Thank You to the 116th Congress!

The toxic dust at Ground Zero affected everyone in Lower Manhattan.

It affected Republicans, Democrats, and Independents equally, leaving nearly half a million people at risk of 68 different types of cancer and dozens of respiratory diseases.

Thankfully, elected officials from both sides of the aisle have been steadfast in their support for 9/11 first responders and survivors, most recently in 2019 when a bipartisan supermajority in Congress passed and the President signed the Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act.

The bill provides a lifetime of peace of mind and financial security for hundreds of thousands of 9/11 community members and their families by replenishing the once-depleted 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and extending the deadline for awards to 2092, which outlives anyone who was exposed to the 9/11 toxins.

As a result, 9/11 community members who are diagnosed with cancer or respiratory disease and their families will receive the full amount of their awards, never having to worry that the fund could expire.

Barasch & McGarry was honored to join first responders and survivors for the signing ceremony at the White House Rose Garden.

We will never forget the support members of the 116th Congress provided for the entire 9/11 community.

As this session of Congress draws to a close, we want to thank all the members who ignored political party labels to reach a bipartisan agreement that protects – permanently – the nearly half a million Americans who responded to Ground Zero or who lived, worked, and studied in Lower Manhattan in the weeks and months afterwards.

With the start of the 117th Congress, we look forward to working once again with a bipartisan coalition in the House of Representatives and the Senate to honor and protect the 9/11 community. 

We want to particularly thank the New York State Congressional delegation, every member of which was a primary sponsor or an original co-sponsor of Never Forget the Heroes:

The Honorable Charles Schumer

The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand

The Honorable Lee Zeldin

The Honorable Peter King

The Honorable Thomas Suozzi

The Honorable Kathleen Rice

The Honorable Gregory Meeks

The Honorable Grace Meng

The Honorable Nydia Velázquez

The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries

The Honorable Yvette D. Clarke

The Honorable Jerrold Nadler

The Honorable Max Rose

The Honorable Carolyn Maloney

The Honorable Adriano Espaillat

The Honorable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

The Honorable José Serrano

The Honorable Eliot Engel

The Honorable Nita Lowey

The Honorable Sean Maloney

The Honorable Antonio Delgado

The Honorable Paul Tonko

The Honorable Elise Stefanik

The Honorable Anthony Brindisi

The Honorable Tom Reed II

The Honorable John Katko

The Honorable Joseph Morelle

The Honorable Brian Higgins