9/11 name reader calls for U.S. lawmakers to unite: "It should not take another tragedy"

The cousin of a 1993 World Trade Center bombing victim gave an emotional call for national unity at the 9/11 remembrance ceremony Sunday at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.

The big picture: Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff joined Mayor Eric Adams and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the Ground Zero ceremony, marking 21 years after the attacks at the World Trade Center.

• The event included short statements by some family members of victims, but no politicians spoke by tradition.

What he's saying: "It took a tragedy to unite our country. Back then, nobody cared if you were a Republican, Democrat, age, race, ethnicity — we were united. It took a tragedy to unite us," said the speaker, who only identified himself as a cousin of a victim of the 1993 bombing.

• "I want to remind all of you [politicians] there, it should not take another tragedy to unite our country. Because if I have to stand at this podium again or another podium for another event because of lives lost because of dereliction of duty, it's going to hurt."