[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 41 (Thursday, March 7, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H2572-H2578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      NEVER FORGET THE HEROES ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the topic of my Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today alongside Mr. Rose, Mrs. 
Maloney, Mr. Nadler, Mr. King of New York, and others, to urge the 
immediate passage of the Never Forget the Heroes Act, introduced by 
Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Nadler, and King, which would fully 
fund and extend the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund authorization through 
2090.
  Representatives Maloney, Nadler, and Peter King have been stalwart 
advocates of this effort fighting on behalf of 9/11 victims and their 
families since the beginning, and it is thanks to their leadership that 
we passed the Zadroga Act, creating the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund 
and why we are still here fighting today.
  I can't thank enough and praise enough the leadership of 
Representatives Maloney, Nadler, and King on this very important issue 
on behalf of the victims of September 11.
  James Zadroga was one of those fearless leaders who rose up on 9/11. 
He was also the first NYPD officer whose death in 2006 was connected to 
toxic exposure at the World Trade Center site. The James Zadroga 9/11 
Health and Compensation Act was later signed into law in 2011 to help 
our 9/11 first responders.
  Madam Speaker, 5 years later, the Zadroga Act was permanently 
reauthorized and included $4.6 billion for the 9/11 Victim Compensation 
Fund over 5 years, which was established to provide compensation for 
the victims of 9/11 and their families, and it continues to provide 
compensation for those suffering from 9/11-related illnesses decades 
later and their loved ones.
  First responders who worked on the pile day and night aiding in the 
search, rescue, and cleanup efforts were breathing toxic debris and ash 
that are now known to have caused over 50 different types of cancer. 
However, last month, the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund issued an 
alarming report, which stated its funding was insufficient to 
compensate all claims, and the fund would have to make severe cuts to 
awards across the board.
  This is unacceptable. And regardless of party affiliation, regardless 
of which district or State you come from, it is imperative that this 
legislation is passed and sent to the President immediately to become 
law so we can ensure these victims receive the compensation they 
deserve.
  This isn't a one-off issue. This isn't just a New York issue. This 
isn't a Democratic or Republican Party platform or political football. 
This is a responsibility we all shoulder as Americans, first and 
foremost. It is the spirit of our Nation, and it is who we are as a 
people.
  It is important to remember that 9/11 first responders live not only 
in New York, but in 433 out of 435 congressional districts across this 
country.
  These were the very men and women who, in the face of evil, were 
willing to put it all on the line to help save their fellow Americans, 
who ran into the towers as everyone else ran out. It is unconscionable 
that time and again they have been forced to plead their case as to why 
they are worthy of our support.
  People who came down when the Zadroga Act was first getting 
authorized--sick--weren't there to fight in 2015 when it was 
permanently reauthorized because they had passed away due to their 
injuries.
  People who were here in 2015 when that fight was made for the Zadroga 
Act to be permanently reauthorized are not here today to fight for the 
Victim Compensation Fund because they passed away and succumbed to 
their injuries.
  We should not make them take dozens of trips down here to Washington, 
D.C., begging for support. Let them stay where they are and take care 
of their health. That is most important.
  It is so important that we immediately passed the Never Forget the 
Heroes Act, which will ensure these heroes receive the support they 
have more than earned.
  This past September 11, 17 years since the attacks, we came together, 
as we always do, to remember those who were taken from us that day. But 
this year marked an especially harrowing occasion. By the end of 2018, 
more people had died from 9/11-related illnesses than were killed on 
September 11.
  Tonight, we are going to hear from the authors of the Never Forget 
the Heroes Act, Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Peter King, and Jerry 
Nadler, and so many others from both sides of the aisle, on why this 
legislation is important for the victims of 9/11, for their 
communities, and for our Nation.
  In addition to those who are joining us this evening, there are also 
so many activists and outside organizations fighting on behalf of 9/11 
victims and working to ensure they receive full compensation: Jon 
Stewart, who has traveled to Washington countless times to fight for 
them and was just here last week; John Feal, from my district, and the 
FealGood Foundation; and so many more, including the great advocates 
from organized labor, especially law enforcement and first responders 
in New York and nationwide.
  From everyday men and women in my district to us on the floor of the 
House of Representatives, it is up to each and every one of us to never 
forget the men and women whom we lost that day, those whom we have lost 
since, those suffering from 9/11-related illnesses, and their families.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn 
B. Maloney), a fellow New Yorker who has been a stalwart champion of 
this legislation going all the way back to the passage of the Zadroga 
Act.
  I know our 9/11 first responders, their families, those suffering 
from 9/11-related illnesses, and all those affected by this dark moment 
in our Nation's history are so grateful to Mrs. Maloney for her 
tireless work on behalf of them.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin), my friend and colleague, for 
initiating this Special Order and for bringing us together to speak out 
in support for the bipartisan Never Forget the Heroes Act, which we 
must pass in this Congress.
  On September 11, 2011, we lost 2,997 people. But the death tolls from 
9/11 may be far higher. It seems like every week I hear about the 
passing of another first responder and survivor. Soon the deaths from 
9/11-related illnesses may outnumber those lost on that horrific day.
  Thousands more are living with the effects of 9/11, with chronic 
diseases, with cancer, with a whole host of other 9/11-related 
illnesses.
  Over 10,000 responders and survivors have been certified as having 9/
11-related cancers. These are the men and women who rushed in and spent 
months combing through the wreckage. They are the residents and the 
workers who were told by the Federal Government, they were told that 
the air they were breathing was safe when, in fact, it was filled with 
toxic pollutants.
  They are firefighters, police officers, Federal and local law 
enforcement,

[[Page H2573]]

medical workers, construction workers, and other heroes. All of them 
are victims of 9/11 as well.
  The 9/11 attacks caused one of the biggest public health crises our 
country has ever faced. And those aren't just my constituents. They 
aren't just from New York or New Jersey. They are Americans.
  We were attacked because we were a site of economic strength in 
America. Then they attacked our Pentagon, a symbol of the strength of 
our military. And then they were coming to the Capitol, a symbol of 
strength of our democracy.
  These people live in every single State. We documented, and the GAO 
documented, 434 of the 435 congressional districts had someone who was 
harmed by 9/11.
  Our whole country owes them a debt. On 9/11 we counted on them, and 
in return, we made a promise never to forget.
  This needs to be more than a slogan and more than a bumper sticker. 
It is our sacred duty to make sure that they get the support they so 
justly deserve.
  In 2010, after years of tireless effort, Congress reaffirmed its 
commitment to never forget the sacrifices made on September 11 by 
passing the bipartisan James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.
  We established the World Trade Center Health Program and the 
Nationwide Provider Network and reopened the Victim Compensation Fund 
to provide the thousands of injured and ill 9/11 responders and 
survivors with medical treatment for 9/11 health-related conditions and 
economic compensation for losses resulting from the attack.
  In 2015, we permanently authorized the World Trade Center Health 
Program and reauthorized the Victim Compensation Fund until 2020.
  So now we need to get to work again. The problem is bigger than 
expected. The number of cancer cases has jumped.
  Cancer claims now account for one-third of claims--up from one-fifth 
just a few years ago. Death rates have gone up.
  This January saw a 235 percent surge in death claims to the Victim 
Compensation Fund compared to the end of 2015, most of which are the 
result of cancers.
  More and more 9/11 first responders and survivors are in need of the 
Victim Compensation Fund. Increased enrollment has led to a need for 
more funding. And in February, the special master of the September 11 
Victim Compensation Fund announced that the fund was running out of 
money and would have to cut compensation awards by 50 percent to 70 
percent because of budget shortfalls. These cuts went into effect on 
February 25, and have already devastated first responders, survivors, 
and their families.
  This is unacceptable. We cannot let this stand, and we won't.
  Last week, with my colleagues, Representatives Nadler, King, and I 
introduced the Never Forget the Heroes Act. Already, we have an 
unprecedented 150 cosponsors in 1 week. This was a joint effort, along 
with Congressman Zeldin, Congressman Rose, Congressman Gottheimer, and 
many others.
  Our bill will restore any cuts to awards, ensure that future eligible 
recipients are fully compensated, and make the Victim Compensation Fund 
a permanent program for the lives of the recipients.
  We promised sick and injured 9/11 first responders and survivors that 
we would fully compensate them for the losses they have suffered. They 
shouldn't have to come begging for us to do our job, come begging back 
over and over again to Congress.
  For some, 9/11 is a distant memory. For them, they remember this and 
9/11 with every breath, with every cough, with every doctor's 
appointment, and with every death in their families.
  They are counting on us. They are counting on Congress, just like we 
counted on them on that terrible day and in the weeks afterwards.
  Never Forget is a promise. I urge my colleagues to join us in 
ensuring that we honor it.
  Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin), my 
distinguished colleague, for organizing this important remembrance.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to maintain proper 
decorum in the Chamber.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Mrs. Maloney really inspires us all. And when she said 
that these 9/11 victims, their families are counting on us, they 
certainly know that they can count on her.
  So I thank Congresswoman Maloney for leading this effort for so many 
years. She has been a great champion in this cause, and it is great to 
assist her however I can. That is why Congressman Rose and I wanted to 
be here coleading this Special Order on a bipartisan basis to support 
Congresswoman Maloney, Congressman Nadler, and Congressman King, who 
have been the champions of this effort.

                              {time}  2000

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank 
Congressman Zeldin, Congressman Rose, and Congressman Gottheimer for 
really helping to achieve the 150 cosponsors that we have.
  I have asked, and the gentleman has joined me in asking, Chairman 
Nadler to schedule hearings as quickly as possible. We hope to continue 
getting cosponsors. Hopefully, we will get everyone in this body to 
make a firm statement in support of the survivors and the heroes.
  I thank the gentleman and others so much for all that they have been 
doing.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her comments.
  Madam Speaker, next, I am going to yield to my friend from New Jersey 
(Josh Gottheimer), who is really a leader in so many different forms. 
He co-chairs the Problem Solvers Caucus. If I had to make a pitch for 
the bill that should be at the top of the list for every caucus--there 
are many caucuses here in this Chamber--this should be an important 
priority, if not number one on the list, but I would put a pitch in for 
number one. He is a great Member, and I have a lot of respect for him.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Gottheimer).
  Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Madam Speaker, I am thankful to be able to speak on 
behalf of this important bipartisan legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that Mrs. Maloney keep that jacket on, so we can 
remember the importance of our firefighters who ran into those 
buildings. That is excellent. I thank Mr. Zeldin for his leadership and 
his friendship, and I am really grateful. I thank Mr. Rose for his 
leadership as well.
  On 9/11, as we all know, our first responders ran directly into 
danger when others ran out. Just like we should always stand by our 
veterans and Active Duty, we are here today because we must continue to 
get the backs of all first responders and others who get our backs 
every day, especially those who stood up to the terrorists that morning 
and ran into the burning buildings on 9/11 and in the weeks that 
followed.
  They are heroes and need our help. On 9/11, our world changed in an 
instant. Hundreds of Jersey cops and New York law enforcement, 
firefighters, EMTs, and others from around the country answered the 
call of duty and rushed toward the pile, some staying there for weeks.
  If you ask how they were able to summon the courage that day, they 
will tell you that they were simply doing their job. Our Nation has an 
obligation to do everything in our power to take care of our first 
responders and survivors of those horrific attacks by terrorists on 
American soil.
  Now, too many first responders are suffering from serious illnesses 
and cancers from exposure to harmful toxins, smoke, and debris from the 
pile. We lost thousands that day and have lost thousands since because 
of those effects. In fact, during those first few days, many didn't 
even wear a mask or an appropriate mask. They were told that they would 
be fine.
  Congress set up the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund to help 
cover and compensate for 9/11 injuries, lost earnings, benefits, and 
out-of-pocket medical expenses. Many of those who were exposed back in 
2001 are, sadly, first developing symptoms now, and still are. There 
just aren't enough allocated resources to cover all those who have 
suffered.
  As a result, the special master of the fund recently announced that 
injured

[[Page H2574]]

and ill 9/11 first responders and survivors would receive cuts of 50 or 
70 percent of their benefits that they were promised, that their 
families could count on, that their children could count on.
  That is absolutely unacceptable. We can't leave law enforcement and 
first responders with brain tumors and end-stage lung disease by the 
wayside.
  It is heartbreaking to hear their stories, and I heard so many 
earlier this week in New Jersey when we got together. They talked about 
how there are hundreds of first responders and volunteers still going 
through the Mount Sinai monitoring program, hoping for the best, but 
expecting the worst. It is in the back of the minds of all those who 
were there that day: When will I be diagnosed? Will it be too late? 
What will happen to my children and my family?
  As of earlier this year, more than 47,000 claims have been filed with 
the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and more than 11,000 
additional claims are expected by 2020 when the fund is set to expire 
unless Congress acts. We must do the right thing by our first 
responders once and for all. No excuses.
  That is why I am very proud to be an original cosponsor of this 
bipartisan legislation, the Never Forget the Heroes Act, to fully fund 
the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund so that no 9/11 survivor 
has to ever worry.
  As Mr. Zeldin said, there is nothing partisan about this. The 
bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus just talked about it this morning, 
how important it is, including Mr. Rose.
  This is a fight where we have had many champions, from Jon Stewart to 
Congresswoman Maloney to Congressman King, and I am grateful to all of 
them. Representatives Nadler, Zeldin, Rose, Fitzpatrick, Sherrill, and 
Smith, I thank all these Members for coming together in this bipartisan 
fight. Again, this was an attack on American soil by terrorists.
  I thank all the families and all our first responders for their 
incredible service to our great country.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Gottheimer for his 
words and his leadership with what is a bipartisan caucus here in the 
House of Representatives where people from all across the entire 
country come together. As the name of the caucus says, you just want to 
solve problems. You want to make your time here in Congress worthwhile. 
You want to be able to go back to the voters 2 years later and say this 
is what I did during my term, and have something positive, productive, 
and constructive to show for it.

  The fact that the gentleman dedicates so much of his energy toward 
solving problems, building bridges, and bipartisanship is to be 
commended. I thank the gentleman for who he is, and for his efforts 
here on the floor tonight.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, next, I get to introduce an amazing 
colleague who was here in the Chamber, a Member of Congress, during the 
attacks on September 11. He was here in the days afterward, the years 
when the Zadroga Act was still getting passed and reauthorized, and 
here now during this fight for the September 11th Victim Compensation 
Fund.
  He has been there every single step of the way since day one, and he 
is really an amazing Member of Congress and leader, really on the 
global stage. I just got back from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and 
he is leaving his mark on human trafficking and other issues around the 
globe.
  At this time, on this really important issue tonight, I yield to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Zeldin for his 
leadership, not just tonight, but it has been ongoing and very 
effective. I thank Carolyn Maloney for her prime sponsorship of this 
important legislation.
  I am very proud to be a Never Forget the Heroes cosponsor, along with 
another very strong group of bipartisan Members who will not let this 
opportunity to enact this legislation pass. We will get this done.
  Madam Speaker, everyone remembers where they were and what they were 
doing. I was actually chairing a Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing 
when a group of cowards hijacked four airliners in order to perpetrate 
the worst act of terrorism in American history.
  Nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives that day, including 700 
from my State. Who can forget the courageous first responders running 
up the stairs of the burning buildings with total disregard for their 
own safety, saving others at the expense of their own lives.
  No one remembers the shock, horror, and numbing sorrow of this day, 
however, more than the families and the close friends of the victims. I 
have worked with and befriended many family members of 9/11 victims, 
and I can state unequivocally that there would not have been a 9/11 
Commission and other historic policy initiatives without their 
extraordinary tenacity, commitment, and courage. That includes what was 
known as the four Jersey girls, widows who simply would not take ``no'' 
for an answer. They were a driving force behind the establishment of 
that very important historic commission.
  I got to know a lot of the others. I actually hired a school 
principal who lost her husband, Alan, in 9/11, and I am reminded every 
time I am in the district office, and other days as well, what she has 
lost and how painful and how sorrowful that was on that day.
  For more than 17 years, the families and the friends of those who 
died have had to endure their loss and a broken heart. Now we know the 
carnage, the consequences, the ongoing loss of life, and the health 
crisis attributable to 9/11 are even worse than anyone could have 
imagined. New cases of 9/11-caused conditions are being diagnosed by 
the doctors at the World Trade Center Health Program every day, with 
close to 12,000 cases of 9/11-caused cancers diagnosed so far, 
including 600 cases with breast cancer, 2,400 with prostate cancer, 600 
with thyroid cancer, 500 with lung cancer, and 500 with kidney cancer.
  There have also been other kinds of catastrophic consequences, with 
people who are suffering from PTSD, some 9,000 so far and counting.
  Congress enacted the World Trade Health Center Program Fund and 
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund to provide health services for 
responders at the three crash sites, and others in the vicinity of the 
World Trade Center site for health conditions related to toxic 
exposures from the attacks.
  There are over 6,800 New Jerseyans receiving healthcare services from 
the World Trade Center Health Program, 1,200 of whom are from my 
district, constituents of mine.
  Just last month--and this was shocking, frankly--the September 11th 
Victim Compensation Fund special master announced that, due to a lack 
of funding, the Justice Department will have to cut awards on pending 
cases by 50 percent and any new claims that are filed by 70 percent.
  These cuts will devastate the first responders, our firemen, police, 
and emergency personnel. They will also represent a gross injustice for 
survivors and their families who spent countless hours and days in 
search of their loved ones.
  I remember going to the site a couple of days after. I went with Tony 
Principi, who was then the Secretary of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. Unfortunately, there was a sense, a falsely conveyed sense, 
that maybe you didn't have to wear the mask, so many of those guys and 
those ladies on the ground were breathing in a toxic mix of chemicals 
that now have manifested into very serious disease.
  This is an important bill. It is bipartisan, and again, I thank the 
gentleman (Mr. Zeldin) for bringing us all together tonight, my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle; Congresswoman Maloney for her 
leadership; and of course, all the others who are cosponsors of this 
bill.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Smith for his words 
tonight and pointing out that special master's report that just came 
out, which really stresses the urgency to get this done immediately. 
That is tough and unacceptable news for all those victims to read that 
report, and for the advocates, so I thank the gentleman for his 
leadership.
  Congressman Smith from New Jersey is fighting hard on behalf of his 
constituents on this issue and for all 9/11 families.
  Tonight's Special Order, I just asked Kevin from my team here to 
see--it

[[Page H2575]]

might be a fun fact as to when was the last time that there was a 
bipartisan Special Order in the Chamber. I don't know, is this even a 
first?

  I am leading tonight's event with Congressman Max Rose of Staten 
Island, who is our next speaker. Congressman Rose is a freshman who was 
elected to represent a great congressional district in New York. I 
represent the greatest congressional district in New York.
  Staten Island, I know, is a pretty special place as well, and 
Congressman Max Rose is a military veteran. I have a tremendous amount 
of respect for him, for his military service.
  Right after World War II, almost 100 percent of the House was made up 
of military veterans. Right after Vietnam, it was a little over 75 
percent. I think it was about 77 percent right after Vietnam. Now the 
number is less than 1 in 5. We have to get that number up. Republicans, 
Democrats, conservatives, liberals, anywhere you are in the 50 States, 
it is good to have more vets here in Congress. I thank the gentleman 
for running, for serving, and for co-leading tonight's Special Order.
  The gentleman contacted me as soon as he was elected after the 
November election to talk about different ways that we can work 
together, and it is great that our bipartisan Special Order here 
tonight is for this particular cause. It is an honor to lead tonight 
with him.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rose), the 
freshman Congressman from Staten Island.
  Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Zeldin for his kind 
words. The honor is all mine, from one post-9/11 veteran to another 
post-
9/11 veteran, from Staten Island or Long Island. I truly respect your 
service as well to our great country and applaud the gentleman for 
putting the country first ahead of any other political considerations 
as we try to do what is right here.
  I would also like to, of course, thank the other original cosponsors 
of this bill, people who have fought for this incredibly important 
project and initiative for more than a decade, Carolyn Maloney, Jerry 
Nadler, and Pete King.
  I wanted to start off by telling a story of one of my constituents, 
Rob Serra. Rob graduated from the academy on September 10, 2001. His 
first day on the job with the New York City Fire Department was 9/11. 
When he saw the burning towers from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, he 
did exactly what first responders across the city and across the 
country did without hesitation, and that is, he raced to the scene. He 
raced right to danger.
  For weeks, he joined so many in digging through the rubble, looking 
for survivors, looking for their friends, looking for those who were 
not as fortunate. Dust loaded with cement, asbestos, lead, glass 
fibers, and other chemicals caked to his face. He knew this would 
probably kill him, but he served without question because it was the 
right thing to do.
  Rob is a young man, but he is now in a wheelchair, retired from the 
FDNY before he could even truly begin his career. He is not looking for 
handouts. He is looking for respect, for acknowledgment, and for his 
government to just do the right damn thing, not just for him and for 
his family, because he is already covered, but he knows there are 
thousands of heroic Americans just like him across the country who are 
getting sick but facing drastic cuts to their benefits.
  Just about every Member in this body has a constituent like Rob and 
his family. They all deserve more than our tweets and statements. They 
need action. They deserve nothing less because we need to do more than 
just say, ``Never forget.'' We need to do more than just shake 
somebody's hand and say that we have a picture of the Twin Towers in 
our office or that we decided to serve in this body because of 9/11.
  We need to make sure that these heroes are never forgotten and are 
always taken care of. That means making sure every victim and their 
families get the benefits and care they deserve, because this wasn't an 
attack on New York. This was an attack on the United States of America.
  Keeping our promise to these heroes is not a New York problem. It is 
an American issue that we have to address and fix as a country. There 
are VCF claims from all 50 States and 99 percent of congressional 
districts. In a few years, we may face the tragic fact that more people 
will have died from 9/11-related injuries and diseases than were lost 
on the day of the attacks.
  Each and every person that dies is yet another victim of al-Qaida's 
attack. Unless Congress acts to fully and permanently fund the 
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, benefits will be cut and 
promises will be broken. This isn't due to mismanagement or fraud or 
any other fact than that more people are getting sick.
  I applaud this administration for doing the right thing and 
effectively managing this program. I applaud the President for that. 
But it is unacceptable that we will not adequately fund it, and I won't 
stand for it. I am hopeful we can get this done, because we truly have 
no other choice.

                              {time}  2015

  Mr. ZELDIN. I didn't realize Congressman Rose is a Purple Heart too.
  Mr. ROSE of New York. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time for 
that one.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  March 7, 2019, on page H2575 the following appeared: I didn't 
realize Congressman ROSE is a Purple Heart too. Mr. ROSE of New 
York. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time for that one.
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: Mr. ZELDIN. I 
didn't realize Congressman ROSE is a Purple Heart too. Mr. ROSE of 
New York. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time for that one.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his service in 
the military and for his new service he just started here in the House. 
I had to throw in the Army, too, knowing that we do have another 
speaker here who is a Navy helicopter pilot, if I understand correctly. 
We have got a couple of Army folks in the House. I thank the gentleman 
for his service to our country going back many years, even though he 
just started here in the House 2 years ago.
  Mr. ROSE of New York. Absolutely, I thank the gentleman. Go Army.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, our next speaker tonight also had a 
distinguished career serving in government before joining Congress. He 
rose up the ranks at the FBI. He is a very well-respected member of the 
FBI who believes in law enforcement and the rule of law. He also loves 
our military so much that over the course of years, every single year 
for Christmas we have been able to travel to Iraq or Afghanistan, going 
to the Middle East, to visit the troops as we did this past Christmas, 
all over Kuwait on Christmas Day.
  The FBI was impacted greatly on
9/11. They went into the towers as well while many people were running 
out. So I thank Brian, not only for his service with the FBI, but for 
his continued fight for all of those first responders, as we should 
remember those FDNY and the NYPD who went in to the towers. There were 
many other types of law enforcement who ran in as well, including many 
FBI agents.
  On behalf of all those FBI agents, I thank the gentleman for 
continuing the fight. It is great to have another State Representative 
from Pennsylvania.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Fitzpatrick).
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues 
from New York, Lee Zeldin, Mr. Rose, Mr. King, Mrs. Maloney, and Mr. 
Nadler, for holding this Special Order tonight. I am proud to join my 
colleagues in this fight to reauthorize the September 11 Victim 
Compensation Fund to ensure that our 9/11 survivors and their families 
have the resources and the support to which they are owed.
  As my colleagues can attest, we lost some amazing human beings on 
that day: firefighters, police officers, EMTs, medics, mothers, 
fathers, sons, and daughters.
  Victor Saracini, a resident of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a 
constituent in my district, was the captain and pilot of United 
Airlines Flight 175 which our entire country and the entire world 
witnessed fly into the south tower.
  While 9/11 shattered many preconceived notions we have had, it 
strengthened our collective American identity. Our Nation emerged from 
that day stronger because of the bravery and selflessness of the heroes 
who risked and, in many cases, lost their lives to save people they 
didn't know and had never met.
  Their sacrifice has come at a tremendous cost. In over 17 years since 
that fateful day, nearly 10,000 people have suffered from cancers 
induced by breathing in toxic dust at Ground Zero, dust that included 
thousands of contaminants, including lead and mercury.

[[Page H2576]]

  Madam Speaker, in just one statistic on how this problem is still 
prevalent, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial reported that 
15 police officers died in 2018 from 9/11-related illnesses, 15 just 
last year alone. This problem is pervasive, and this problem is 
persistent. It is incumbent upon the Federal Government to stand up and 
defend those who defended us. The September 11 Victim Compensation Fund 
must be reauthorized immediately. It is a moral obligation of this 
body. It simply cannot wait.
  Again, I want to thank the members of the New York delegation for 
holding this Special Order and for giving me the opportunity to express 
my gratitude for the heroes and their families and the need to 
reauthorize this fund. I second my colleagues' sentiment tonight. This 
is a moral obligation of this House. We must get this done, and we must 
get it done immediately.
  I want to thank Mr. Zeldin for representing the Problem Solvers 
Caucus tonight. In recognizing Josh Gottheimer, I wanted to say to my 
colleague, Max Rose and I are going to be testing a new rule that we 
put into place, and we are going to get to 290 cosponsors come hell or 
high water. We will get there which will force that matter on to this 
floor. It will pass. It will pass overwhelmingly, and we will get this 
done for the 9/11 victims and their families.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Fitzpatrick for 
setting his goals with cosponsorship not just high but also 
appropriately. Every Member of this Chamber should be cosponsoring this 
bill so, hopefully, we will get those numbers up a lot, but much credit 
to Congresswoman Maloney, to Congressman Nadler, and to Congressman 
King, for the advocates from the outside, especially across the New 
York City metropolitan area, we are already starting strong with 150 
cosponsors.
  The next speaker is a United States Naval Academy graduate. She was a 
helicopter pilot. She is a new Representative from New Jersey's 11th 
District, and she is hitting the ground running with important 
leadership on this issue fighting for her constituents. There is a 
story to be told to Members of Congress who maybe weren't here in 2015 
or even 5 years before that when Congressman Nadler, whom we will be 
hearing from next, was getting the Zadroga Act first passed, a lot of 
Members were new in 2015 when we were permanently reauthorizing the 
Zadroga Act. Now, if you look back to 2015, we have a lot of new 
Members who weren't here in 2015. The education, as we talk to people 
who live far away from where we live in New York and New Jersey, they 
might not even know what the Zadroga Act is. They might not know what 
the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund is. That is why it is great to see 
Congressman Rose and Congresswoman Sherrill leading the fight to 
educate their fellow freshman and others to make sure that they 
cosponsor this effort.

  I thank the gentlewoman for her service. I kind of apologize for my 
Go Army joke before. I won't mention the three-game winning streak that 
Max and I have going. Hopefully that didn't bring the gentlewoman down 
too much before we hear her great remarks tonight.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Ms. 
Sherrill).
  Ms. SHERRILL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York, as 
I like to call it the suburbs of northern Jersey.
  But as my colleagues before me have made clear, this Congress must 
honor the first responders and survivors of 
9/11 and make the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund permanent.
  For 8 months and 19 days after September 11, police officers, 
firefighters, first responders, FBI agents, and Federal officers from 
across the country came together in New York. In a gesture of national 
unity that we have not forgotten, they stayed, sometimes far away from 
home, to help.
  Firefighters like Gerry Lynch from the Bloomfield Fire Department in 
my district. Gerry and the Bloomfield firefighters were assigned to 
help Ladder 105 Engine 219 in Brooklyn because they were at Ground Zero 
looking for their brothers. After being told that they could go home to 
Jersey, Gerry didn't think twice about what he would do next. He went 
down to help on the bucket brigades at Ground Zero working with men and 
women on the line.
  Madam Speaker, we now know that first responders, as well as 
students, residents, workers, and business owners of Lower Manhattan 
were exposed to toxic fumes in the aftermath of the attack. What some 
have called a toxic soup of mercury, dust, silica, lead, fiberglass, 
benzene, and many other substances, were pulverized and released into 
the air. These victims have developed cancers, pulmonary disease, 
respiratory disease, and sleep apnea, among many other ailments.
  Those suffering from 9/11-related illnesses include Mike, a 
firefighter from New Jersey, who lugged, by hand, the equipment that 
his firefighters brought from New Jersey into Ground Zero. Mike worked 
from 7 a.m. through the next morning, and by the time he was finished, 
he was so exhausted that a human chain had to carry him off the pile. 
His feet never hit the ground.
  Mike told me that a lot of firefighters, including himself, didn't 
want to come forward. They didn't want to admit that they might need 
help. But luckily for him, his captain made sure that they went forward 
for monitoring, and so he started that in 2004. Since 
9/11, Mike has developed breathing problems, sleep apnea, and 
precancerous cells. He asked me to let people know how hard the 
firefighters worked for us and that we need to do whatever we can for 
those who have fallen sick.
  Madam Speaker, we are here tonight to let Mike and all those 
suffering know that we consider it our responsibility and our duty to 
get this done. We established the victim compensation fund in 2011 to 
provide care for Mike and all those suffering from health issues after 
9/11.
  There are 8,614 New Jerseyans who have registered for the victim 
compensation fund, and nearly 4,000 have submitted claim forms. That is 
500 residents in my district alone. If anyone thinks this is just a New 
York-New Jersey issue, consider that the victim compensation fund helps 
Americans from 434 out of 435 congressional districts.
  The fund is running out, Madam Speaker. As my colleagues said, 
benefits are being slashed by 70 percent and thousands of claims go 
unpaid. To let the fund go broke or give another temporary extension 
and force our heroes and their families to worry about the rug being 
pulled out from under them is simply unacceptable. It is embarrassing 
that we would have to fight for this, that people who are ill cannot 
concentrate solely on getting the treatment they need or seeing the 
right doctors.
  Firefighters like Mike and Gerry were the ones who didn't run away 
from the crisis, but ran right into it. People who have displayed this 
bravery and courage need to be taken care of. They should not be made 
to feel guilty that they are asking for help when they have medical 
issues related to their service.
  Madam Speaker, I believe in this country. I believe in our values and 
that as a Nation we know that when we step up and when we take care of 
our own, we are helping those people to whom we owe the most to. We 
need to give these first responders and survivors the peace of mind 
that their sacrifice for this country is recognized and valued by the 
rest of America. I call upon each and every Member of this Congress to 
join us and to make the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund 
permanent.
  Go Navy.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I will get back to the gentlewoman in 
December on that one. We will see if we keep the winning streak going.
  I thank the gentlewoman again for her service, for her remarks 
tonight, and for running for office. I look forward to working with the 
gentlewoman on this.
  The next speaker certainly needs no introduction. He is last but 
certainly not least, someone who has been a rock solid presence, a 
voice, a leader, a fierce advocate for all 9/11 victims and their 
families, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and someone 
who is not just one of the main three who have been leading this effort 
with Congresswoman Maloney and Congressman King, but really right back 
to the very beginning, since September 11, 2001, so personally on 
behalf

[[Page H2577]]

of my constituents back home on the east end of Long Island, for all 9/
11 victims, their families, thank you to Chairman Nadler for his 
leadership.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler), 
who is the chair of the House Judiciary Committee.

                              {time}  2030

  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Zeldin and Mr. Rose for 
holding this Special Order hour on the importance of reauthorizing the 
Victim Compensation Fund and ensuring that every responder and survivor 
is made whole, as Congress intended.
  As my colleagues have also discussed, we have been pushing for more 
than 15 years to finally address the moral obligations we have to those 
made ill by exposure to toxins on September 11 and in the weeks and 
months after the attack. It is a two-part moral obligation.
  First, the attacks on September 11 were not just attacks on New York 
or on Washington, D.C. They were attacks on America.
  In the last few weeks, we have heard an objection raised to this bill 
that New York should handle this issue because it is a ``New York 
problem.''
  The World Trade Center stood in my district. Many of the people who 
ran into those towers were my fellow New Yorkers. The people who fled 
their homes and offices to find safety were my constituents.
  But they were Americans, and those towers fell on that Tuesday 
morning not because they stood in New York, but because they stood in 
the United States of America.
  While it may have been the brave men and women of the Fire Department 
of New York and the New York Police Department and the Port Authority 
who first rushed to those towers, to say that the responders and 
survivors who are sick today are just in New York is factually untrue.
  There are sick responders and survivors in every State and in 434 of 
the 435 congressional districts. This is not a New York or a D.C. 
issue; it is a national issue and deserves a national response.
  The second moral obligation directly ties the Victim Compensation 
Fund to the Federal Government.
  The reason so many survivors and responders were exposed to the 
toxins that made them sick was that they were told by the Federal 
Government--specifically, by Christine Todd Whitman, then the 
Administrator of the Federal EPA, and then by Mayor Rudy Giuliani--that 
the air at Ground Zero and in Lower Manhattan was safe to breathe, that 
they should work for months to clean up the pile, that they should go 
back to work in Lower Manhattan, that the air was safe to breathe.
  But it was not safe; it was toxic.
  In the rush to get Wall Street up and running, tens of thousands of 
people were sent directly into harm's way by the Federal Government.
  I went to Ground Zero days after the attack. We knew even then that 
the air was not safe, that the air was thick with dust and debris, and 
we had no idea what was swirling in those clouds around us as we 
struggled to breathe. But the Federal Government said it was safe.
  I think of those responders, first on the rescue mission. And I don't 
begrudge anybody who worked on the pile in the first 3 days when people 
may have still been alive who worked without proper respiratory 
protection to save lives. But after the first 3 days, it was a recovery 
mission; and people worked, breathing that air, for hours and days 
without adequate protection.
  I think of the families sent back to their apartments in Lower 
Manhattan and told to wipe away the layers of asbestos from their 
furniture and their windows with a damp cloth.
  I think of the students sitting in their classrooms at Stuyvesant 
High School, blocks from Ground Zero, and the barges removing debris as 
trucks full of asbestos idled below the high school's open windows.
  The Federal Government bears the burden to care for and support all 
those who went back to Ground Zero because the Federal Government told 
them it was safe when it was not safe.
  And since the day the EPA and others told people it was safe to go 
back to work, to school, and to their homes, since the day the EPA told 
those responders at Ground Zero that it was safe to work with minimal 
protection, I have been fighting alongside my colleagues Mrs. Maloney 
and Mr. King to secure healthcare and support for the people who became 
sick because of that exposure.
  We fought for nearly 10 years to get the first Zadroga Act passed in 
2010. That bill created the World Trade Center Health Program and 
reopened the Victim Compensation Fund.
  But we only authorized the VCF for 5 years. We knew we needed more 
than 5 years, and we came back in 2015 and passed the reauthorization 
bill.
  That bill made the health program permanent--or, at least, until 
2090--which gave much-needed certainty to those suffering from 9/11 
illnesses and their families. But, again, we authorized the Victim 
Compensation Fund, the VCF, for just another 5 years.
  As those 5 years have gone on, people have become sicker. More and 
more responders and survivors have been diagnosed with various cancers, 
particularly cancers with long latency periods, and, tragically, more 
and more have died from those illnesses.
  As people become sicker and pass away, the VCF has functioned exactly 
as Congress directed. It has provided those individuals, those first 
responders, those survivors, and their families with compensation and 
resources they need to get through these difficult times.
  But, just as people are getting sicker, the VCF is running out of 
money. Last month, the Justice Department announced that, because of 
the high demand for claims, because the cancers are more numerous than 
anticipated, because more people of the heroes of 
9/11 than anticipated are getting sick, the Department would be forced 
to cut awards by 50 percent if they were filed by February 1 and 70 
percent if they were filed after February 1.
  Can you imagine that? You are dying of stomach cancer, unable to 
work, unable to leave your house for more than your doctor's 
appointments, and waiting for compensation so you can pay off your 
house and protect your family before you die, and the award you 
anticipated is cut in half or by 70 percent.
  Your wife dies after a long struggle with breast cancer, and you are 
waiting for your claim to pay her funeral expenses, and your 
compensation is cut in half or by 70 percent.

  You have such severe gastrointestinal issues that you can only work 
part-time. You are waiting for your award to pay for your child's 
college tuition, and your claim is cut by 70 percent.
  That is not the promise we made to those first responders and 
survivors. That is not fulfilling the moral obligation that pushed us 
to create the VCF in the first place.
  That is failing Lincoln's statement of our duty ``to care for him who 
shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.''
  That is failing our promise to never forget 9/11 and failing the 
brave men and women who helped us on that day and who struggle and 
fight to this day.
  But that doesn't have to happen. If we pass the Never Forget the 
Heroes Act, we can stop these cuts and make the Victim Compensation 
Fund permanent, providing responders and survivors the certainty that, 
no matter how sick they get, they will have us at their backs and the 
resources they need.
  I thank my colleagues who have been with us in this fight from the 
start, and I thank the 142 bipartisan cosponsors who have already 
signed on to this bill.
  We will get this done. We must get this done. We will meet our moral 
obligations.
  We will never forget these heroes.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Nadler for his remarks 
tonight and for his leadership through the years. It is a very 
important voice from New York City, from Ground Zero, and something 
that couldn't have possibly impacted the heart of his district any more 
than what was the largest attack on our soil on September 11, 2001.
  Yet the silver lining of that attack was seeing the spirit, the 
fight, the grit of his constituents, of my constituents, of 
constituents from 433 out of 435 districts in our entire country who 
responded after September 11, 2001.
  A lot of Members of this Chamber don't realize that 9/11 first 
responders came from almost every single congressional district 
represented here.

[[Page H2578]]

  But it was all throughout Chairman Nadler's district on September 11, 
2001, that we saw people going into danger while everyone else was 
running out, and it reminded us of the strength of New Yorkers, the 
pride and strength and courage of Americans.
  There has certainly been great sacrifice since but, most importantly, 
sacrifice from those who have been victims because of September 11, 
2001, either due to the attack that day or service in our military.
  As we are here tonight, there are 9/11 first responders who are very 
sick, and I just want to, right before we close, share one quick story.
  This is a constituent of mine from East Hampton. This is a single 
mother, a sole provider of her 12-year-old son, who lived and worked 
within blocks of the World Trade Center on 9/11 and during the 
aftermath.
  She said: ``My colleagues and I saw it as our patriotic duty to show 
the terrorists that they could not destroy our neighborhood and way of 
life.''
  I think, many times, people forget that, in the aftermath of 9/11, we 
were not only tending to Ground Zero, but we were rebuilding the spirit 
of our Nation.
  It is thanks to Americans like this constituent of mine and her 
coworkers and all those who faced the unconscionable horror, who did 
not cower in fear, that our Nation rose stronger than ever.
  In late 2017, she was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer, which 
has never occurred on either side of her family.
  Her coworker at the time of 9/11 developed prostate cancer, and three 
of her coworkers now have an extremely rare skin condition.
  In response to learning that the fund is running out of money and 
would cut claims by 70 percent, she said: ``I don't think I can 
properly express in writing how devastated I feel. Even worse, I feel 
extremely distraught over the others who are in the same situation as 
me or who are about to find they are . . . as they will, too, receive a 
devastating diagnosis like mine.''
  The one other story is Kevin from Smithtown. I represent a district 
that is just over 50 miles from Ground Zero, and fighting for my 
constituents who were affected by September 11 is my job, but it is 
also very personal.
  Kevin is a former NYPD officer who said he ``picked up human remains 
for 2 days, without any hesitation, because at the time that is what 
had to be done.''
  He continued to work on and around the pile for close to 12 months.
  In January of 2018, Kevin was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's diffuse 
large B-cell lymphoma and underwent 6 months of chemotherapy, which 
left him with devastating symptoms that will stay with him the rest of 
his life.
  He wrote to me about how he missed many important moments and family 
functions with his children and loved ones. He said: ``To give out 
awards reduced by 70 percent is a slap in my face and all others that 
are now suffering,'' and he is right.
  When he was working the pile day and night for months on end, he 
wasn't thinking about himself or what this might mean for his future. 
He was thinking about our Nation. He was committed to getting the 
remains of victims of 9/11 home to those who survived them.
  Kevin was there for us, and it is important for all of us to step up 
to the plate for him.
  Lastly, I thank Congresswoman Maloney, Congressman King, and Chairman 
Nadler for taking the lead on this legislation yet again. I thank 
Congressman Rose for coleading tonight's Special Order. Hopefully, it 
is the start of something new and that we will see more often: 
bipartisan Special Orders on the floor of the House of Representatives.
  I think our constituents back home all across America want to see 
more of us working together to get good things done. It makes them feel 
good that their government is working for them.
  But I will tell you, with regards to the 9/11 Victim Compensation 
Fund, it is not until this Chamber, the Senate, and the President signs 
it that this is done, fully funded, that we are going to be able to 
take credit for anything good and right, because this needs to actually 
get over the finish line.

  Tonight is just another positive step. Everyone signing on as 
cosponsors is a positive step. And I hope that everyone who is 
watching, whether you are a Member of this Chamber, you are a staffer 
of a Member of this Chamber, or you are an advocate, that you get 
involved, cosponsor, to get our numbers up.
  I thank Madam Speaker for her leadership tonight with this effort, 
for presiding over the Chamber during this very important hour, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________