Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CLINE. Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member and the chairman of the full committee for their work on this issue, and I thank all those who worked on what has been a bipartisan effort. This is exactly the type of substantive issue that we should be focused on in the Judiciary Committee.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked America and our way of life. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks in New York, northern Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

When the shocking images of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon first appeared on television, first responders were already on the scene. In the weeks and months that followed, these first responders and construction workers worked hard to find victims and to clear debris.

At the time, they were told the air was safe to breathe. They and the American people found out later that wasn't true. The health impacts for those who worked and lived in lower Manhattan in the months after the attacks are real and, in many cases, have been crippling and even deadly.

That is why Congress passed legislation in 2010 to open the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund to first responders, construction workers, and others. It covers the cost of treating illnesses associated with exposure to toxins following the attacks.

During the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties hearing last month, we heard from those suffering from illnesses tied to their service after the 9/11 attacks. Those who testified moved me and the Nation as they discussed the illnesses that have beset them nearly two decades after the attacks.

I am pleased to be a cosponsor of legislation to renew the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund permanently. In honor of the sacrifices of James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez, this bill is called the Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act. It honors thousands of others like them who have succumbed to their 9/11-related illnesses.

Madam Speaker, now is the time for us to move this bill. I urge the Senate to pass it after the House, and I urge the President to sign it.

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