The legislation would fully fund the VCF, reverse just announced cuts in awards of 50% for pending cases and 70% for future cases, and keep the VCF open to deal with those that have yet to be impacted by the toxins at Ground Zero.

Today’s announcement from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Special Master, that there will be severe cuts to the pending compensation awards for injuries caused by the toxins at Ground Zero because of the increase in the numbers of claims is devastating news to the 9/11 community.

The U.S. House of Representatives decisively rejected Budget Director Mick Mulvaney’s proposal that would have seriously harmed the World Trade Center Health Program and the medical monitoring and treatment that it provides to over 86,000 9/11 responders and survivors who are in every State and in 433 out of 435 Congressional Districts across the country.

With a heavy heart we must report that Dr. James Melius had died.

World Trade Center Health Program to continue to provide medical monitoring and treatment for injured and ill 9/11 responders and survivors; September 11th Victim Compensation Fund extended for five more years with increased funding.

Continued Congressional inaction threatens critical health care and compensation for tens of thousands of 9/11 first responders and survivors

The unfortunate result of this legislation would be accepting a huge cut to aid for sick and dying heroes that is shameful, even by Washington standards. Perhaps even more amazing, Congressman Goodlatte has long refused to hold a hearing on the issue – yet his bill somehow divines exactly how much aid disabled 9/11 responders need to care for themselves and their families.

Today, Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act and 9/11 first responder and advocate John Feal announced a new social media campaign in partnership with Thunderclap to urge extending health care and compensation programs for injured and ill 9/11 responders and survivors that will end next year unless Congress acts.

What do Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, John Kasich, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, and Jim Webb have in common? They are all candidates for President; on the most recent anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, they all said that they’d never forget 9/11; yet all of them are ignoring pleas for help from 9/11 first responders and survivors.

Tonight, the clock begins ticking toward the shutdown next year of the World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). These programs provide health care for those who are injured or ill because of the 9/11 attacks, as well as compensation for those injured as a result of exposure to the toxins at Ground Zero.