Patrick Leahy: “less than 2 weeks after the horrific events of September 11, Congress passed a law to establish the September 11 Victim…”

“less than 2 weeks after the horrific events of September 11, Congress passed a law to establish the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, providing assistance to victims and their families during an unimaginably difficult time. I was pleased to work with my colleagues to create this needed resource for the families of this national tragedy. The families of victims that died in the September 11 attacks also came together and created their own nonprofit organization, Families of September 11. Although no amount of compensation can replace a lost loved one, Families of September 11 and Ken Feinberg, the Special Master in charge of overseeing the Fund, worked diligently to improve the rules governing the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, to give the victims and their families more flexibility and to provide information to victims and their families about how and where they could find support. Working together, Mr. Feinberg and Families of September 11 reached out to the victims and their families to make sure they understood their rights and to assist them in filing their claims. This task was made all the more difficult because many victims and survivors of those terrorist attacks had to confront the logistical burden and emotional pain of filing a death or injury claim. Last October, Mr. Feinberg submitted to the Department of Justice a final report summarizing the accomplishments and work of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund.…”