September 11, 2026
FROM GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL: “What began as a beautiful morning 25 years ago gave way to an unfathomable tragedy. New York will never forget those we lost, those who lived, and the families that were left behind,” Governor Hochul said. “Today, we honor their memory and the courage of a city that held strong in the face of immense tragedY.”
FROM SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND: “Today, we honor the 2,977 lives lost on September 11, 2001, and the brave first responders who ran toward danger without hesitation. As we honor the victims and their families today, we are reminded of our commitment to care for the survivors and first responders who are battling 9/11-related diseases. In our darkest hour, we saw the light of their extraordinary courage. We will never forget.”
FROM CONGRESSWOMAN CLAUDIA TENNEY: “We said we would never forget. They forgot. The 9/11 attackers were TERRORISTS. The first responders were heroes. Shame on anyone trying to rewrite that.”
FROM CONGRESSMAN NICK LANGWORTHY: “Twenty-five years ago, our nation was changed forever. Nearly 3,000 lives were taken, leaving families, communities, and a country to grieve.”
FROM STATE SENATOR TOM O’MARA: “Yes, it has been twenty-five years since 9/11 and that’s hard to believe. A quarter of a century has passed and yet the memory of that day remains as clear as yesterday for so many of us. On this 25th Anniversary, citizens here at home and across our great nation will accept our responsibility and duty to again, in the immortal words of then-President George W. Bush, “honor the memory of the 11th day.”
FROM STATE SENATOR GEORGE BORRELLO: “We remember the victims, their loved ones and the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice on that day. We also remember those who went to Ground Zero in the days and weeks that followed, many of whom later suffered or died from illnesses linked to their service. And we honor the generation of American service members who stepped forward to defend our nation in the Global War on Terror, including those who gave their lives. Their courage, selflessness and love of country remain an enduring example to us all.”
FROM NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE BRUCE BLAKEMAN: “On September 11, I was serving as a Port Authority Commissioner. I spent that day in the middle of the response, the chaos, the smoke, the not knowing. That night, I learned my nephew Tommy was missing. He was a New York State Court Officer. He’d gone into Tower 2 to help people evacuate. He never came out.
I’ve spent twenty-five years thinking about that day — not just as someone who lived through it, but as someone who lost family in it. i’ve met so many others who carry the same weight: parents, spouses, children, first responders who made it home but never really left that morning behind. Tommy was 26. He should be here today, celebrating milestones with the family that loved him. Instead, I carry him with me. I always will. We will never forget.”
