On Monday, President Donald Trump signed a bill ensuring that a victims’ compensation fund helping those impacted by the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks never runs out of money; this comes after the number of first responders dying of Ground Zero-related illnesses is mounting.
Appearing in the Rose Garden with more than 60 first responders from the 2001 terrorist attacks, Trump signed into law an extension of the fund through 2092, essentially making it permanent.
“You inspire all of humanity,” Trump said of the “true American warriors” who rushed to assist victims that day and searched for remains for months after. The president said that the nation has a “sacred obligation” to care for the responders and their families.
More than 40,000 people have applied to the fund, which covers illnesses potentially related to being at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon or Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after the attacks.
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