Fairness for Families Act
Floor Speech
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Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, although 21 years have passed, the pain we experienced on September 11, 2001, when terrorists unleashed deadly and calculated destruction across our country has not faded.
Those that have empty chairs at their dinner tables, the widows, the widowers, the children of those that perished in that attack, they are still fighting for their entitled compensation under the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
Frankly, the exclusion of the 5,364 widows and children from this fund was an injustice that Congress should have never allowed to happen. As a result of their initial exclusion, widows and children missed the first two payments from the terrorism fund, creating a massive disparity between their restorative justice payments that others, including people like Madeline Bergin and Jeanette Schardt from my district, who lost their husbands, FDNY firefighters, on that dreadful day.
This bill, which I drafted and introduced on August 5, would catch up widows and children to our victims' groups and ensure that moving forward they are no longer left out, forgotten, or excluded. This bill rights a grave wrong that should have been corrected long ago.
Today with us earlier was Angela Mistrulli, the head of the 9/11 Children for Justice, someone who was also affected, a tireless advocate for the widows and children and someone who has become a good friend to me and my office.
For nearly 6 months we had been working together on this issue and this legislation. Today, I am proud that the work we have done is being brought to this floor and that the widows and children are one step closer to their entitled compensation.
I thank Chairman Nadler, Ranking Member Jordan, Chris Smith, and my other colleague, Kathleen Rice, who made this a bipartisan bill, for their support and their help in getting this done.
President Truman once said, ``It is amazing what you can accomplish when you do not care who gets the credit.'' This case is no different.
So many people have come together from across the political spectrum to correct a wrong that should have been done, as I said, years ago. I am so proud and honored to have been a part of this process and bringing these wonderful people, people who lost so much, some justice.
Mr. Speaker, I urge every Member in this Chamber, on both sides of the aisle, to vote in support of this legislation.
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