In February, lawmakers introduced a plan that would permanently authorize the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

The bipartisan move came shortly after the announcement that decreased funding would result in decreased awards to the first responders and 9/11 survivors who qualify for compensation. Due to a lack of funding for 9/11 cancer victims, payments may be decreased by as much as 70 percent.

“I am painfully aware of the inequity of the situation,” fund administrator Rupa Bhattacharyya wrote, according to NPR. “But the stark reality of the data leaves me no choice. If there had been a different option available to me, I assure you I would have taken it.”

Jon Stewart, the renowned comedian and dedicated advocate for 9/11 first responders, says that the success of the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund is the reason for the shortage in funds. However, he called on Congress to take action to ensure that the success of the fund will not deprive future beneficiaries of their owed compensation.

“The claims are going through faster and the awards are coming through,” Stewart said, according to Fox News. “That’s why we’re in the problem that we’re in, is the program works exactly like it’s supposed to. So now it’s Congress’ job to fund it properly and let these people live in peace.”

In response to the funding crisis, several individuals from Congress reached across the aisle to propose permanently authorizing the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

The fund originally ran from 2001 to 2004 to provide compensation for individuals who were injured or the families of those killed by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In January 2011, President Obama implemented the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to reauthorize the fund through October 2016. In December 2015, President Obama reauthorized the fund through December 2020.

The recent bipartisan proposal would reauthorize the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund indefinitely. This would allow individuals to continue seeking compensation from the fund without having to worry about a deadline.

Additionally, making the fund permanent would be beneficial for individuals who will develop illnesses in the future. The 9/11 terrorist attacks released clouds of hazardous materials into the air such as asbestos, jet fuel, and other life-threatening toxins. These toxins stayed in the air, and individuals were exposed to these hazardous materials during the cleanup and recovery effort.

Cancers and other conditions arising from these materials may take years to appear due to their long latency period. This means that individuals may spend the foreseeable future being diagnosed with 9/11 related illnesses and cancers. If the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund were to close by its intended end date of December 2020, there is no telling how many individuals may miss out on recovering compensation simply because their injuries from 9/11 have not been diagnosed yet.

“There is no time to waste in passing the bill to fully fund—and make permanent—the VCF so that any 9/11 first responder who might get sick will get the care they earned,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, according to Fox News.