NY Rep. D’Esposito floats up to $10 million grant for 9/11 memorial

Long Island Rep. Anthony D’Esposito is floating giving up to $10 million to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in Lower Manhattan, after his fellow Republicans have argued the site faces “profound” security risks due to lack of funding in recent years.

D’Esposito (R-NY) will introduce the 9/11 Memorial and Museum Act when the House reconvenes on Tuesday. The bill would provide a one-time grant to beef up safety measures and fund free admission for military veterans, first responders and families of victims of the terrorist attacks, according to a copy exclusively obtained by The Post.

“Given the constantly shifting threat landscape in a post-September 11th world, it is vital that the 9/11 Memorial and Museum is provided with the necessary resources to both fund and expand their security systems,” D’Esposito told The Post. “It is incumbent upon Congress to ensure this sacred space remains safe and secure so that Americans from coast to coast can continue visiting the site and honoring the fallen.”

“The threats that were present 22 years ago remain out there, and there are still bad actors across the world who would wreak havoc on this country again if given the chance, but this funding will go a long way towards thwarting such efforts and ensuring the professionals responsible for security at the museum have the full set of tools they need,” he added.

D’Esposito’s legislation would also provide free public admission hours at least once per week and institute annual federal audits to track the site’s revenues and expenditures.

“Preserving and maintaining the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in lower Manhattan is necessary to educate future generations on exactly what transpired that terrible day,” his statement added.

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were the deadliest in US history as al Qaeda hijackers flew planes into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Va.

Passengers on a fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, fought back against the terrorists and the aircraft ultimately crashed in an empty field near Shanksville, Pa., roughly 20 minutes’ flying time from Washington, DC.

Now-former Rep. John Katko (R-NY) introduced similar grant legislation on a bipartisan basis for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum on the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, warning of low funding due to decreased turnout amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New York Republican also said the US faced heightened threats following the Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“After being at the 9/11 Museum the last couple of days with my wife and my colleagues, you realize just the absolute sheer importance of that museum staying open and being a beacon for people never forgetting what happened on 9/11, and it’s incumbent upon us to try and help them,” Katko told The Post in 2021.

“The security costs associated with this because of the bad guys still wanting to do harm to us or do harm to that place are profound,” he added. “But given the fact that last year they had to shut down most of the year and weren’t able to generate a lot of visitor revenue, and the costs for security are going up because of the increased threat environment, I think it’s reasonable for us to help them get on the path of sustainability.” 

Katko said security costs for the site were close to $1 million per month and private funding has largely kept the memorial and museum afloat. His bill didn’t make it out of committee during the last session of Congress.

Curators feared that the 20th anniversary festivities would lack the annual “Tribute in Light” to those who perished in the tragedy, in which twin blue beams shine nearly four miles high above the New York City skyline.

But state funding and private contributions have been able to keep the annual tribute going since 2002, thanks to the work of 9/11 Memorial and Museum chairman Michael Bloomberg.

The former New York City mayor also asked the federal government nearly a decade ago to step up its support, given the tens of millions of dollars it requires to fund operations.

Last year, the National Park Service awarded the site just $2.75 million in grant funding through the Interior Department from an earlier bill signed into law by former President Donald Trump.

The White House gave $4 million this year to cover costs of securing and maintaining the site through the legislation.

In 2016, the GOP-dominated House passed a separate bill for $25 million in funding for the historical site but the legislation was never picked up by the Republican-controlled Senate.