Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) secured unanimous consent Thursday for the Senate to vote on two amendments and final passage of 9/11 Victim’s Compensation Fund next week.
“The men and women who responded to the horrific events of September 11, 2001 are among the great heroes of American history,” Sen. Lee said. “Since 2011, the 9/11 Victims Fund has always had finite authorizations, and by all accounts it has an excellent record avoiding waste and abuse. These two things are not coincidental. They go together,” Sen. Lee continued.
“That is why I would like to offer a simple amendment to this bill that would authorize $10.2 billion in additional funding for the 9/11 Victims Fund over the next 10 years. That is the amount that the Congressional Budget Office has estimated is necessary for covering all valid claims between now and 2029,” Sen. Lee said.
“Mr. President, this is something that we could vote on in a matter of minutes, fifteen minutes or so, and then move on to final passage. We could in fact accomplish all of this today, before we adjourn for the weekend. This is in fact what I would prefer. I think finishing our work on this bill to protect victims and first responders is worth a half hour of our time,” Sen. Lee continued.
Other senators did not want to vote for the 9/11 Victim’s Compensation Fund today, so Sen. Lee agreed to schedule votes on final passage, and his amendment, next week.
