Over the next ten years, covering claims for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund is expected to cost around $10 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

This determination came one day before the U.S. House of Representatives was scheduled to vote on extending the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which will run out by the end of 2020 without further funding.

A Political Football?

A resolution to continue funding VCF claims through 2090 passed in the House by an overwhelming majority after comedian turned activist Jon Stewart publicly criticized lawmakers for not taking action. The bill then moved to the Senate, where – despite nearly unanimous bipartisan support – the vote was blocked by Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah.

Paul’s concerns are strictly about the costs and how it will be paid for. There are also concerns among Senate supporters that some of their colleagues may attempt to attach unrelated legislation to the Victim Compensation Fund funding bill.

Meanwhile, a 73-year-old first responder who was on the scene that day became the 200th member of the New York Fire Department to succumb to a 9/11-related illness – on top of an estimated 2,000 other first responders who have died since that day allegedly from the after-effects of toxic exposure.

90,000 Potential VCF Claims

Dr. Michael Crane, who directs the WTC Health Program at Mt. Sinai Hospital, has expressed concerns. Speaking at a conference of the Workers Compensation Institute, he noted that cancer rates among first responders are 30 percent greater than those among the general population. Estimates indicate that over 90,000 people were exposed to a veritable “witches’ brew” of chemical toxins that included fumes from melting heavy metals, aviation fuel, asbestos and more.

Keeping Promises

The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund was signed into law in 2015 by President Barack Obama, which extended coverage for everyone who was in the area on the day the World Trade Center collapsed and suffered physical or monetary harm as a result.

The original VCF bill was passed by Congress shortly after 9/11 in order to compensate victims in exchange for not bringing legal action against the airlines involved.

Prominent mediation lawyer Kenneth Feinberg, who was appointed by then-Attorney General John Ashcroft to oversee the program, donated his services to the federal government for nearly two-and-a-half years, developing regulations governing how VCF claims would be processed and administered. The fund was initially authorized to pay out up to just under $7.4 billion.

In October 2018, the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund announced that the cost of VCF claims may exceed the available funding before the program is scheduled to expire on Dec. 18th, 2020. As a result, payouts for new VCF claims were reduced starting in February of 2019.

Future of the 9/11 Fund

After months of uncertainty regarding the future of the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund, the fund was permanently funded by the federal government in July.

President Trump signed the bill into law on July 29, extending the VCF until Oct. 1, 2090. Under the extended law, victims who have been diagnosed with qualifying 9/11-related conditions will be able to continue to submit their claims and receive compensation for their medical expenses and other damages.

Without this extension, the remaining claims would have been paid out at a fraction of their original value until the fund was depleted. Due to the extension of the fund, victims who had already been paid out reduced settlements are expected to be awarded the full amount.

The extension of the fund for another 70 years virtually guarantees that everyone affected by the attacks will be able to submit claims to the fund and receive compensation until their death. While it is unknown how much the fund will cost to continue operating until 2090, it is expected to cost at least $10 billion over the next decade.

After the fund’s extension was announced, fund administrator Rupa Bhattacharyya released a statement, saying, “This is a momentous occasion for the V.C.F. and the 9/11 community, and I am extremely grateful for this show of confidence from Congress and the President. The enactment of this Act is also a testament to the heroic efforts of the responders, survivors, and advocates who tirelessly pursued this legislation, and without whom we would not be able to continue the vital work we do.”