WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema is supporting a bipartisan bill that permanently authorizes and funds the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund following an announcement that that the Victim Compensation Fund does not have sufficient funds to pay out all claims and is set to expire in December 2020.
“The heroes of September 11 put their lives on the line and now face cancers, injuries, and illnesses from exposure to hazardous materials,” said Sinema. “Congress must permanently authorize the Victim Compensation Fund to make sure first responders and survivors get the care they deserve.”
The bipartisan legislation addresses both the immediate and long-term issues facing the Victim Compensation Fund. It permanently authorizes the Victim Compensation Fund and allows the program to be funded through the regular appropriations process, guaranteeing it will never run out of funds and that first responders who become sick with certified September 11 illnesses in the future will be covered by the program.
Sinema also signed on to the U.S. House version of the bill last year.