Murkowski Votes to Permanently Renew 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund
Ensures First Responders, Volunteers, Survivors of 9/11 Receive Health Monitoring and Financial Aid
An original cosponsor of the Senate version, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted in favor of the Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act. The bill authorizes permanent funding for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 and the World Trade Center Health Program, compensating and providing healthcare for the first responders and other individuals who have been injured from toxic and hazardous materials at Ground Zero and the Pentagon in the aftermath of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. The bill passed the Senate in a 97-2 vote.
“The first responders from 9/11 are true American heroes who put their lives on the line to save strangers and loved ones alike. The unyielding courage and patriotism that these Americans demonstrated on that day has left us all with the strength and determination to rebuild and renew our nation as a symbol of freedom,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski. “To honor those heroic acts, we must ensure full compensation for those who are suffering in the aftermath of the tragic 9/11 attacks. It is simply the right thing to do."
Background: The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 was established after the September 11 terrorist attack. In 2010, Senator Murkowski voted in favor of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 which authorized the fund. In 2015, Senator Murkowski was an original co-sponsor of the bill to reauthorize that legislation.
