U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) today released the following statement on the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks:

“Twenty years ago today we lost 3,000 Americans, including 750 New Jerseyans, in the worst terrorist attack this nation has experienced. Twenty years later, as we remember those who perished that day, we stand in solidarity with the families and loved ones who grieve for them and to renew our pledge to Never Forget.

“To all the 9/11 families who lost a mother or father, a son or daughter, a spouse, sibling, or loved one in those horrific acts of terror, I know there’s no way to quantify the grief you carry in your hearts. You have carried that pain for twenty years. Twenty years of missed anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, holidays. Twenty years without those every day moments we all take for granted. There is no way to put into words the constant ache of grief in your hearts. Time has a way of dulling pain, of softening the sharp edges, but there is no way to truly mend what is broken. Twenty years seems like an impossible amount of time to live without someone.  And although their physical presence is gone, their love never leaves.

“Our nation faces myriad challenges today, from a global pandemic to climate change to the proliferation of terror and extremism around the world and so much more. Yet all too often, where we desperately need unity, we constantly find division. I truly believe that if we can harness that unity and renew the compassion we felt for each other in the aftermath of 9/11, there’s nothing that we as Americans cannot overcome or achieve.

“Despite all that was taken from us, I still see a country bound together by love for family, pride in one’s work, solace in our diverse faiths, and unwavering commitment to freedom. These are the common threads that bind us together as a people and brought us closer together in the aftermath of September 11th. These are the values that united us and gave us the strength to overcome terror and show our enemies that the American people never give in to fear. And they are the values that empower us to go on living while cherishing the memories of those taken from us.

“May those we lost on 9/11 live on forever in our hearts. May the heroism we witnessed on that day inspire us for generations to come. And may the humanity and decency that united us those twenty years ago give us the wisdom and resolve we need to overcome the challenges of today and together, build a better tomorrow.”