HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, today voted for and the House passed H.R. 1327, Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act. The legislation extends the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and restores full benefits to the victims.
Upton was a co-sponsor of the legislation.
“We always say that we will ‘never forget’ the 9/11 attacks, and today, the House took action to ensure that we will forever keep the promise we made to the victims and their families, the first responders, and everyone impacted by those attacks,” Upton said. “I’m glad that this legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, and I would encourage the Senate to pass this bill so we can get it to the President’s desk quickly.”
In 2011, the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund expanded health coverage and compensation to first responders and individuals who had health problems related to the 9/11 attacks. In 2015, Congress extended the time for filing claims through the Victim Compensation Funded through 2020. Today’s bill would allow claims to be filed until October 2089.
As of April 30, 2019, the Victim Compensation Fund has received more than 47,000 claims.
