Donald Trump boasts 9/11 experience, saying ‘I was down there also’ as he signs compensation bill to ensure victims fund never runs out of money
- US president claims he took part in post-attack response at Manhattan’s ground zero
- Law will mean lifelong medical help for emergency crews sickened by toxic debris during events of September 11
US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a law ensuring lifelong medical help for emergency crews sickened by toxic debris on September 11, while claiming considerable experience of his own at New York’s ground zero.
“Our nation owes each of you a profound debt that no words or deeds will ever repay,” Trump said in the White House Rose Garden, where he was joined by some 60 first responders from the September 11 attacks.
The measure ends what had been an embarrassing situation in which Congress had to periodically vote on extending the compensation package for victims of the hijacked airliners that crashed into New York’s World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.
The fund was running out of money amid political wrangling, but will now be guaranteed through 2092, meaning help through the lifetimes of all those involved.
Tens of thousands people, mostly firefighters and other emergency workers who spent long days sifting through the ruins of the Twin Towers, have become sick with cancer or respiratory diseases.