[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 9, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H634-H637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
9/11 MEMORIAL ACT
Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3036) to designate the National September 11 Memorial
located at the World Trade Center site in New York City, New York, as a
national memorial, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3036
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``9/11 Memorial Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
nonprofit organization as defined in section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)) in
existence on the date of enactment of this Act.
(2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map titled ``National
September 11 Memorial Proposed Boundary'', numbered 903/
128928, and dated June 2015.
(3) National september 11 memorial.--The term ``National
September 11 Memorial'' means the area approximately bounded
by Fulton, Greenwich, Liberty and West Streets as generally
depicted on the map.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF MEMORIAL.
(a) Designation.--The National September 11 Memorial is
hereby designated as a national memorial.
(b) Map.--The map shall be available for public inspection
and kept on file at the appropriate office of the Secretary.
(c) Effect of Designation.--The national memorial
designated under this section shall not be a unit of the
National Park System and the designation of the national
memorial shall not be construed to require or authorize
Federal funds to be expended for any purpose related to the
national memorial except as provided under section 4.
SEC. 4. COMPETITIVE GRANTS FOR CERTAIN MEMORIALS.
(a) Competitive Grants.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Secretary may award a single grant per
year through a competitive process to an eligible entity for
the operation and maintenance of any memorial located within
the United States established to commemorate the events of
and honor--
(1) the victims of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade
Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 on
September 11, 2001; and
(2) the victims of the terrorist attack on the World Trade
Center on February 26, 1993.
(b) Availability.--Funds made available under this section
shall remain available until expended.
(c) Criteria.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give greatest weight in the selection of
eligible entities using the following criteria:
(1) Experience in managing a public memorial that will
benefit the largest number of visitors each calendar year.
(2) Experience in managing a memorial of significant size
(4 acres or more).
(3) Successful coordination and cooperation with Federal,
State, and local governments in operating and managing the
memorial.
(4) Ability and commitment to use grant funds to enhance
security at the memorial.
(5) Ability to use grant funds to increase the numbers of
economically disadvantaged visitors to the memorial and
surrounding areas.
(d) Summaries.--Not later than 30 days after the end of
each fiscal year in which an eligible entity obligates or
expends any part of a grant under this section, the eligible
entity shall prepare and submit to the Secretary and Congress
a summary that--
(1) specifies the amount of grant funds obligated or
expended in the preceding fiscal year;
(2) specifies the purpose for which the funds were
obligated or expended; and
(3) includes any other information the Secretary may
require to more effectively administer the grant program.
(e) Sunset.--The authority to award grants under this
section shall expire on the date that is 7 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pittenger). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. MacArthur) and the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I was working in New York City in the fall of 2001 when
terrorists tore a hole in our skyline and nearly 3,000 Americans lost
their lives. Like many others, I lost people that I knew. For many,
they lost their dearest loved ones--their soulmate, mother, father,
brother, sister, children, child, friend.
All of us were moved by stories of heroism that followed that event--
hundreds of firefighters and police and other first responders who gave
their own lives to save others.
In the months that followed, I remember coming around that site every
morning as I went to work because I couldn't take the tunnel anymore.
It was closed. I would take the ferry from New York to New Jersey. We
would come around the tip of Manhattan. Every morning as we passed the
World Trade Center site, a hush would fall on that ferry boat, and
people would ponder what happened there. That went on as autumn turned
into winter and winter turned into spring, month after month, as we
watched the seemingly endless restoration of that tragic site.
Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2011--10 years later--the National
September 11 Memorial opened. It was erected to remember those who
fell, to recognize the endurance of the survivors, to honor the bravery
of those who risked their lives, and often lost their lives, to save
others, and, above all, to remember the power of our free Nation to
overcome evil with good. It stands as a reminder to every generation
that we must never forget and we must never falter.
Mr. Speaker, private citizens with deep concern erected that
memorial. I applaud them for their good work. But now it is our part to
preserve and protect this hallowed ground and to answer this national
tragedy with national support. The National 9/11 Memorial at the World
Trade Center Act recognizes this site as a national memorial. It
provides for funding for security and operations.
I want to thank the many who have endorsed this bill. Eighty-two
Members of this Chamber have cosponsored it. Police organizations have
gotten behind it, including the National Association of Police
Organizations and the Fraternal Order of Police, veterans
organizations, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Vets of America,
Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New
York, and, most importantly, nearly a dozen family and friend support
groups of those that were most deeply impacted by 9/11.
Private donors and concerned citizens have done their part at this
site, and they continue to. But now it is our solemn duty, I believe,
to honor the fallen and to protect the living.
I urge my colleagues to pass the National 9/11 Memorial at the World
Trade Center Act.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
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This bill, as we know, designates the 9/11 Memorial at the World
Trade Center as the National September 11 Memorial and authorizes a
grant program of up to $25 million per year for the next 7 years to
support the operation and the maintenance of the memorial.
The bill was amended at markup to make the grant program available to
other September 11 memorials located in the United States. Money for
the grant program will be subject to appropriation and come out of the
overall budget of the Department of Interior.
I want to thank and congratulate my colleague from New York,
Representative Nadler, as the lead Democratic cosponsor. He has
diligently guided this bill through the legislative process. It is
because of his hard work and advocacy that it has come this far.
September 11 both rattled and united this country like few other
events in our history. We still live with the repercussions, and the
memorial is a fitting tribute and a solemn reminder.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Calvert).
Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the National 9/
11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Act.
The events of September 11 continue to stir emotions for Americans
when we think about that day's tragic losses, remarkable acts of
bravery, and the stark reminders that life is precious and evil is
real.
As a Nation, we have pledged to ``Never Forget'' what happened on
September 11, and today, by passing this legislation, we can put our
actions behind that sentiment.
2016 marks the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and the 15th
anniversary of 9/11. Just as the USS Arizona provides a place for
future generations to understand where--and more importantly how and
why--we were attacked in 1941, the National September 11 Memorial gives
Americans a place to understand the tragedy of that day and ongoing
sacrifices of the United States Armed Forces. Indeed, December 7 and
September 11 are now two dates that will live in infamy.
{time} 1700
I thank my colleague, Tom MacArthur, for introducing this
legislation, and I thank everyone from the National September 11th
Memorial and Museum for all of their hard work.
I have been to the Memorial and have felt the incredibly emotional
effect it has had on each visitor. Unfortunately, many of our enemies
see this symbol of our Nation's strength and resolve as a target, and,
as such, the Memorial requires a high level of security in order to
keep its over 6 million annual visitors safe. This legislation ensures
the Memorial will receive the support it needs to provide a safe
experience for every visitor who passes through, whether he be His
Holiness, Pope Francis, or whether he be the young schoolchild who was
not yet been born on September 11, 2001.
I would like to take a moment to recognize a very special person, Rob
O'Neill, a former member of SEAL Team 6, who is best known for his
actions in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The 9/11 Memorial has
a special place in his heart, and he has been a strong advocate for
this bill. He has told me and others that the site is important to him
and to his fellow special operators. It helps signify the cause for
which they were fighting. In fact, the shirt he wore on the mission is
on display at the museum, along with other artifacts from 9/11 and from
the many years since, chronicling how Americans have pulled together to
support each other, to secure our Nation, and to re-dedicate ourselves
to liberty and justice. So I thank Mr. O'Neill for his service and for
his sacrifice.
Once again, I convey my support for this bill, and I encourage all of
my colleagues to pass the 9/11 Memorial Act.
I thank Tricia Evans and Ian Foley, who are on my staff, for their
hard work on this bill.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not extend to
Representative MacArthur my appreciation for his leadership and for
bringing the bill to this point as well.
I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Nadler), whom I thank for his leadership and hard work in getting
this bill to this point.
Mr. NADLER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, more than 14 years ago, two jet planes were deliberately
crashed into the World Trade Center--killing thousands of innocent
people. A third plane slammed into the Pentagon, and a fourth plane,
likely destined for this very Capitol complex in which we now stand,
was brought down by a group of courageous passengers in a field in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
As I do today, I represented Ground Zero--the World Trade Center
area--on September 11, 2001. In the hours immediately after the attack,
I left Washington and took the last train back to my home in New York.
I will never forget the moment I first saw the ravaged skyline of Lower
Manhattan from the train windows. Normally, on the train, while going
between Philadelphia and New York, I would look to see the first
glimpse I could catch of the Twin Towers. Now what you could see were
not the Twin Towers but long, tall, billowing clouds of smoke that were
going straight up and then were stretching down the Jersey Shore. The
Twin Towers had been replaced by the brutal glow of raging fires and of
black, billowing smoke.
The train that left at 10 o'clock arrived at 6 p.m. We had been held
up in Baltimore while they walked the tracks, looking for bombs. Coming
out of Penn Station at 6 o'clock was like a scene from the movie ``On
the Beach'' for those who remember that movie. Nothing was moving. The
city at 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue seemed completely empty--no
people, no cars, no buses. There was nothing moving as if it were
completely depopulated. To get home, I had to call a friend to come
pick me up.
When I went down to the World Trade Center the next morning, the
scene was absolutely horrible. There was fire, smoke, debris, twisted
metal, human remains--total devastation. Yet, even then, there were
signs of hope. Firefighters, police, Emergency Medical Technicians,
ironworkers, and construction workers of all types rushed to Ground
Zero from around the country to offer their help. Messages of support
and comfort flooded in from all 50 States. The American people were
united and determined to help New York get back on its feet. The attack
may have occurred in my district, but it was an attack on our Nation as
a whole, and we all recognized that.
In the years since the attacks, America has acted as a Nation to help
rebuild New York and to support the responders, survivors, and families
of the victims. Last year, Congress reauthorized the James Zadroga 9/11
Health and Compensation Act so as to provide health care and support
the 33,000 responders and survivors who now live in all 50 States and
in 429 congressional districts. By passing a permanent health program
and reauthorizing the Victim Compensation Fund, Congress provided peace
of mind for tens of thousands of brave Americans.
In addition to making our responders and survivors whole, Congress
invested billions of dollars to help rebuild Lower Manhattan. One World
Trade Center now fills the hole that was left in our skyline when the
towers fell, and businesses that were shuttered after the attack are
reopened and are thriving. In what was once the shadow of the towers,
there now stands a comprehensive museum that is dedicated to sharing
the stories of September 11th and the bravery of those who risked
everything to protect their fellow Americans on that day and on the
days following.
In place of the smoking hole that Congressman MacArthur and I saw day
after day in Lower Manhattan, there now exists a somber and inspiring
memorial. It is a site of remembrance and hope--a place for every
American to come and reflect as to what happened on that September
morning and to renew our promise to never forget the events of that
day. It is a national memorial for a national tragedy.
That is why I am pleased to cosponsor the legislation, introduced by
my colleague from New Jersey, to provide Federal recognition and
support for the memorial. This legislation will help ensure the
memorial continues to provide a sacred and inspiring spot for
generations to come.
[[Page H636]]
I appreciate the bipartisan support from the members of the Natural
Resources Committee and from the House leadership in bringing this bill
to the floor today. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the
House Appropriations Committee every year to ensure that the National
9/11 Memorial and Museum receives appropriate levels of funding. I will
also work with my colleagues to maintain open communications with the
Department of the Interior to ensure the money is spent wisely and
achieves our shared goal of ensuring the memorial remains a spot of
reflection and peace and is accessible to millions of visitors every
day.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill and provide the recognition
and support this memorial deserves.
Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge Representative Nadler, and
I thank him for his support in this process.
I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan).
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, 15 years ago this September 11th, our
country suffered the most deadly and devastating attack since its
birth. Terrorists chose the Twin Towers because they stood proud and
they stood tall. They stood as symbols of the raw power of people free
to pursue their dreams, to live their values, and to practice their
faiths.
When the towers fell, they took Americans from every corner of our
Nation; and when the President stood atop a fire engine and spoke
through a bullhorn to console a broken Nation, he spoke to every man,
woman, and child in our United States who was suffering and was
saddened by an unimaginable act of hate. Heroes from all over the
country came to Lower Manhattan to sift through the rubble and pick up
the pieces. It was a site of national tragedy, a site of national
heroism, and it must also be the site of a national memorial. It is
only fitting that the 9/11 Memorial receives proper funding just like
every other national memorial. It is sacred ground, and it must be
maintained accordingly. Also, annual security costs run into the
millions of dollars as the site remains a top terrorist target.
Mr. Speaker, terrorists may have attacked our country at three
locations that day, but they also attacked the spirit inside all of us.
I encourage every Member of this body to vote for this legislation and
to visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum to see what I and Representative
Nadler see every day.
I thank Representative MacArthur for introducing this legislation,
and I again thank--always--the heroes of that fateful day.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).
Mr. PASCRELL. I thank the ranking member.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3036, the National 9/11
Memorial at the World Trade Center Act, which was introduced by my
friends Congressmen Tom MacArthur and Jerry Nadler--two sentinels of
Americans' liberty and freedom.
President Bush traveled to the site with Democrats and Republicans. I
have never seen in my experience here no other effort close to it of
how we were united. We accomplished so much when we were united, and we
learned to respect each other even more. On that day, our lives, our
country, and the world changed forever. In the aftermath, Americans
came together for a common purpose--to rescue, to rebuild, and to
remember those we had lost--friends and neighbors, many of them. They
were from all faiths, all persuasions.
This memorial and the museum at the World Trade Center were
constructed so that we would never forget those brothers and sisters,
children and parents, cousins and colleagues. We called them that at
the time; yet the further we get from 9/11 we very seldom refer to
``sisters'' and ``brothers'' except for our relatives and our brave
first responders who perished during one of the darkest moments in our
Nation's history.
Ensuring this Memorial site will be here for years to come will give
millions of people around the world the opportunity to pay tribute to
those who were lost and to find inspiration in how our Nation has
recovered. As a proud supporter of our National Park Service, I know it
will make sure the site remains a sacred place of healing and of hope
as a national memorial.
As a result, Mr. Speaker, I urge the swift passage of H.R. 3036 in
order to solidify the memorial's standing, to honor the memories of
those we lost, and to ensure future generations can learn about that
tragic day.
Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have
remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New Jersey has 11\1/2\
minutes remaining.
Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
New York (Ms. Stefanik).
Ms. STEFANIK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3036, the 9/11
Memorial Act.
I thank my colleague, Mr. MacArthur, for his leadership on this
incredibly important issue.
Fifteen years ago on September 11th, every American will remember
where he was when the horrifying news broke of these terrorist attacks.
Mr. Speaker, as the youngest Member currently serving in Congress, I
was in my high school English class when the horrible news was shared
with my classmates from our teacher. I remember my schoolmates, crying,
who couldn't get ahold of their older siblings, of their aunts and
uncles, of their cousins who worked in the World Trade Center.
On that horrifying day when terrorists attacked our Nation, we also
saw true acts of heroism. As the workers of the World Trade Center were
running out to escape, our first responders were running up the stairs
to save their fellow Americans. Strangers helped fellow strangers
escape the buildings. New Yorkers helped others walk miles home to get
to their families.
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New Yorkers will never forget the horrifying attacks. This Nation
will never forget these horrifying attacks. The 9/11 memorial is truly
hallowed ground.
I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge passage
of this legislation.
This legislation, this 9/11 National Memorial, no matter what corner
of this great Nation of ours we are from, we have a shared legacy here.
That shared legacy is about sacrifice, heroism, and indeed loss as
well.
We have a shared future from this memorial about determination,
resilience, and the very nature of this Nation to be hopeful and to
look forward. To one another, we have a shared responsibility. This
memorial will remind us of that and keep that thought very much alive
in all of us.
Again, let me congratulate and thank the sponsors of the legislation,
Mr. Nadler and Mr. MacArthur, for their fine work and for bringing this
before us today.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the remarks of my
colleagues. Events like 9/11--and the world that it has brought us
into--demand that we come together, and I am glad that we have done
that on this bill. We have come together to honor the fallen and to
protect the living.
I urge my colleagues to join in making this the voice of this Chamber
as we vote.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of
H.R. 3036, The National 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Act,
and thank my colleagues Reps. MacArthur and Nadler for their leadership
to bring this bill to the House floor.
In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Congress has come
together to rebuild New York and the Pentagon and support the
responders, survivors, and families of the victims. Last year, we
reauthorized the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, making
the health care program essential permanent and extending the Victims
Compensation Fund for an additional five years, with full funding.
As a New Yorker, the memory of 9/11 continues to evoke pain and
sorrow--and the Memorial at Ground Zero stirs these emotions like no
other place. The dramatic reflecting pools are a sanctuary of calm
within the bustle of lower Manhattan and a moving tribute to the
thousands of innocent Americans lost in the attacks.
This bill affirms our commitment to remember those lost on 9/11 by
designating the site
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a national memorial and enabling the memorial to access the federal
support it needs for security and maintenance. The 9/11 Memorial is now
among New York's most popular sites, with over 23 million visitors
since it opened in 2011. This designation will ensure that the site
continues to welcome everyone who comes to remember those we have lost.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House
Committee on Homeland Security and the Ranking Member of the Judiciary
Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and
Investigations, I rise in support of H.R. 3036, the ``National 9/11
Memorial at the World Trade Center Act.''
This bill will designate the National September 11 Memorial located
at the World Trade Center site in New York City, New York, as a
national memorial.
H.R. 3036 authorizes the Secretary of Interior to award a grant in an
amount not to exceed $25 million each fiscal year to the National
September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center Foundation
for the operation and maintenance of the memorial.
Finally, the bill requires the National September 11 Memorial and
Museum to report annually to the Interior Secretary and Congress on (1)
the amount of grant funds expended; (2) the purpose for which the funds
were used; and (3) any other information the Secretary may require.
As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security since its
creation, and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime,
Terrorism and Homeland Security, I strongly support this resolution.
I will never forget September 11, 2001, a day on which I stood on the
East Front steps of the Capitol on September 11, along with 150 Members
of the House of Representatives, singing ``God Bless America.''
September 11, 2001 remains a tragedy that defines our Nation's
history since that fateful day for many reasons.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks that
killed 2,977 men, women, and children.
At the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan, 2,753 people were
killed when hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines
Flight 175 were intentionally crashed in the North and South towers.
Of those who perished during the initial attacks and the subsequent
collapses of the towers, 343 were New York City firefighters, another
23 were New York City police officers and 37 others were officers at
the Port Authority.
The victims ranged in age from two to 85 years.
At the Pentagon in Washington, 184 people were killed when hijacked
American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building.
Near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, 40 passengers and crew members aboard
United Airlines Flight 93 died when the plane crashed into a field.
It is believed that the hijackers crashed the plane in that location,
rather than their unknown target, after the passengers and crew
attempted to retake control of the flight.
The act of those passengers to stop the hijackers likely saved the
lives of thousands of their fellow Americans that day.
The heroic work done by the first responders who rushed into the
burning Twin Towers and the Pentagon saved lives.
We will forever remember the first responders who lost their lives in
the line of duty on September 11.
This Nation shall forever be grateful for the selfless sacrifice
shown that day.
That is why the National September 11 Memorial and Museum is so
important.
The National September 11 Memorial at the World Trade Center
remembers and honors the thousands of innocent lives lost during the
September 11th attacks, and the attacks of February 26, 1993.
This Memorial is a testament to the triumph of human dignity over
human depravity and affirms an unwavering commitment to the fundamental
value of human life.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. MacArthur) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3036, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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