More than $8 billion in relief for 9/11 survivors since 2001.
The four separate terrorist-led plane crashes of September 11, 2001, killed nearly 3,000 people. The federal Victim Compensation Fund was created by an Act of Congress shortly thereafter to compensate the victims of the attack or their families in exchange for their agreement not to sue the airline companies involved. The original VCF closed in 2004, but President Obama reopened it in 2011 to compensate individuals experiencing continued adverse health effects linked to the attacks.
In 2019, President Trump signed the Never Forget the Heroes reauthorization of the Victim Compensation Fund extending the deadline for compensation submissions to October 1, 2090. It allotted an additional $10.2 billion for compensation. At the time, payouts were significantly reduced due to the number of people filing claims.
“They answered terror with the emotional strength of true warriors,” President Trump said at the time. “Our nation owes you a profound debt that no nation can ever pay, but we will keep our promise to you.”
Twenty years since those attacks, more people have died from toxic exposure than on that day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the past two decades, more than $8 billion in the form of monetary payments for economic losses as well as health care treatment for those suffering from illnesses related to the attacks have been awarded to victims.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For federal officials administrating the Victim Compensation Fund.
- For Congress as compensation efforts are considered for survivors of disasters.
- For the families of those who perished on 9/11 from the terror attacks.
- For first responders and others who have lingering illnesses due to inhalation of toxic materials.
Sources: Fox News, Department of Justice
