Senate passes 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund on 97-2 vote
NEW YORK _ Congress can never do anything about the growing numbers of people still dying from 9/11, but the Senate voted Tuesday to ensure the words "Never Forget" will never be just a slogan for the cops, firefighters and everyone else to ran toward the twin towers after the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history.
The Senate voted 97-2 to pass the "Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act," and send it to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it into law Friday.
Only Republican Sens. Rand Paul and Mike Lee voted against it.
Sitting in the Senate gallery for the passage was Alvarez's son, David, and Pfeifer's widow, Caryn.
Both said the passage would never fill the void left by the two men, who both died of 9/11-linked cancer after battling to win passage of 9/11 legislation.
The bill will enshrine in law the federal government's ability to ease the economic losses and pain still being inflicted on people who spent days and months breathing the fumes and toxins unleashed after the South and North Towers of the trade center imploded, and smoldered for months.
The new bill would cost at least $10.2 billion over the first 10 years, but would be open-ended to deal with whatever the need turns out to be until 2092.
_New York Daily News
