Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks:

“On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked our nation and our democratic way of life. They failed. Twenty years later, America still has the strongest economy in the world, the most capable fighting force ever assembled, and, despite our challenges, the oldest democracy in human history.

“The attacks brought out the best in our nation -- courage, resolve, and resilience -- but they also set in motion challenges that remain with us today. Powerful unity gave way to intense partisan division. Strategic global leadership became reckless unilateralism and nation-building. Then and now, politicians played to our darkest impulses of fear, hatred, and isolation at the expense of our highest ideals.

“As we reflect on the past 20 years, we must remember the 3,000 Americans lost that terrible morning, along with the men and women who gave their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq, our veterans who still bear the wounds of war (many, invisible), and the first responders who still struggle with sickness. They did their duty to our nation, and their example calls on us to do the same -- by learning from the past 20 years, correcting course where we must, and coming together in common purpose.”