A005537
ADL
Anti-Defamation League
December 13, 2001
Kenneth L. Zwick, Director
Office of Management Programs
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division
Main Building, Room 3140
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530
Re: September 11 Victim Compensation Program
Dear Mr. Zwick:
We write in response to the Department's November 5, 2001
request for public comments regarding the Department's
forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering
the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" (the "Fund")
established by the Air Transportation Safety and System
Stabilization Act ("the Act"). The Fund was created to
compensate all those injured in the attack and all the surviving
relatives of those who died.
We urge the Department to promulgate regulations that
provide aid to all surviving family members, including
committed partners and non-biological children of gay and
lesbian victims. The terrorist who perpetrated this terrible act
made no distinctions amongst their victims, nor should the
United States. Simply, we argue that the regulations should
define who is awarded aid based on the reality of their loss not
the legal status of their family.
It is clear that the Act intended the Fund to compensate all
those who suffered specific, enumerated types of economic
harm. These include burial costs, loss of earnings, physical
and emotional pain and suffering. See 402(5) and 402(7).
The Act does not distinguish amongst family type or marital
status and neither should the Department of Justice.
Now is a time when America must draw together to help
all those who need aid and protection following the
devastation of September 11. We have been united in the face
of terror and we must remain so. No American family,
however constituted, should be excluded. We hope the
regulations promulgated by the Department will reflect that
belief.
Best regards,
Comment by:
Anti-Defamation League
New York, NY