The 9/11 Memorial and Museum rests upon one of the most hallowed grounds of this city and country, and serves not only to honor the legacy of those killed on that day of infamy 24 years ago this Thursday, but to educate future generations on the date’s significance.
This memorial and museum is apolitical, and has been from its inception. It reflects the sense of national unity, pride, and resolve that developed in the hours and days after terrorists struck down the World Trade Center and attacked the Pentagon with four hijacked aircraft.
And while the 9/11 Memorial and Museum displays various artifacts and relics, it is also a resting place for the remains of more than 1,000 people who died in the attacks, still unidentified nearly a quarter-century after their murder. Here, victims’ families who never got the closure of a proper funeral for their loved ones have a place to remember and grieve.
The generosity of New Yorkers and philanthropists like billionaire and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the museum’s board chair, has ensured that the 9/11 Memorial and Museum thrives and continues its important mission. According to the museum’s CEO, Beth Hillman, more than $750 million has been raised in recent years, and the museum has welcomed more than 90 million visitors and counting since its opening.
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum always needs financial support from New Yorkers, but it does not need federal intervention.
With reports that the Trump administration is considering imposing federal control over the 9/11 Memorial and Museum — citing alleged concerns over executive compensation and admission costs — both the institution and Gov. Kathy Hochul pushed back.
A federal takeover would put the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the mercy of federal bureaucracy, government red tape, and the whims of presidents and Congress members who may swing the budget ax at any time, for any number of reasons, almost always political.
All one needs to do is consider how many times New York’s first responders have had to fight Congress tooth and nail over 24 years to convince Washington to fund the World Trade Center Health Program.
These are men and women who are now seriously or terminally ill from their months of work at Ground Zero, and time and again, Washington has constantly wavered in its commitment to fully fund their care; earlier this year, Trump himself cut funding for the program.
New York cannot take a similar chance when it comes to preserving the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. It must remain independent to serve its mission of preserving one of the most sacred places in America, telling the important stories of Sept. 11, 2001.
The state, which has sufficient oversight structures, can handle any concerns about the museum’s operations or executive compensation.
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum is too important and too cherished a place in these United States to ever be put under the thumbs of Washington politicians.