‘For so many, it’s a lifeline, and that lifeline has just been cut off,’ said John Feal, an advocate for 9/11 responders.
 ‘For so many, it’s a lifeline, and that lifeline has just been cut off,’ said John Feal, an advocate for 9/11 responders. Photograph: John Taggart/EPA


Sick first responders and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks will see payments slashed dramatically as the fund to compensate them runs out of money, officials said Friday.



The fund was created to aid people sickened by exposure to toxins at the sites of deadly attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001, and the families of those who have died.

But the $7.4bn fund is running short on cash so it will cut future payments at least in half, its administrator announced Friday. Payments to survivors who have already applied will be cut by 50%. For those who file after 2 February, checks will be slashed by 70%.

“This is devastating,” said John Feal, a leading advocate for 9/11 responders. “For so many it’s a lifeline, and that lifeline has just been cut off.”

Thousands of people have fallen ill after breathing air thick with smoke from the collapse of the World Trade Center. Close to 10,000 people in New York have been diagnosed with cancer linked to the attack.

Congress voted in 2011 to open the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund for first responders and survivors sickened by the attack.

So far, it has awarded $5bn to more than 21,000 applicants, with an average award of about $240,000. That leaves only $2.4bn to pay another 19,000 claims already filed, plus thousands more expected before the fund closes at the end of 2020.

The fund’s special master, Rupa Bhattacharyya, on Friday acknowledged the “unfairness” of the drastic cuts.

People eligible for the money include firefighters and police officers who rushed to Ground Zero after the attacks, volunteers in the recovery effort and people who lived, worked and went to school in lower Manhattan.

The fund is low on cash because more and more people have died of their illnesses, resulting in claims from their families. In addition, more people have requested compensation after being diagnosed with cancer, and residents and workers from the neighborhood have filed in increasing numbers.

“The only thing these people did wrong was believe the EPA when they said the air is safe. They were lied to by our government. Then they were promised this compensation, and now the rug is being pulled out from underneath them,” said attorney Michael Barasch, who represents many 9/11 illness victims.

To reverse the cuts and pay out all claims in full, the fund would need about $12bn in total. New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand said Friday she will reintroduce legislation to provide that money and make the fund permanent. “We cannot turn our backs on these heroes,” she said.

Views: 160

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Doc Vega posted blog posts
5 hours ago
tjdavis posted a photo
18 hours ago
Sandy posted a video

Aron Siri's opening statement, Senate Hearing on Covid Vaccines, May 25

Opening statement Aaron Siri, Managing Partner, Siri & Glimstad, L.L.P.Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Permanent Subcommittee on Investiga...
yesterday
cheeki kea replied to cheeki kea's discussion Tartaria
"A smidgeon of facts have come to light. In English a misspelling suddenly occurred where an extra R…"
yesterday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

The Cancel Culture Vulture

  Better to shut them down than hear their point of viewCancel culture coming after youHelping to…See More
Saturday
Doc Vega posted a photo
Friday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

The Fingerprint

The Fingerprint On a dance with the unpredictability of the signals you sendA solemn pact with my…See More
Friday
Sandy posted a video
Friday
tjdavis posted a video
Thursday
Burbia replied to Burbia's discussion Trump Receives Marching Orders
Jul 9
Less Prone favorited Burbia's video
Jul 9
Less Prone replied to Burbia's discussion Trump Receives Marching Orders
"Bullets can be effective in reinforcing ownership."
Jul 9
Burbia posted a discussion

Trump Receives Marching Orders

Netanyahu has made 3 visits to the White house since Trump's second term as President of the United…See More
Jul 9
Burbia commented on Burbia's video
Thumbnail

Ben Shapiro Just LOST HIS MIND — There's No Coming Back From This

"Omg. The Ben Shapiro voice that Luke is imitating here couldn't be any more comedic to…"
Jul 8
Burbia posted a video

Ben Shapiro Just LOST HIS MIND — There's No Coming Back From This

Get the magnesium your body needs - https://wearechange.shop/product/magnesium-glycinate/Ben Shapiro Just LOST HIS MIND — There's No Coming Back From ThisHig...
Jul 8
cheeki kea posted photos
Jul 8
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Jul 7
Burbia posted a video

A few reasons I don’t like jews. It’s not complicated.

These are the reasons I became antisemitic. It’s not complicated. Sure, I could go on for days, weeks, months outlining everything, but I don’t need to. This...
Jul 6
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Unusual Discoveries and Headlines
"Less Prone, Thanks Buddy! I'd like to volunteer as a historical reconstructionist! "
Jul 6
Less Prone left a comment for t.me/TheIntelligenceLibrary
"Welcome to a revolutionary concept in public communication, the truth."
Jul 6

© 2025   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted