Menendez joins 9/11 and terror attack victims, families to applaud passage of legislation to deliver justice for thousands of U.S. terror victim families
NEW JERSEY – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) joined Thursday with New Jersey 9/11 widows and children, and other U.S. terror victim survivors and family members, to applaud the enactment and outline the provisions of his bipartisan Fairness for 9/11 Families Act, which passed the Senate last December as an amendment to the fiscal year 2023 funding bill.
“The Fairness for 9/11 Families Act delivers long overdue relief to 9/11 families who were previously unfairly excluded from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, while adding the families of victims of the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing and the 1996 Khobar Towers attack, and providing relief for all the victims and family members in the Fund,” Menendez said. “For many of these families, it has been years — if not decades — of waiting for the relief this bill provides. I’m honored to have been able to work alongside them and deliver this for them and for all the victims of state sponsored terrorism.”
Sen. Menendez’s bipartisan Senate amendment is an expanded version of the bipartisan Fairness for 9/11 Families Act, which he introduced in September 2022. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.-12) led companion legislation in the House of Representatives, which passed by a vote of 400-31 on September 30, 2022.
“We must never forget the devastation of September 11th, the lives we lost, and the people whose lives were forever changed,” said Senator Booker. “No action or words will remedy the grief of losing a loved one, but the Fairness for 9/11 Families Act sends a clear message that we are united in delivering justice for 9/11 families and other American victims of terrorism. I am proud to have cosponsored this legislation and applaud the courageous families and my colleagues for their hard work on its passage.”
Signed into law by President Biden last month, the legislation provides relief for 9/11 families and other U.S. victims of state-sponsored terrorism who are eligible for the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (USVSST Fund) by authorizing and funding a catch-up payment for thousands of 9/11 victims, spouses and dependents who were unfairly excluded when the Fund was first established in 2015. The legislation also expands the Fund’s coverage and provides catch-up payments to help other American victims of terrorism receive justice, including victims of the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks bombing and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing.
Through the efforts of Sen. Menendez, the Sudan Claims Act in the FY21 omnibus appropriations bill directed the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to calculate the total value of potential catch-up payments to provide previously excluded spouses and children with the amounts that they would have received if they had been part of the Fund since 2015. In addition to his work on the USVSST Fund, Sen. Menendez has worked to assist families in their pursuit of justice. In August 2021, Sen. Menendez introduced the September 11 Transparency Act of 2021, which required a declassification review of the documents that could elucidate the alleged link between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the 9/11 attacks. Senator Cornyn was the Republican co-lead. Senators Schumer, Blumenthal, Grassley, Gillibrand, Booker, and Murphy were original cosponsors, and Rep. Jeffries introduced the House companion. On Friday, September 3, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order based on the legislation. This was a major step for the 9/11 community in pursuing their litigation against KSA.
“For the last 21 years, Senator Menendez has been steadfast in his commitment to helping the 9/11 community seek truth, transparency and justice for the murder of our loved ones. He fought through every obstacle placed in our path to see “The Fairness for 9/11 Families Act” signed into law,” said Angela Mistrulli, who lost her father, Joseph, in the Sept. 11th terror attacks. “With his hard work and determination, over 5,000 widows and children will receive the justice that had been denied for over 7 years. We are and will be forever grateful to Senator Menendez for always standing with us as a staunch champion and keeping his promise of never forgetting the families of the nearly 3,000 innocent lives taken on September 11th.”
“Senator Menendez knows the meaning of the phrase, ‘Never Forget,’ and his commitment to the 9/11 community is commendable,” said Terry Strada, National Chair of 9/11 Families United who was a resident of Chatham, N.J. on September 11, 2001 when her husband, Tom, was killed. “He is a man of integrity and compassion, and I am grateful he has never forgotten our loved ones or our pain and suffering.”
“I am grateful to Senator Menendez for working with Senators Cotton and Sullivan to ensure that the victims of the Beirut Marine barracks bombing were included in this important legislation,” said Paul Rivers, a Marine survivor of the 1983 Beruit Marine Barracks bombing. “Our community has always had bipartisan support in the Congress, and I am very pleased to see that tradition continue. This legislation stands for a basic principle: all victims of terrorism deserve justice. For Marines and their families, semper fidelis is not just a motto; it is a way of life. I am proud to stand here today on behalf of all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to our country.”
“I’m here today to express our gratitude and appreciation to Sen. Menendez, Sen. Booker, Sen. Schumer, Sen. Cotton, Sen. Cornyn, their staffs, and all of our leaders in the Senate and House who championed The Fairness for 9/11 Families Act and ensured it became law,” said Anthony Gardner, whose brother, Harvey, was killed on Sept. 11th. “This bipartisan effort is a reminder of what can be accomplished when our leaders regardless of party affiliation come together to address issues and right injustices.”
In August 2021, the GAO estimated that lump sum catch-up payments to 5,364 9/11 victims, spouses, and dependents would total approximately $2.7 billion. The amendment also establishes a reserve fund to provide a catch-up payment to Beirut and Khobar Towers victims who were previously unable to join the fund, with additional reserves being allocated to all victims within, including Iran hostages, Kenya and Tanzania embassy bombing victims, and many other American victims of state-sponsored terrorism.
Joining Sens. Menendez and Booker in cosponsoring the Senate amendment, that passed by a 93-4 vote, were Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W-Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Ark.).
