Memorial and Museum Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. ANSARI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum Act.

September 11 remains a horrific, indelible moment etched in our Nation's history. We will forever strive to honor the innocent lives lost and reckon with the sacrifices of so many.

That is why House Democrats have stepped up time and time again to support the ongoing management needs of the national September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.

Located at Ground Zero, this site is the principal tribute of remembrance to honor the lives lost on this tragic day, as well as the lives lost in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. It is a hallowed ground and deserves our support. Over the years, Congress has provided significant financial support to the nonprofit organization that operates it.

This bill continues that tradition by calling on Congress to authorize the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to provide a one-time grant for security, operation, and maintenance of the grounds.

I say ``calling on'' because one big caveat is that the bill does not actually create this grant program. Due to the Freedom Caucus' budget protocols, the bill instead clarifies at the end that the grant program shall not be authorized until subsequent legislation authorizes it and that, of course, it will not be funded until a third bill passes to appropriate the money.

Those are the fiscal gymnastics necessary to comply with Republican spending protocols. Yes, even the 9/11 Memorial gets only lip service and window dressing. To be crystal clear, this bill doesn't do anything at all.

Of course, even if Congress some day passes a bill to authorize the grant envisioned here and then passes a third bill to appropriate the money for this grant, we have seen in recent days that some Republicans believe that congressional appropriations are completely optional.

Republicans in the White House are illegally stopping vital funding that Congress has ordered to be spent, and their friends in Congress are defending them. The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said last week that all the bills in his jurisdiction that Congress passes are actually not laws.

If we ever do create this grant, I hope no one in New York makes any enemies in this administration because apparently the administration thinks it can just ignore Congress and block the money.

Madam Speaker, I want to be clear that my criticisms are not aimed at the sponsor of this bill. He is doing everything he can to advocate for the museum under the unreasonable constraints of the Freedom Caucus and the administration. I commend his efforts.

Finally, I note that the 9/11 Museum has faced criticism from local community members since its opening for some of its content. We continue to encourage the museum's management to engage with stakeholders to ensure that the site is welcoming and representative for all. Perhaps it is something we can address in the multiple pieces of future legislation that will be necessary to actually make this grant a reality.

I wish we were here today to actually do something to support and improve the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, but unfortunately, that is not the case. On balance, this bill doesn't do any harm either. It attempts to bring attention to a very important effort. I will be voting for it, but I am disappointed that this is where things are.

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Ms. ANSARI. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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