Kenneth Glad
Every September, millions of Americans pause to honor the thousands of lives lost in the nation’s deadliest terrorist attack. Flags drop to half-staff, families gather at memorials, and quiet tributes take place across the country.
Yet despite the solemn gravity of the date, workers still head to their offices and mail continues to arrive. The day remains a regular working afternoon for the entire federal government.
Creating a formal federal holiday in the United States requires passing an act of Congress, a hurdle that remains extraordinarily high. According to PBS News, lawgivers must weigh the cultural value of a day off against staggering financial costs. Paying federal employees while offices are closed drains hundreds of millions from taxpayer coffers.
Emeritus history professor Matthew Dennis told the outlet that business disruptions and wage costs form massive barriers. For instance, creating the Juneteenth holiday in 2021 carried an estimated taxpayer cost of over $900 million.
President Donald Trump echoed those economic concerns, posting on Truth Social that America simply has “too many non-working holidays.” He warned that keeping businesses closed costs the country billions of dollars.
Remembering without resting
Instead of a full federal holiday, lawmakers designated September 11 as Patriot Day, a national day of remembrance. The designation asks citizens to observe moments of silence and invites local groups to perform volunteer service.
Political experts suggest this distinction between a day of memory and a day of celebration is intentional. Hamline University professor David Schultz explained to PBS News that official holidays are traditionally celebratory occasions.
Schultz warned that converting tragic anniversaries into paid leave risks eroding their solemn purpose. Over time, voters might treat the date as just another long weekend rather than a time of reflection. That same logic explains why the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor is also kept as a day of remembrance rather than a full holiday.
Lawmakers from impacted states continue pushing to elevate the date to an official holiday. Pennsylvania Representative Brian Fitzpatrick argued in a recent statement that “the Patriot Day Act is a reaffirmation of our national character,” adding that September 11 deserves the exact same national standing and recognition as Memorial Day.
Still, historians maintain that expanding the official federal calendar for a national tragedy remains deeply unlikely.
Source: PBS News
