nation forward is vitally important in my view. thank you for being here. and ask the two distinguished gentlemen to keep it brief. signed george bush. [applause] >> i understand president bush is watching so i know from everybody in this room today we send greetings, respect and salutations. that gentlemen, the letter i just read from 41 mentions the uniqueness of having these four presidential centers come together. in fact, i think this is the first collaboration ever among presidential centers in an ongoing initiative. why did you decide to do this as a collaboration and why did you pick leadership as the theme? president bush? >> because.

he said keep it short, right? hi, mom. [laughter] because we have a lot of to offer. bill and i have become friends in the post-presidency. i admire his ability to communicate and lead. i know he wants his library to be relevant heading into the future as do i. i know 41 well. i have always admired president john johnson's leadership and i know these centers are tremendous assets that need to be used properly. i felt, and i know bill feels -- well i will not put words in his mouth -- but i felt it is a fantastic use of our ability to bring people together. and i know in washington, as

soon as we are talking about the next president or senator but we are not. we are talking about leadership in all aspects of life. one of the things i have learned, maybe through my painting, is i am trying to leave something behind and something to make the world a better place. we did that hopefully, people will judge that, but hopefully when we were president, but there is still a lot of life to live. and i think a great contribution to our country will be to educate the next generation of leaders. i will thrilled to be associated with this. it is a big deal. >> president clinton? >> i wanted to do it because a great test for any democracy at any time is how to have vigorous debate, serious disagreement,

knock down dragout fights and somehow come to a resolution that enables the country to keep moving forward. i mean the founders said our job was to create a more perfect union. they never said it was to agree on everything. but if you read the constitution, it ought to be subtitled let's make a deal. [laughter] because it was designed to avoid dictatorship. therefore leadership styles are all different. but in the end we have to let our differences flourish and come to some sort of understanding about how to deal with challenges and go forward. these libraries and foundations represent two republicans, two democrats, three of us luckily still around.

people of my age who were affected by president johnson's civil rights act and the whole set of things that happened in the '60s. and so i think we are in a great struggle in america and around the world to define the terms of our interdependence. this is the most interdependent age in history. we were laughing about going to restaurants and spending our time taking selfies with people. >> at least they are still asking. [laughter] >> that is right. but it used to be people want to shake your hand but now they want to have a record of it. but we capt getcan't get away from each other. the question is how will be define the terms of the relationship? it will take leadership in every sector.

this isn't primarily a political deal. we believe there is skills and i think leaders are made also. >> let me follow-up on that last point about leaders not being made. the centers supposed to be teaching leadership. kenneth actually -- can it actually be taught? >> i think some things can be taught. some things have to be observed and practiced. we have to teach through observation and practice.

you have to have an idea where you are going to read a vision where you are going to read a strategy about how to get there. you have to have a plan to execute that strategy. withave to be comfortable an honest assessment of what you don't know and what you cannot do so well. see you can build a team of people who know things you don't and are good things you are not. then you have to leave the door open for somebody to call and disagree with you. i remember -- i want to say one thing nice about my friend here. [laughter] i'll say more than one thing but this particular one thing. he used to call me twice a year, in his second term, just to talk. we'd talk, depending on how much time he had, because he was busier than me. somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes for several years.

it meant a lot to me. never talked about it in public. we talked about everything in the world. he asked my opinion, half the time he disagreed with it, but i felt good about that. i thought that was a really healthy thing, and i'll never forget, first week i was in office i got all the young people who helped me in my campaign, and i said, if any of you ever come in this oval office and tell me what you think i want to hear, my goose is cooked. and i might as well run the white house with a computer. you have to cultivate people who know things you don't, and have skills you don't, and, yes, that can be taught. and then if nothing else, we can help people get of their own way. everybody has a story and a dream, and they can bring it to bear if we can just help people get out of their own way

sometimes. >> president bush, there was no presidential leadership scholars program when you were growing up. >> yes, there was. george h.w. bush. >> that's exactly where i was going. >> okay. you need to disguise your question a little better. [laughter] >> my next question -- [laughter] president clinton, there is anything -- [laughter] -- is there anything you wish somebody taught you about leadership before you became a leader. >> actually i thought you were going to promote my book. >> you answer that question. >> well first of all, let me go back to the question you answered. i don't think you can teach humility. i don't think you can teach

being secure. i don't think you can teach courage. i think you can give people tools if that it that's in their system, and that's what we intend to do. that's why this program is aimed at people who have exhibited leadership characteristics you can't teach, and give. them tools so that -- and confidence. i believe this is a confidence boost. go through this program, see other people their age or on the same area of work, and say, i think i can do more. i've studied, william j. clinton or george w. bush or lbj -- first they'll discover we're just normal people who got caught up in -- through amibition and drive and circumstance, ended up being --

ended up being president. and here are the tools necessary to do it. so absolutely you can teach leadership skills. i don't think you can teach leadership qualities, and so this program is going to -- i assume the committee is going to screen for people who have shown leadership qualities by the age of 35 or 50 or however old the people are going to be. anyway, i learned a lot from my dad. i'm very fortunate to have watched a great man, and matter of fact this book i'm writing, i'm marketing now -- [laughter] -- which i think will be out november 11th -- [laughter] >> it's a love story. this is going to irritate people in washington, i suspect, or some. because it's a love story. but it's a story about finding -- seeing somebody you admire and learning from them, and maybe this program will be able to do the same thing. and i learned a lot of lessons from being able to watch him throughout life.

i suspect that people are going to be able to say when they finished this program, i learned a lot about leadership when i studied the presidencies of the four people that are associated with the program. >> mr. president, you clearly absorbed a lot of lessons from 41. i'm assuming those will be laid out in your book, available november 11th. [laughter] >> $16.80. [laughter] >> no. higher. >> i learned a lot from him. i'm not making any money off it. [laughter] let's point out that one of the challenges in the program. last week i went to kennebunkport as the designated black

sheep of the bush -- to see president bush on the 70th anniversary of his being the youngest american pilot shot out of the sky in world war ii. now, somebody taught him how to fly the plane, but he was 20 and didn't want to be up there. and we had a flyover with an exact replica of the little bomber he flew, and it was a small bomber compared to the larger ones that were developed later, and the even smaller fighter planes that escorted them that were most famously flown by the tuskegee airmen, the only unit who never lost a bomber. now, benjamin o. davis was the commander of the tuskegee airmen. he was a great leader. why? because he had simple things that he drilled into people and he said, you know, our fighters

cost $50,000. the bombers cost $250,000. do not leave the formation to prove you can shoot down a german fighter plane. protect the bomber. that's our job. and that was a simple leadership strategy. that resulted in their being the only unit in world war ii never to lose a bomber, and i was talking to president bush about it and he said heed been thinking bit all day, too, and remembered everything that happened 70 years ago on that day, when his life nearly ended. now, he was too young to have been through much leadership development except learning how to fly the plane, but i also think he got better as he went along. i think you got better as you went along. i know i got better as i went along, and i'll say again, i think giving people access to inside skills and training and also literally helping them to keep their heads on straight, is

very, very important. because anything that is really hard will become harder, and then you'll feel a lot of pressure, and you watch -- we were talking about this golf tournament yesterday, when you get in any kind of high-level competition you have to work really hard to keep your mind, heart and spirit in the same place, not get in your way and never lose your focus, and i think there are ways to do that are quite effective, and i hope we can be helpful to a lot of people. >> margaret and stephanie did a nice job of describing the program, telling us the kinds of people they're looking for in this presidential leadership scholars program. let me ask each of you to tell us a little more about precisely the kind of people whom you would like to have participate in it?

what would be a successful kind of person who could benefit from this program? president bush? >> well, for sure we want people from all walks of life. and different political persuasions. we want people who have shown the capacity to succeed. people who work hard and who work with others in a good way. and people who launched a career in whatever field, and we just want to be a little extra fuel, and -- remember the fellows, the white house fellows, bill and i both had the honor of meeting with our white house fellows. extraordinary group of people that spent time in the white house, people that were highly motivated people, and it's not exactly like the white house fellows but similar to the white

house fellows. a rigorous application process. one of the challenges, by the way -- we hope people are supportive of this program help us -- is to get people aware of the program and to apply for the program. i guess that's -- got any other thoughts on that one? >> i'll give you one example. i'd like to -- like for us to have some people who are involved in nongovernmental organizations, like our foundation work, that operate at a smaller level but do really great work. but need to figure out how to ramp it up and do so with the help of modest donors. so, it's become sustainable in their community or in their state or wherever. i think they could benefit from a program like this. i would like to have some people

who are entrepreneurs in the program, who are working in areas with enormous potential but significant uncertainty for america's economic future. and i'd like to have to -- to go back to one thing george said -- i'd like to get some people from dramatically different backgrounds together, with the charge to come up with something they can do together. for example, when the tea party first got organized, a lot of the early people who were interested in it were not involved with anybody big, anybody rich. they just thought the government had let them down and that, therefore -- they thought both the public and private sectors had gotten too big, and if everything worked the way they thought their home town or their neighborhood or their upbringing

worked, things would be all right. i'd like for some people like that to be paired with community activists and african-american and hispanic and immigrant, asia neighborhoods, with projects that figure out what they can do together to have both the right culture and the right support system, and i think we could do a lot of things like that really would help develop leadership and a skill that we are beginning to see see atrophy in america, which is listening to people who disagree with us. we're less racist, sexist, and homophobic but we don't want to be around anybody that disagrees with us and it's hard to make good decisions in complex environments. [cell phone ringing] [laughter] only two people have this number and both related to me. i hope i'm not being told i'm about to become a premature grandfather. >> that's right. that would make national news.

>> i don't think so. >> president bush, i've been admonished in asking these questions not to encourage you guys to commit news. >> thank you. >> here we are in the newseum, so that requires leadership on your part. >> it does and i'm going to try to exercise it. if either of you has any political announcements, endorsements or predictions you would like to make, now would be a really fun time. [laughter] >> like the time -- remember the woman in canada, asked us about said what about another clinton-bush matchup, and my anxious was the first one didn't turn out too good. [laughter] >> okay. i'm going to exercise leadership

and not let us get any farther off. i'm interested in the answers that both of you gave to the last question in talking about what kind of scholars you wanted. neither of you talked about politicians. or elected officials, because i gather that's not the core purpose of this scholarship program. it's not to train a bunch of new political leaders. >> no. but i think that politics is important, and i know he does, too. one of the thing is would like to do if we got into that -- i thought about it the other day i went to see "all the way." the broadway play about johnson passing the civil rights act. bryan cranston won the tony award for it. i liked him way better as lbj than a drug dealer. he's a great actor.

i like the movie "lincoln" because it showed abraham lincoln as a politician, making those dreaded deals, giving guys jobs and stuff to vote for the amendment to end slavery. i wouldn't mind having a leadership program which forces people to talk about the compromises that leaders have to make, and which ones are more principled and which ones aren't, and is it only determined by the end or don't you have to have some limits on the means, too? i hope we do have some of that in there, because that's really important. if you lose the ability to keep the door open to people dish -- i remember one day, trent lott jumped all over me in a sunday morning talk show, said i was acting like a spoiled brat. i never will forget this

mitchell second term. i called him on the phone. he said, my god, are you call had gone chew me out? i said, but not for what you think. he said, what do you mean? i said, you worked hard last week, didn't you? and you agreed because somebody suggested you do the sunday morning talk shows and you woke up existed with a headache, you were mad you had to good, they baited wow are you when you got there and you took the bate. he said, that's exactly what happened. how did you know that? [laughter] i'm telling you this because it made us better friends. i didn't hear what the said. i cared whether we could go to work the next week. those things i would like to help teach people. how did mandela develop the strength to put the people who kept him in prison, 27 years, the leaders of the parties, in his government. he didn't just invite them to the inauguration, he had them in his government. we have to do some pretty radical things like that over

the next ten or 15 years if we're going to create real decisionmaking processes that work. so i'm not against having people in politics in this, but i'm against giving it a particular political cast. >> i agree with that. i'm also concerned about the fact that people look at the political process and public service and say, i don't want to serve. who wants to get involved with that. who wants their reputation besmerched. hopefully this program will inspire good people to serve and say it's worth the cost. it's worth the cost. i hope the military participates. important to have people who wear the uniform go through a program like this. so i'm not adverse to politicians. people saying politics is noble, i want to serve as a result of the program, would be a wonderful dividend.

>> let's talk for a minute about the curriculum of the presidential leadership scholars program. margaret and stephanie described it. it's got four key themes to the curriculum. first is communications and vision, second is decisionmaking, the third is influence and persuasion, and the fourth is coalition-building. in your mind, president clinton, is any one of those four more important than the others? >> well, the bible says where there's no vision the people perish, but i think the truth is, if the test is are things going to be better off when you quit than you started, whatever you're doing, you have to do everything. you have to have a vision, is

articulated, turned into a strategy, then execute the strategy, to pass a bill if you're trying to pass a bill, or if you're not in the political context, just to go do it, and you have to be able to assemble a team. people that know things you don't and have skills you don't. to do that. and to build support for it. and i think all those things are exceedingly important, and then you have to stay at it, and one of the things that i hardl see george that it don't think of this, and we never talk about it, but i watched all those debates he had with vice president gore. not a single one of them did either one of them get asked, what are you going to do when they blow up the world trade center? so, if you take a leadership position, you very often -- particularly in an uncertain world, if you don't do or get caught trying to do what you said you were going to do when you ran you file like you have let yourself and your supporters down.

or if you are you take a job as chairman of a company, same thing. or start a small business. on the other hand, you can't ignore the incoming fire. that's what really damaged our friend in south africa. he said, mandela created a modern political state. i'll create a modern economy, and here comes aids. so you have to deal with that and then you have to try to think of things that aren't in the headlines that will prepare for a future. you have to do all that. i don't think you can disaggregate these things. that's one of the things i hope will come out of this program. >> i agree completely with that. i thought stephanie and margaret had a valid point in that issues change, circumstances change, economies change, but there are certain principles that don't, management principles and leadership skills that won't change, and the idea, of course, is to not only have a class but

to have a series of classes, big alumni association, encouraging people to sign up and also reinforcing the lessons learned about what it takes to lead. and, again in washington, people think they're talking about budget chairman or something like that. if you're a small business owner, these lessons apply to you as well, the four areas of discussion. you may have to communicate with fewer people, but nevertheless you still have to communicate the vision in order for a company to succeed. you have to know where it's going, leadership is knowing where you, the leader ex-want to take somebody, and have the skills necessary to do so. i don't think you can desegregate them. >> let me ask you about the two presidencies involved in this initiative that aren't represented on the stage. and president clinton, i'm going to begin by asking you about 41. even though you haven't written a book that will be out on

november 11th. about 41. >> i think i can put one together and be ready by the middle of -- be ready for the christmas season. [laughter] >> you have worked a lot with 41 in your post presidency and you're known to be very close with him. what leadership attributes of 41 do you think have impressed you most and are the ones you want to inculcate through the leadership program? >> when you're dealing with president bush 41, there are a couple of things that are never in doubt, and i think this is really important. his good will is never in doubt.

and this was true before he was 90. we've been working together for a long time. been out of office a long time. he did things when most people were at an age where they'd stopped doing things. jimmy carter did the same thing. have to respect that. he is 90. just went to china to celebrate the 35th anniversary of opening the door to china. so, anyway, when you deal with president bush, you realize immediately that he is a person of good will. whatever it is he is doing, he is doing because he thinks it's right and he wants to help somebody. i don't think that can possibly be underestimated as an attribute. if you don't have that, then everything else you're trying to do is a lot harder. when i was president we had to -- i had a republican congress, six of the eight years, the people that actually knew me, that i had a relationship with,

that we had done something together on, republicans who supported the irish peace process ex-for example -- it was -- we had a beg leg up. i think it's very important, when people see that. the other thing he had that believe every leader needs, i think he's got, too, by the way, we can all do the right thing when we're presented with a problem we know everything about and we understand the main players. but the best leaders have enough imagination and empathy they can feel the situation somebody's in that they'd never been in, and bush 41 was great about that. otherwise, you know, he wouldn't have been out there plunking for

the americans with disabilities act. he had pretty clean air up in ken any bunk port but wanted the clean air standards who when he was a congressman, he was one of the few run southerners, or republicans to vote for the open housing law in 1968. why was that? he could always live wherever the heck he wanted. he could put himself in the position of someone who had a different life, with different life possibilities and different life changes. i think that's one of most important characteristics a leader can have, and he is always been great at that. >> thank you. you're right. >> president bush, same question to you about lyndon johnson, what stands out in your mind as leadership qualities you want taught is in program. >> i met lyndon johnson twice. once when i was visiting my

grandfather who was a colleague of his in the senate, and once later on when he had retired back to texas. he was a big guy. i was struck by how imposing his physical being was, and i would suspect amongst the four, his strongest quality was his persuasiveness. [laughter] particularly to get the civil rights bill passed. it's one of the greatest legislative feats in our nation's history. and lyndon johnson powered it through, and i don't think we can teach size. [laughter] but i will think we can -- people will be able to be inspired by his lesson, and -- yeah. >> president clinton, let me ask you, you two to talk about each

other for a minute. >> beautiful man. beautiful. [laughter] >> what in president bush's leadership style stands out are out for you that you want taught in this scholars program? >> when he decided what he thought was right, he went for it. and sometimes i didn't agree with what he thought was right. but i recognized that he was doing what he thought was right not what he thought the politics of the moment required or what the constituencies even within his own party required. you can argue like "no child left behind," but one thing it reflected was a concern for the

achievement levels of all american students, and ted kennedy supported him on it, as i remember they worked that out. that was kind of interesting couple. [laughter] when -- i remember when he said, i don't do nuance, and he got bashed for it, and i like nuance and cloudy situations, but the truth its sometimes clarity is required. and when he said it, he said it in a circumstance where he thought clarity was more important than being -- adding a three paragraph codicile to whatever your decision was. so i actually learned a lot watching him over the years. i tell young people all the

time who agree with my politics, that when you look at the top of any organization, every now and then -- for example, of all the world leaders i knew, but of all i came in touch with i had an occasional lady pesh, an occasional not real smart person, and an occasional crook. most of them were smart hard working an honest. and whether i agreed with them or not they did what they thought was right. and so i think watching how they do it is very helpful. president bush in didn't ways from me but both of us, because i tend to look like i'm nice and him because he always made fun of yourself. u want to underestimateed by your adversaries. and we did for totally

different reasons. and i watched the way he thought through things and tried to approach them with clarity and decisiveness with great admiration. you read that book you'll understood why. not the one coming out on whatever. his other book. i was one of the nonright wingers who voted. it's a heck of a book. >> president bush, the same question. >> well, thank you for that very much. there's a lot to admire about bill clinton. first of all he's an awesome communicator. i've always admired that. he can really lay out a case and get people all across the political spectrum to listen. and i think it's -- it hearkens back to what you said about my dad. you two have got great empathy for people. and if you have empathy for people like you do, then people are going to want to listen to you. and then when they start

listening you actually can convince them. and you two made tough decisions. listened carefully, and decided. one of the things we'll hopefully teach people is that at some point in time a leader has to decide. you did that. you told people where you want to lead and in a way people could understand. and then made decisions. and stuck by them. o -- yeah. s that enough? >> that was a lot shorter than your answer. i know. >> nuanced. >> ok. >> but i think equally powerful. >> thank you. >> former chief of staff.

i appreciate you saying that. >> president bush, i'm going to pass the last question to you. >> ok. >> and i'm going to ask you, what advice do you have for president clinton on the leadership qualities necessary to be the good granddad? >> be prepared to fall completely in love again. you're not going to believe it. you're just not going to believe the joy and the fun. and i'm looking forward to talking to you after that child is born. and we all hope the very best for chelsea and that the child's health be strong like i'm confident it will be. it's going to be an awesome period for you. get ready also to be like the lowest person in the pecking rder in your family.

[applause] >> gentlemen this has been a great conversation which has amply demonstrated that you all are coming together in support of a great program which will i think be terrific for the country both for substance of what it's going to teach new leaders but also for what it will say to the country. please join me in thanking these two extraordinary people. [applause]

>> what a terrific conversation. thank you for being here. awesome job. these folks know a lot about leadership and have a lot to say. don't run off. i want to thank you all for being here. in a moment i'm going to invite you to be part of the social part of this. i also want to recognize secretary clinton has dropped in. secretary clinton. thank you very much for being here. each and er one of with you was invited today because we believe that you either are or no a terrific presidential leadership scholar prospect. so i ask you to help spread the word. this program will only be successful with a great group of leaders. the program is aimed at working professionals who will come together largely one over weekend for about a six-month

period beginning next year. you can find out a whole lot more about our -- it on our website to nominate a scholar or apply yourself. we have great hope for this program and what it will mean to our country now i invite you to join us on the 7th floor terrace outside for a little social time. thank you all.

>> i'd really like to do it. can you just give me some time to figure out what my schedule is going to be like and stuff? i said sure. then i saw bill out in california. i was at a healthcare event in california and i saw bill clinton there. and, of course, then we started commiserating about this andna. and i remember -- commiserating about this and that. and i told him that i'd invited hillary to come on out to speak and as he turned to walk away, i said you should come to. and he said you want both of us? and i said that would be great.

we've been friends all these years. i'd love it. think about that. and he says i will. and they did. and that's just a great honor to have them both out. they've just been good friends of ours for all these years. they've provided great leadership for our country in the past in their respective ways. i served on the committee in the senate and we had great working relationships in the senate. i think she just did an outstanding job as our secretary of state. in fact, as i've traveled around the world the last few years, it's just been amazing how the stature that hillary clinton has globally among women and girls among this globe. she has kind of lit a fire among women and girls in different countries around the world and

they're just holding her in very high esteem. minutes.

ladies and gentlemen, please elcome our honored guests. [applause] refrain from all flash photography during the ceremony. thank you. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our honored guests, members of the united states house of representatives, members of the united states senate and the speaker of the united states house of representatives. applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the speaker of the united states house of representatives, the honorable john boehner. >> ladies and gentlemen, good morning and welcome to the

united states capitol. tomorrow at 8:46 a.m., the capitol will join the nation in a moment of silent tribute to those we lost on september 11, 2001. it is one of many such moments, silent or otherwise. tol will jo a moment of silent tribute to those we lost on september 11, 2001. it is one of many such moments, silent or otherwise. they come by instinct now. we stand taller for the colors, the hand is steadier on the heart, a prayer is felt, not just said and we pull together when we might not have done so before. this is the response of a people who share a stubborn belief in each other. it's a search to grasp whatever it was in the character of those men and women who, eaving life at its peak, thought of others before hemselves. tomorrow we mourn for what was taken from us. today we consider what was left behind, stories we tell and retell, a legacy we strive to

claim and families that we ache to serve. many of those loved ones are with us today, and please join me in welcoming them to our ceremony. [applause] all that we americans are and all we will ever be, we owe to the fallen heroes of 9/11. that day was made up of many sacrifices from which emerged one's spirit, a unity embodied in the medal we entrust today to each member. since the earliest days, congress has awarded gold medals in recognition of extraordinary deeds. among the first recipients were george washington, john paul jones, andrew jackson, and till this day there is no higher onor that we can bestow.

this is the first time the medal has been given in honor of so many fallen innocents and we pray it is the last time. that, more than anything, is why we do this, because the most stiring lasting tribute of all is for we who remain never to forget and never to rest until our work is done. thank you, all, for being here today. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the presentation of the colors by the united states armed forces colored guard, the singing of our in an anthem and the retiring of the colors.

>> halt. >> o say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight o'er

the ramparts we watched were so allantly streaming and the ockets' red glare the bombs ursting in air gave proof hrough the night that our flag as still there o say does that tar-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

>> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing as the chaplain

of the united states house of representatives, the reverend patrick conroy, gives the nvocation. >> let us pray. loving and gracious creator of us all, we give you thanks for giving us this day and so many days since that moment as one 13 years ago. bless all of us who are gathered here. send your spirit of peace and consolation as we recall a tragic day when so many innocent souls were called into your presence and so many others began lives filled with sorrow and mourning. today we remember them all and in a special way the men and women who died while responding o that national tragedy.

we thank you for their courage and self-sacrifice while assisting those traumatized and struggling to survive the violent assault perpetrated on that day. may they rest in peace and may those who mourn their loss be in some small way consoled by this honor bestowed by congress. we implore you, o god, to send your spirit upon all your children. though so many suffer from acts of terror throughout our world and from various perpetrators, some of whom presume to act according to your will, we seem unable to learn how to love one another and come together to bring what families throughout our world want -- peace, health and safe homes for their hildren.

may our gathering today be a call to us all, to work toward a better world and bring some comfort to those who were so personally harmed that violent day 13 years ago by the loss of their loved ones, the fallen heroes of 9/11. may we always be mindful that you, our god, and may all we do be for your greater honor and glory. amen. >> please be seated. ladies and gentlemen, united states representative from the ninth district of pennsylvania, the honorable william shuster. [applause] >> thank you. good morning. it is truly an honor to be with

you here this morning as we present the congressional gold medal to the three memorial sites in honor of the heroes of 9/11. i represent shanksville, pennsylvania, the area where flight 93 went down, and more importantly, where the first counterattack on the war on terrorism occurred. it's been an honor for me to work closely with the families of flight 93 over the past several years on key initiatives, including funding the flight 93 national memorial and awarding the 9/11 heroes a conled gold medal today. these congressional gold medals are an honor, in honor of the heroes that perished on 9/11 and will be displayed at each of the memorial sites. the tragic deaths at the world trade center, at the pentagon and in western pennsylvania on september 11, 2001, have forever changed our nation. the officers, emergency workers and other employees, the state and local government agencies, including the port authority of

new york and new jersey, and the united states government and others who responded to the attacks on the world trade center in new york city and perished as a result of the tragic events of september 11, 2001, took heroic and noble action on that day. the first responders to the attack of the pentagon took heroic and noble action to evacuate the premises and prevent further casualties of pentagon employees. the passengers and the crew of the united airlines flight 93 recognized the imminent danger that their aircraft poised, took selfless and heroic action to ensure that the aircraft could not be used as a weapon. by giving the ultimate sacrifice that day, those heroes saved the lives of countless men and women, american institutions and symbols of american democracy and most likely the building we are standing in today, the u.s. capitol. the united states congress is honored by this opportunity to further pay tribute to the

heroic men and women by officially recognizing those who lost their lives that faithful day. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the united states senator from pennsylvania, the honorable robert casey. [applause] >> thank you very much, mr. speaker, majority leader reid, leader pelosi, leader mcconnell, ladies and gentlemen and especially the families of flight 93. like congressman shuster, i'm honored to be here today as a representative of the commonwealth of pennsylvania. we gather today to both pay tribute to and i believe to draw inspiration from what those passengers did on a bright sunny day, flying through pennsylvania facing the

darkness and the horror that they were confronted with. in addition to paying tribute to them and drawing inspiration, we also express gratitude today, gratitude for what they did to save the lives in this building, this city and of course what they did for america. we also want to express gratitude to the families for what they've done since that horrible day to make sure we never forget the contribution of their family members, to our own national security and i believe to our own destiny. i think if i went to everyone in this room today, we would have one sentiment in common, not just gratitude and sorrow and expressing condolence but also i think we would have a federal reservent hope that each of these -- fervent hope that each of these passengers could be here so we could shake their hands and present them

wet medals we are presenting here today. we cannot do that. the substitute, of course, is what we can do to pay tribute to their families, pay tribute to them through their families. on a day like today, we reach and research for scripture in other ways to remember the contribution and seek inspiration. i'm recalling the words from part of the lyrics from "america the beautiful. the one line, o beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years. in that moment of horror, those passengers, people that didn't have training in national security or law enforcement or dealing with the horror of terrorism, they understood that patriot drome and they acted on that dream because they could indeed see beyond the years, what their actions would mean that day and what their actions

would mean for america. so let us today draw inspiration from what they did and let us today recommit ourselves to making sure that we're doing all we can to remember that patriot dream and to always see beyond the years. may god bless them and god bless their families. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the united states army band and horus.

> god bless america land that i love stand beside her and guide her through the night

with the life from above from the mountains to the prairies o the oceans white with foam god bless america my home sweet home god bless america my home sweet home god bless america land that i love tand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above from the mountains, to the prairies to the oceans, white with foam

god bless america, my home sweet home god bless america, my home sweet home >> ladies and gentlemen, democratic leader of the united states house of representatives, the honorable nancy pelosi. >> good morning. when we did this in memory of 9/11, we thread on sacred ground. 13 years ago the world watched on a clear tuesday morning as

we suffered loss we could not possibly have imagined and witnessed heroism we will never forget. today, we come together once more in reverence to those sacred memories, to help consecrate those sacred places where so many lives were lost and so many were saved. we're honored to have the secretary of the interior here, representative hoyer, president of the firefighters, my fire chief from california, so many distinguished guests who have sacrificed so much for our country, including max cleeland. it's so nice to be here with senator casey and representative shuster, the representatives of one of the areas so affected and with our speaker, mr. boehner. thank you for making this occasion possible, mr. speaker, and with leader reid. leader mcconnell. i think we will all agree that

as many ceremonies that we may participate in, this is singular in terms of how deeply rooted our sorrow is and how broad our respect is for our eroes. again, in the very center of our democracy in this capitol, we bestow these congressional gold medals to our memorials in new york, in pennsylvania and across the potomac as the sign of the never-ending commitment of the heroes of that day today we present those medals to the president, joseph daniels of the national september 11 memorial and museum in new york in recognition of the men and women who rushed up the stairs and into the smoke among many other acts of heroism. to gordon, president of families of flight 93 and recognition of passenger and crew who -- passengers and crew who charged up the aisle.

to james, president of the pentagon memorial fund in recognition of those serving our country. with these medals, we honor the heroism of the first responders and ordinary citizens. we celebrate them in that capacity but also we remember them as husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, families and friends. we remember the perseverance of the loved ones they left behind and the advocacy of the 9/11 families who turned their grief into action to make our nation safer. as senator casey referenced. president lincoln once cautioned of the silent artillery of time wearing away our memories. we pray that the years might ease the pain of the bereefed but never let time -- berieved but never let time lessen. because of their acts and deeds of millions of americans, we

found hope in the face of despair, strength in the wake of fear, unity in the shadow of loss. today, we renew our vow time shall not dim the memory of our fallen heroes. their courage add luster to these awards, for we know their deeds will shine forever. let their lives be a blessing to their beloved. let them inspire greater compassion and humanity, let us resolve in their name that this date marked by terror will belong to bravery. god has truly blessed america with our fallen heroes of 9/11. may god continue to bless the united states of america. thank you. >> ladies and gentlemen, the republican leader of the united

states senate, the honorable mitch mcconnell. [applause] >> none of us will forget where we were that morning or the horrible things we saw. the explosions that melted steel and shattered symbols of our prosperity and our might. tools of commerce and transport used for brutal and homicidal nds, the people, the loss, the espair, these things we have never been able to forget. and yet that's not all we saw on that saddest of september mornings.

amid the horror and the tragedy there was something else, something more powerful. in the heart of a great city, strangers rushed to help strangers sprinting toward smoke and chaos, ignoring the danger to themselves. we heard stories of heroes returning once more to the swirling tempest of paper and glass, searching for others to help. at the edge of the nation's capitol, colleagues became comrades reaching amid the lames and confusion. and high above the clouds, stories of bravery and revolt, courage that did more than just save buildings like this one or the ideals it represents but countless lives.

these are the 9/11 fallen heroes. first responders, civilians, passengers and crew and so many thers. they did not ask to be heroes. they did not wake that day with dreams of glory. but when history intervened, they acted. and unlike the hijackers who plotted to take lives, those heroes sacrificed to save them. the thousands of men and women who perished on september 11 did not die in vain. their memories served and still serves as a unifying force for our nation. whether by the inspiration of our their bravery or the brutal way their lives were taken, their memories stirred

americans to even more acts of selflessness from joining rescue efforts to raising their hands in defense of freedom. in manhattan and shanksville and at the pentagon, we've erected memorials to honor them. and today with these three medals we commemorate every man, every woman who perished that day with the highest civilian award that congress an bestow. to the families gathered here, i know the wounds can never truly be healed, but never forget that your country stands with you and that we will never stop honoring the memory of the heroes we remember today. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, the majority leader of the united states senate, the honorable harry reid. [applause] >> senator mcconnell mentioned we all remember where we were that morning. i remember. i was assistant leader. leader daschle called a leadership meeting we had every tuesday at 9:00 in the morning. i was the first to come to that room, s-211, and john came in, senator from louisiana, said turn on the tv. something is going on in new york. we flipped on the tv and we said, what happened? plane must have been misguided in the building.

and we thought it was just a news story. this it wouldn't amount to much. and so people started coming in for the meeting. conference table there in that room, s-211, and senator daschle started the meeting. within just a short period of time, matter of five minutes, six minutes, couple people came into the room, took him out of the room and he came back immediately and said we got to evacuate this room, the building. there's a plane headed for us. as i walked out of that, i'll never forget as i walked out of the room, look out the window, we could see the smoke billoing from the pentagon. -- billowing from the pentagon. that's the day i'll never forget. we were all very anxious and afraid that day, concerned

about what we didn't know, afraid of what we did know. the day ended with everyone coming back -- senators coming back to the capitol, democrats, republicans and assembled on the capitol steps. without anyone giving speeches, we were there just to dignify the occasion, letting everyone know how much we cared about what we thought had happened. and barbara mikulski, who has such a powerful voice in that small stature she has. she said, we'll sing "god bless america," the same song we heard today. that brought back such memories. and we did. those of us that can't sing sang. those that could sing sang. and it was something we'll always remember. i'll always remember.

images of that morning will always stay with me. the shock, the horror, the uncertain i felt that day will be forever etched in my heart. today as we bestow the congressional medal of honor on the fallen heroes of september 11, those memories will be with us. but even in the midst of heartwrenching memories, we're reminded of the heroism that day. ours is a nation started, settled and strengthened by heroes. those who answer the call of duty and those who are called without notice has happened. there were so many who answered that call of duty that day. those souls who answered the call that morning left us with a legacy of bravery we cannot fully fathom, explain. no monument can express our

true appreciation. no memorial can convey the magnitude of their courage. our forever gratitude is the only tribute that will suffice. so what we must do is remember their suffice -- sacrifice, the ultimate price they paid for our freedom. i believe the heroism and sacrifice we witnessed on september 11, 2001, will forever be in our hearts, in our minds and in our nation's history. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the speaker of the united states house of representatives, the onorable john boehner. >> in a few minutes, we'll have the presentation of the gold medals. first, let me thank my colleagues for their words and for their leadership.

now, when congress approves a gold medal, the work is just beginning. each medal has its own design committee and in this case there were three design committees. the medals were then struck at the u.s. mint in philadelphia, just blocks from independence hall. all in all, they've done remarkable work and we're truly grateful for their efforts. on behalf of the american people, we will now entrust these medals to the memorials, all of which are worthy of the people that we honor today. here to receive the medals, joseph daniels, president and c.e.o. of the national september 11 memorial and museum in new york city. gordon felt, president of the families of flight 93. and jim, president of the 9/11 memorial fund. please join me here on the stage. [applause]

[applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, president and c.e.o. of the national september 11 memorial and museum in new york, mr. joseph c. daniels. >> good morning. it's truly an honor to be here today along with jim from the pentagon memorial fund and gordon felt from the flight 93 national memorial in pennsylvania, among members of the cabinet, the joint chiefs, family members of the fallen and our first responders to accept this medal created in memory of those whose lives were taken too soon in the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001. on behalf of the 9/11 memorial and museum's board of directors and staff, i'm truly thankful to the members of congress, many of whom are also here today, and who saw the

significance of this medal and championed its production. it is also tremendously gratifying to see the number of senators and representatives that have taken the time to come visit the memorial and museum in new york. i do encourage those who have not yet made that visit to come as well, and you are always welcome. we're also fortunate that several of the memorial's board members who are also 9/11 family members, including lee, who lost his son, firefighter lee, paula grant berry, who lost her husband, david berry, and monica ican, who also lost her husband, michael patrick ican, were part of the design group for this incredible medal, making it a true expression of tribute and of hope from those who were affected the most. the 9/11 memorial, since it was dedicated on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, has welcomed over 15 million

visitors, and in less than four months since opening, the museum has already welcomed more than 900,000 visitors. those numbers are important because they are a true indication of the collective and worldwide will to never forget. we are honored as an institution to place this congressional gold medal in the 9/11 memorial museum for our visitors from all 50 states and over 175 different countries to see. several members of congress are working to ensure the history of this memorial and museum represent receive ongoing operating support. i know that along with my colleagues from the pentagon and flight 93 memorials, i'm tremendously gratified and grateful to see the millions of americans who are keeping our commitment to remember those killed in the attacks strong. and that we keep in the forefront of our minds and hearts what we saw on 9/11 and

in its aftermath, that when the circumstances require, we can and will come together with limitless compassion. in that spirit, i thank you, again, for this wonderful tribute. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, president of the pentagon memorial fund, mr. james laychak. >> thank you, everyone. i'd like to recognize speaker boehner, leader pelosi, leader mcconnell, senator -- house majority -- senate majority leader reid, representative shuster, senator casey, senator warner, senator mccain, congressman moran, joe daniels, gordon felt. and i'd like to recognize the 9/11 families, survivors and first responders

here today as well as the representatives of the pentagon memorial fund. and the pentagon memorial fund board members. thank you, speaker boehner, for hosting the ceremony. the staff has done an outstanding job. i'd also like to thank senator warner for allowing and asking the pentagon memorial fund for our recommendations for individuals to serve as advisors to the u.s. mint on the design of the gold medal for the pentagon site. i'd like to especially thank our advisors, 9/11 family member, my sister-in-law, laurie laychak, pentagon survivor and family member, kathy dilber and special agent chris coons, arlington county fire chief jim schwartz for your valuable time and insight that has brought us all here today. 13 years ago, my brother was killed in the pentagon on 9/11, and the family members and our nation made a promise we would never forget.

these congressional medals reflect that promise and will help ensure that future generations that visit the three attack sites understand the significance of that promise. the p.m.f. was formed by 9/11 family members in three to help raise the funds needed to -- in 2003 to help raise the funds needed to build the memorial to ensure there's always a place to remember, reflect and renew. dedicated in 2008, the pentagon memorial is a place of solace, where friends and families can always go to remember their loved ones. today we are pleased to be working with the department of defense and the state of virginia for plans for a visitors education center that will ensure those that did not know their loved ones or do not know about 9/11 have a place to reflect on the events of that day. they'll also have the opportunity to learn about survivors and heroes in the

pentagon and they'll learn about the response of our government and countries around the world on september 12 when nato invoked article 5 and 23 allied countries helped offer defend the united states. it is in this united and cooperative support that is important today as well as on eptember 11. we believe through these stories of loss, heroism, community and unity, future visitors will leave the pentagon memorial visitor education center with a renewed sense of hope. we look forward to prominently displaying the fallen heroes gold medal at the pentagon visitor education center as a symbol of our nation's commitment to never forget and our renewed hope for the future. thank you for this great honor. thank you very much. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the families of flight 93, mr. gordon w. felt. [applause] >> good morning. ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, speaker boehner, majority leader reid, leader mcconnell, leader pelosi, senator casey, congressman shuster, secretary jewell and those here today that may have been working in this very building 13 years ago, it is an honor to stand before you today to accept the congressional gold medal of honor on behalf of the passengers and crewmembers of united flight 93.

the gravity of today's ceremony and location have greatly appreciated by the families of flight 93. on september 11, 2001, the symbolic foundations of our nation came under attack and much was lost. chaos, uncertainty and terror threatened to break our spirit as the scourge of unprecedented evil descended upon our nation. yet, as the world observed one of america's darkest moments and our corresponding response, stories of heroism, extraordinary resolve and american resilience shown brightly, first responders did not run from but rather toward. individuals that lived through these attacks selflessly worked together to survive, and our loved ones on united flight 93, armed with the knowledge that the nation, our nation was under attack, took fate into their hands and fought.

in doing so they lost their lives, though in the process most likely saved this very building in which we stand today. were it not for the people honored today with the presentation of these congressional gold medals of honor, our course of human events would be far different. their loss, their sacrifice rekindle the spirit in all freedom-loving peoples of the world that we cannot afford to lose. our job moving forward from september 11, 2001, for these past 13 years and into the future is to remember, remember the individuals, remember their collective actions and remember who we became that fateful morning. on behalf of the families of flight 93, i thank you. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please stand as the chaplain of the united states senate, dr. barry black, gives the benediction. > let us pray. god, our refuge and strength, we're grateful for this opportunity to honor the fallen heroes of 9/11. thank you, dear god, for people proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life. comfort those who still feel

the pain of grief and loss as you teach us to number our days that we may have hearts of isdom. ay exemplary heroism remind us that eternal vigilance remains he high price for freedom. in this dangerous and unstable world, keep us united as one nation under girded by your providence with liberty and justice for all. we pray in your great name, men.

>> ladies and gentlemen, please be seated and remain seated for the departure of the official party.

>> ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending today's year's, some of this 9/11 services. any white house moment of silence followed by the president's remarks during the memorial service at the pentagon. on the next "washington journal" a roundtable discussion on the campaign strategies of both political parties in the midterm elections. we talk with democratic and davids jim manley winston. and assessing president obama thetegy to come -- combat

terrorist group come isis. live at 7on journal" a.m. eastern on c-span. on thursday, ceremonies were held to do commemorate the 13th anniversary of the september 11 terrorist attacks. it took place in new york city. victims by theof nearly 3000 names on those who the crash.ll of six moments of silence marred to the planes hit the towers and .he pentagon this portion of the new york city ceremony is about 30 minutes.

♪

♪

say can you see by the dawn's early light what so as the we hail whoseht's last gleaming broad stripes and bright stars fight fore perilous the rampart parts we watched were so gallantly gleaming and and bombss red glare bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there o say does that

"star spangled banner" yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave ♪ [applause] [bell tolling]

[silence] [bagpipes playing]

[bagpipes playing] >> [names being read]

[reading names of victims of 9/11]

[reading names of victims of 9/11] >> and my father. he is sorely missed. >> and my sister.

you stand tall in our hearts. [reading names of victims of 9/11]

>> we named her after your nickname. tomorrow she will be 2 years old. lastly, may god bless the souls of all of the 9/11 victims. >> and last of all, my husband. not a day goes by that we do not think about you. [reading names of victims of 9/11]

>> love you always. missed you still. god bless america. >> and my uncle. i never got the chance to meet you, but you'll always be remembered. >> president obama, the first -- [reading names of victims of 9/11]

[reading names of victims of 9/11]

>> let us all come together to

remember and have knowledge and ourrstanding in directing leaders to move this country forward. thank you. day shelleyfe, no raised her from the memory of you raceo day shall her from the memory of time. [reading names of victims of 9/11]

>> and my uncle. we missed you terribly. >> and my brother. you are forever in our heart. we love you. [reading names of victims of

>> and my brother, hero, best friend, sal edwards junior. your memory and my love for you will last forever. along with thens families of the bit ohms of september 11. -- victims of september 11 to , godday of reflection

bless all of their souls and god bless america. and my father. i love you and i miss you forever get you will forever be in my heart. -- i love you and i miss you. you will forever be in my heart. [bell tolling] [bell tolling]

[reading names of victims of 9/11]

>> and my brother-in-law brian joseph murthy. it is not in our power to explain either the tranquility of the wicked or the suffering of the righteous. rph, we hold you in our hearts and we think of you often and we love you. evend my father, dad, though you're not on this earth

anymore, i know you are looking down and smiling. i will love you and always will. [reading names of victims of 9/11]

years.my husband of 30 heart breaks that you're not here. bless all those who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks on september 11, 2001 and those who continue to suffer from the aftermath. serving.less all those god bless america and may we never forget. >> and my uncle. we all love and miss you every day and we know you're watching over us.