Justice Department Directed To Do More To Help Victims Of Fort Hood Terrorist Attack

Press Release

The Justice Department's Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) is directed to provide the survivors and families of the victims of the November 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood all possible "appropriate assistance" under language included in the annual spending bill moving through the House.

The FY 2015 Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS)Appropriations bill approved by the full House Appropriations Committee yesterday also requires the OVC to report to Congress "what, if any, role the classification of the attack as a "workplace violence' incident rather than a terrorist attack played in determining what types of assistance would be provided."

Additionally, the measure requires the Justice Department to provide a detailed report on its role in advising the Defense Department to investigate and prosecute this case as "workplace violence" instead of terrorism.

OVC manages the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance program, which provides "victim compensation grants" to reimburse victims for out-of-pocket expenses related to their victimization.

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), chairman of the CJS subcommittee, worked with the subcommittee's ranking member, Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) and several members of the Texas delegation -- Reps. Carter, Williams and McCaul -- as well as Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) to advance the language.

The CJS subcommittee, which funds the Justice Department and FBI, has done aggressive oversight in the aftermath of the 2009 Fort Hood terrorist attack, including an August 2012 hearing on the Webster Commission report on the FBI's intelligence failures leading up to the attack, and two hearings in 2013 (with Fort Hood victims in attendance) and 2014 with Attorney General Holder discussing the Justice Department's role in the investigation and prosecution. Wolf and the other Members also sent several letters to the Justice and Defense departments asking questions about decisions made regarding the treatment of the victims and the investigation.

Said Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA):

"This is an important step forward in the effort to honor our commitment to the victims of the Fort Hood terrorist attack, many of whom have suffered because of the government's failure to call this what it was: a terrorists attack. It's time for the Obama Administration and the Congress to finally acknowledge this and to provide the victims with the support they deserve."

Said Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA):

"I remain concerned for the plight of the victims of the 2009 Ft. Hood attacks and support the efforts of my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, Chairman Wolf and Congressmen Carter and Rooney. I urge the Justice Department to release their report, so we can move forward in this process."

Said Rep. John Carter (R-TX):

"I have fought tirelessly for the past five years to help the victims and families of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. I have introduced legislation to help the victims and have pursued every avenue possible to ensure they receive the reimbursements and military awards they deserve along with rightfully labeling the shooting a terrorist attack. I want to thank Congressman Wolf for fighting alongside the Texas Delegation and introducing language into the CJS Appropriations bill to help bring these heroes closer to justice."

Said Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX):

"I am very pleased to see this important language included in the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill. Nearly 5 years have passed since the horrible tragedy at Fort Hood took 13 innocent lives, but the survivors and victims' families haven't received the deserved assistance due to the President's designation of the attack as "workplace violence.' I hope my colleagues in the House and Senate act promptly to pass this bill and uphold our commitment to take care of our troops."

Said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX):

"I applaud Chairman Wolf and the entire Appropriations Committee for never forgetting the victims of the terrorist attack at Fort Hood. More than four and a half years after that attack, the victims continue to search for answers and for justice. We owe it to them to do everything possible to recognize their heroism and to ensure that they are afforded the support they deserve."

Said Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) (He served as a prosecutor at Fort Hood as a member of the U.S. Army JAG Corps.)

"These are American soldiers who were attacked on base, by an enemy of this country, for doing their job. We have a moral obligation to make sure they get the care and benefits they need, but we have run into repeated objections from the Department of Defense on how to achieve that goal. This legislation is an important step toward ensuring the victims of the Fort Hood attack get the full range of benefits they deserve."

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