Press Releases
Congressman Lawler Reintroduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Support 9/11 First Responders, Victims, and Their Families
Washington, D.C. ,
February 25, 2025
Washington, D.C. - 2/25/2025… Today, Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), and Dan Goldman (NY-10), along with Senators John Cornyn (TX) and Richard Blumenthal (CT), reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act, which provides funding for the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, or USVSST Fund. Created in 2015, the USVSST Fund was designed to assist terror attack victims in securing court-ordered judgments against State Sponsors of Terrorism, such as Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Syria. However, since its inception, the Fund has faced ongoing challenges securing adequate resources to compensate victims. Over the past few years, it has only made one distribution—amounting to less than half a percent of the total court-awarded judgments. This legislation seeks to improve the Fund’s transparency and reliability, ensuring that tens of thousands of American victims, including the families of more than 3,000 individuals lost on or after September 11th, receive the compensation they are owed. It establishes a guaranteed annual payment, strengthens Congressional oversight, and expands staffing to enhance the Fund’s efficiency. “For far too long, American victims of state-sponsored terrorism—including the families of those lost on September 11th—have struggled to receive the compensation they rightfully deserve. The USVSST Fund was created to ensure they have a path to justice, yet it has failed to deliver in any meaningful way,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17). “This bipartisan legislation will change that by guaranteeing annual payments to victims, increasing transparency, and holding the Fund accountable. We owe it to the thousands of families impacted by terrorism to follow through on our commitments.” “Justice isn’t just about punishing those who do wrong, it’s about making things right for those who have suffered. I’m proud to reintroduce the bipartisan American Victims of Terror Compensation Act to make sure that victims of terror attacks and their families can get the relief that they deserve,” said U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “While we can never bring back the loved ones lost in state-sponsored terror attacks like 9/11, we must ensure they have the support they need to carry on. These families deserve nothing less.” “As New Yorkers, we understand what so many of these victims have gone through,” said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11). “The USVSST fund has failed to operate as Congress originally intended, leading to repeat frustration and heartbreak of families of state-sponsored terrorism. I’m proud that this is a bipartisan, bicameral group that is working on behalf of the victims of terrorism by cosponsoring this legislation to right the wrong.” “From September 11th, 2001, to October 7th in Israel just a short time ago, Americans lost their lives to terrorist attacks. The goal of this legislation is to make sure that the state-sponsored terrorist victims’ compensation is adequately funded,” said Senator John Cornyn (TX). “The American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act is the promise that justice, or at least a small semblance of justice, in terms of compensation, is available to these families.” “This bill is overdue – it took a lot of work to get this point, because we wanted justice, not just in words, but action, for survivors and families that have suffered so much in the loss of loved ones we can never bring back,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT). “There is no way that money can compensate for that. This is about simple decency and justice for families who have stood strong for themselves and others. This is because it is not only about compensating victims of terrorism. It's about deterring terrorism in the future.” “The American Jewish community has been profoundly impacted by state-sponsored terrorism – a devastating reality made even clearer on October 7, 2023, and its aftermath,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “Nearly 30 years ago, Congress passed legislation empowering American victims to hold foreign state-sponsors of terror, such as Iran, Syria, and North Korea, accountable in U.S. courts for their support of terrorism. In 2015, the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism (USVSST) Fund was established with the intent to provide annual distributions to victims to satisfy their judgments. Unfortunately, the promise of the USVSST has not been realized. We are grateful to Reps. Lawler (R-NY-17), Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Malliotakis (R-NY-11), and Goldman (D-NY-10) and Senators Cornyn (R-TX) and Blumenthal (D-CT) for introducing the bipartisan and bicameral American Victims of Terrorism Act, legislation that will finally ensure Congress fulfills its commitment and delivers some semblance of justice to the over 20,000 American victims of state-sponsored terrorism.” The legislation is supported by American victims of the October 7th terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, IED attacks on the U.S. military in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, the 2016 Bastille Day attack in Nice, France, the September 11th terrorist attacks, the 2000 U.S.S. Cole attack, the 1998 East African Embassy bombings, the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing, the passengers of TWA Flight 847 hijacked in 1985 by Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists while on route to the United States, the 1983 and 1984 U.S. Embassy and Embassy Annex bombings in Beirut, the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks bombing, the 1979 hostage taking of Americans at the diplomatic compound in Tehran, and the 1968 U.S.S. Pueblo attack. ### |
