Political Quotes

“Madam President, for many years, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund has compensated the brave men and women who responded to the horrific events of 9/11. It has been a worthy use of money. Of the $7.4 billion authorized for the fund since 2011, however, $25.4 billion has already been paid out. Since February of this year, money has gotten tight and claimants' benefits have had to be reduced. I believe it is only right for Congress to authorize and replenish the fund so that we can make those beneficiaries whole. But the bill before us today has a peculiar feature, one that I believe requires our attention. The bill authorizes the program for 72 years and does not specify a dollar amount. If you look to page 2 of the bill, lines 8 through 10, it makes clear that this program is funded through 2092 and funded to the tune of ``such sums as may be necessary.'' In other words, without any finite authorization, it offers no way to ensure that the money actually gets to its intended beneficiaries and is not lost in government bureaucracy or misuse. That is, in fact, how we make sure that government programs get to where they need to go, by specifying not only the purpose of the fund but also identifying how much it is that we are spending. In 2011, the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund has always had finite authorizations, and it has always had an absolutely excellent, outstanding record of avoiding waste, fraud, and abuse.…”