Help for all of 9/11’s victims

As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, so continues the quiet suffering of the heroes and the victims poisoned by the toxic cloud that covered Downtown when the twin towers, hit by passenger jets terrorists turned into missiles, collapsed. After years of struggle and advocacy, both the World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund have been permanently extended by Congress until Oct. 1, 2090, outlasting the lifetime of anyone who could have been there and been afflicted.

But the door is closing in just a few days on anyone who has not registered for the VCF and were granted a two-year grace period by Special Master Rupa Bhattacharyya, who runs the Department of Justice fund. The two-year clock started on July 29, 2019, when President Trump signed the permanent extension, and it ends on Thursday. Bhattacharyya wants every possible claimant to register and not miss their chance for compensation.

Folks in this category are those who have been eligible for years, but never signed up for whatever reason. You don’t need a lawyer, like those advertising on TV, to register. If there’s any doubt if you’re in or not, double-check your status by calling the VCF Helpline at (855) 885-1555 or using the vcf. gov website. Registration is just the first step in the process. So far, 117,607 people have registered, with 2,000 new ones now coming in every month.

Bhattacharyya, appointed by the U.S. attorney general, just marked her fifth year in the job. She is striving and succeeding in examining and verifying claims and sending out payments. Backlogs have been wiped out and administration streamlined. To date, 38,840 people have received a total of $8.67 billion. And there’s more to come to more deserving people.

The special master wants to get the money that Congress set aside for the suffering and the sacrifices from 9/11 and its aftermath to everyone who qualifies, but people first have to present themselves. Don’t be reticent, register.