W000761
Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515-529
HENRY A. WAXMAN
29TH District, California
November 26, 2001
The Honorable Kenneth L. Zwick
Director
Office of Management Programs
Civil Division , Department of Justice
VIA FAX
301-519-5956
Dear Mr. Zwick ,
I received the enclosed e-mail message from my constituent, , who wanted to share his concerns about the administration of funds by the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. I wanted to share his comments with you.
With kind regards, I am
Sincerely,
HENRY A.WAXMAN
Member of Congress
CITY: Hollywood
STATE: California
msg:
I have recently heard of a bill that either exists or is in the making. It deals with the payment towards the families of the victims of the World Trade Center Attack. While I am a staunch supporter of providing financial assistance for the families of those that have innocently lost family members and for those that lost their loved ones in their attempts to save the innocent, the numbers that I am hearing are preposterous.
I have heard numbers in the range of 1 million dollars per victim. I find this completely
unrealistic. With an estimate of 5000 deceased, that comes out to 5 billion dollars. And where will this money go? How are we assured that it will be used in the most practical and beneficial manner?
I feel that the right thing to do is provide the victims with the support that will help them survive. Not just now, but in the future. Let's take that money and build a safety net that will protect them as they attempt to get their lives in as normal of a lifestyle as possible without the love of the ones they've lost. Let's assure them of medical coverage for the remainder of their lives. Let's assure them of college funding for the children. Let's assure them of an income for 2-3 years, so they don't have to worry about the rent or mortgage or monthly bills.
I feel these solutions are much more effective than a giant check. These are solutions that can't be manipulated by the evil people that prey on victims. These are solutions that show that their country cares about them and understands the sacrifices that their Husbands, Wives, Mothers and Sons have made for the rest of us.
Individual Comment
Hollywood, CA