for the passage of the 9-11 Health and Compensation Act (H.R. 847). The exposure to toxins, at the site, has left a significant number with severe health issues – including unnaturally high rates of asthma, lung disease, depression and other ailments. The 9-11 Health and Compensation Act would provide medical monitoring and treatment to victims exposed at Ground Zero. The measure will also re-open the 9-11 Victim Compensation Fund for economic losses and harm, as an alternative to the current litigation system.

“It is in all their names that we mark this day and pledge to never forget this unspeakable tragedy. Congress voted this week on a bipartisan resolution remembering the victims of 9-11. You can view my comments from the House floor here.

“A great deal has happened in America and throughout the world in the last eight years, but for me, and most New Yorkers, the memories from September 11, 2001 are still fresh and vivid. Let us always have a place in our minds and hearts for what happened that day.”