President Trump Signs Bill Making 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Permanent

In a White House ceremony on Monday, President Donald Trump signed the Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act (H.R. 1327) into law. 

The bill’s enactment extends the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) through FY2090 and will reimburse victims suffering from 9/11-connected illnesses whose benefits have been reduced since February 2019 because of a funding shortfall in the VCF. The bill is named after three 9/11 first responders who advocated for the legislation and were among the 2,000 first responders to die from 9/11-related cancers and illnesses.

Trump delivered remarks about the 9/11 heroes the bill will help from the Rose Garden:

“To every 9/11 hero, you poured out your heart, your sweat, your soul, and everything you had for your country.  You ran toward the wreckage, into a ball of flames, like, frankly, nobody in this country had ever seen. You searched for survivors.  You went back day after day and night after night to save lives and return the fallen to their families, to rebuild and recover, and to show the entire world that nothing will ever break America’s spirit.

Over the last two decades, you have endured hardship with amazing grace and incredible grit.  Through it all, you care and you work, and you love, and you will always remember all of those great families.  You lift up our communities and you remind us all what it means to stand united as “one nation under God.” For your entire lives, you have gone far beyond your duty to us, and today we strive to fulfill our sacred duty to you. We love you.  We honor you. And we thank you. God bless you all.”

The Never Forget the Heroes Act passed Congress on bipartisan votes of 402-12 in the House on July 12th and 97-2 in the Senate on July 23rd, with dissenters arguing that funding for the VCF should be offset and that it should be extended for a shorter period of time.

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: Michael Rieger - FEMA Photo Library / Public Domain)