9/11 Victim Compensation Bill Stumbles in Senate

Friday, July 19, 2019 | 0

A bill approved last week by the U.S. House of Representatives that would replenish the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund is now caught up in political wrangling in the Senate.

Sen. Rand Paul

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, on Wednesday objected to approving the bill through a fast-track process of unanimous consent. Paul said the bill, which would extend authorization for the 9/11 fund for 70 years, should be offset by spending cuts elsewhere, the Denver Post reported.

H.R. 1327, also known as the Never Forget the Heroes Act, would result in $10.2 billion in additional compensation payments over 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also objected to the unanimous consent process, saying oversight of the fund is needed to protect against fraud and abuse, the Washington Post reported.

The Senate now plans to vote on the bill by Wednesday and consider amendments proposed by Paul and Lee.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, predicted the amendments would be defeated and the measure would be passed.