Congressman Bob Goodlatte is getting plenty of heat from the New York City area for not supporting a proposal to permanently authorize a compensation fund for many 911 responders. The bill’s supporters will head to Washington this week, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports.
(Continue reading for Congressman Goodlatte’s full statement.)
“The House Judiciary Committee is working to ensure the heroes of 9/11 receive compensation for their service to our nation. The bill I introduced balances the needs of the victims with the money available to Congress by providing the same five-year reauthorization of the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund as was enacted in 2011, and keeps funding at the same level originally authorized by Congress ($2.775 billion). The five-year reauthorization will allow for proper oversight in order to ensure there is no waste, fraud, or abuse of the fund so that those who are truly in need receive this support. Additionally, a major provision of the bill allows U.S. victims and the families of U.S. victims whose lives were lost in state sponsored terrorist attacks, such as the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, to receive compensation from a new terrorism compensation fund. The money used to provide compensation to the victims of 9/11 and other acts of international terrorism will come from fines and penalties assessed against a French bank that violated U.S. antiterrorism sanctions laws, not from U.S. taxpayers. It is also important to note that the legislation I introduced is not related to reauthorization of special health care coverage for 9/11 first responders and survivors, which would go through the House Energy and Commerce Committee.”
