BREAKING NEWS: VCF Cuts Future Awards Due to Unforeseen Spikes in Cancer and Death Claims
As you no doubt heard, the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), which has been providing financial help to thousands of injured and ill 9/11 responders and survivors, announced cuts in pending claims of 50%, and cuts in future claims of up to 70%. This means that thousands of people in the 9/11 community, who live in every state, will not get the full compensation they were expecting and deserve. Worse still, if Congress does not act, thousands more who are diagnosed with 9/11 related cancers will be denied any compensation since the VCF is set to expire at the end of 2020.
Additionally, many who have received awards will also be shut out if and when they are found disabled, or diagnosed with new illnesses in the future. These drastic cuts will affect them, as well as those who pass away from their WTC-linked illnesses.
Tens of thousands are being penalized merely because their illnesses were diagnosed later than an arbitrary date set by the VCF, or because it took the WTC Health Program months to certify their illnesses.
We will not allow this to happen.
We need your help; especially if you live outside of the NYC Metropolitan area. Please call your Members of Congress now and urge them to co-sponsor legislation that is being introduced by Senator Gillbrand called “Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act.” This Bill will fill the shortfall in funding for the VCF, fully compensate those whose awards are cut, and permanently authorize the Fund to remain open for years to come. There is an easy website tool that will make it easy for you to contact your Members of Congress. Please Click here to take action. You can also copy and paste this link into your web browser: http://www.renew911health.org/take-action/take-action-contact-your-members-of-congress/
Please share this email and urge your friends and neighbors to join you in contacting the Members of Congress. With your help I know we will succeed!
With deep respect,
Michael Barasch
5 replies on “BREAKING NEWS: VCF Cuts Future Awards Due to Unforeseen Spikes in Cancer and Death Claims”
How can I get a copy or read the proposed bill
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1327/cosponsors?
What a great service M, Barasch is doing for those who were bravely fighting to save the lives of those caught in the 9/11 attack on the United States of America. Our son was in New York as a visitor & having been a firefighter in his career he immediately responded to help & has been left with breathing problems. So many responders are left with debilitating disease & illness. We must continue to protect these persons forever.
S. Iveson
This is an outrageous act of failing to support our first responders who are just now coming down with various cancers due to their exposure to the toxic cocktail present at the WTC and could even be called a treasonous act if done knowingly.
If this action was taken not knowing the still occurring illnesses and disabling Health issues and deaths then I suggest you do due diligence in researching this most Important continued need and please do the right thing.
I was a DOT NY city worker during 9/11 and spent several months down there both with the city and the military. I was just diagnosed with kidney cancer, with more testing to come. Would I be considered a candidate for thi