Why It Matters

As the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaches, Congress is moving to ensure the National September 11 Memorial and Museum has resources to sustain its educational mission. The House passed H.R. 1993, the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act, on May 19 under a suspension of the rules, with 415 members voting in favor and zero opposed.

What the Bill Does

H.R. 1993 directs the Treasury to mint coins commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The coins serve a dual purpose. They honor the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks, the first responders who rushed toward danger, and those still dealing with 9/11-related illnesses, while also generating funds for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum's ongoing operations and educational programming.

The bill was introduced with strong bipartisan backing in both chambers. Its Senate companion, S. 1289, was introduced on April 3, 2025, by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and carried 22 cosponsors, split between Republicans and Democrats.

The Big Picture

The bill was introduced in the Senate in April 2025 and took more than a year to reach the House floor, moving through the standard legislative pipeline before being taken up under suspension of the rules, a procedure typically reserved for non-controversial measures.

The 119th Congress has shown consistent interest in 9/11 commemoration. H.Res. 692, introduced in September 2025, calls on all 50 states to include the September 11 attacks in school curricula, noting that only 14 states currently mandate such education. The Senate agreed to S.Res. 387 in September 2025, designating the week of September 11-17 as "Patriot Week." A separate bill, H.R. 5322, would establish September 11 as a federal holiday. And H.R. 7175, introduced in January 2026, would award a Congressional Gold Medal to Frank Siller, founder of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Partisan Perspectives

The bill's co-leads in the House came from both sides of the aisle, and both leaned into the personal weight of the legislation.

Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY-2), the Republican co-lead, spoke on the House floor before the vote: "For Long Island and New York, this is deeply personal. We will never forget the lives lost, the bravery of our first responders."

Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-NY-10), the Democratic co-lead, framed the bill around generational responsibility: "We must enshrine the memory of the nearly 3,000 loved ones we lost, the first responders, and those still dealing with 9/11-related illnesses."

On the Senate side, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the coins would "honor those we lost, support the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, and uphold our sacred promise to never forget."

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), the sole Republican Senate co-sponsor, said that "With each passing year and day it becomes more necessary to tell the story of what happened that day."

Notable: The floor vote on this bill was one of the few unanimous actions taken by the 119th Congress. There were no defections. Every member who cast a vote supported the bill. Fifteen members did not vote, including Republicans Chip Roy (TX), Thomas Massie (KY), Anna Luna (FL), and Nancy Mace (SC), and Democrats Richard Neal (MA) and Bennie Thompson (MS). None of the absences appeared to reflect opposition.

The Bottom Line

For a House that has struggled to find common ground on spending, oversight, and executive authority, the floor vote on HR 1993 offers a different kind of data point. Unanimous votes are rare. This one required no arm-twisting, no procedural maneuvering or whip operation, and no one wanted to be on record opposing it.

With the 25th anniversary of September 11 arriving in September 2026, members on both sides are positioning themselves as stewards of national memory. For the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the legislation provides a new funding stream at a moment when the institution's educational mission is increasingly urgent. Only 14 states currently require schools to teach about the attacks.

The bill now moves to the Senate, where the companion legislation already has broad support.

Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights.