Senators seek federal aid for 9/11 museum

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum could get up to $20 million a year in federal money under a proposal from three U.S. senators, who said they hoped to trim suggested museum admission fees that organizers have said could be $20.

Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Daniel Inouye of Hawaii announced the proposal Saturday. The Democrats said the money would ensure that the museum, run by a nonprofit group, will be both financially viable and accessible to the millions of expected visitors each year.

The proposed federal contribution would have to be matched with private money. Indeed, it represents about 40 percent of the memorial and museum's annual costs.

Still, the proposal would "provide needed resources for the memorial and museum to continue to serve as a symbol of the city and nation's resilience and unity," Gillibrand said in a statement.

The memorial plaza, which centers on waterfall-filled reflecting pools inscribed with the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 2001 attacks, opens to the public Monday. Public admission is free but requires reserving a ticket at 911memorial.org/visitor-passes.

The museum is set to open next year. While victims' relatives will be admitted free, memorial foundation president Joe Daniels told City Council members in June that the public could be asked to pay about $20 if no other ways are found to finance its upkeep.

Daniels said Saturday that the proposed federal aid would shave suggested admission fees, though he couldn't yet estimate by how much. "It would be a huge help," he said.

The senators' proposal also calls for transferring the title to the memorial site to the National Park Service to provide a mechanism for the ongoing funding. The details of operating and controlling the site would be negotiated with the city and state.