A family member of a 9/11 victim made a plea to two members of Congress on the 17th anniversary of the attack Tuesday, asking them not to use the victims as political “props.”

Nicholas Haros Jr. lost his 76-year-old mother Frances when the twin towers fell. At the memorial service in New York City on Tuesday, he read off several names of the almost-3,000 people who died in the terrorist attacks that day, and added his own thoughts.

“This year, a representative of the House referred to our loss as just another incident,” Haros began, referring to House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, who called the tragedy the “9/11 incident” in June. “This year, a network commentator said the president’s performance in Helsinki was a traitorous act as was 9/11,” he said, recalling comments made by former Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks on MSNBC. “And last week, a senator attacked a Supreme Court nominee and called him a racist for alleged comments after 9/11,” Haros concluded, referencing Senator Cory Booker’s false accusation that Judge Brett Kavanaugh supported racial profiling after the attacks.

“Stop. Stop,” Haros pleaded.”Please, stop using the bones and ashes of our loved ones as props in your political theater.”

“Their lives, sacrifices, and death are worth so much more. Let’s not trivialize them or us. It hurts,” he said. “To my mom and to all of you and your loved ones: Never forget.”