dojW000599.xml

dojW000599.xml

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2001-11-26

Monday, November 26, 2001 2:38 PM

Survivor Definitions



Kenneth L. Zwick, Director

Office of Management Programs

Civil Division

U.S. Department of Justice

Main Building, Room 3140

950 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, DC 20530



Dear Mr. Zwick:



First of all I would like to thank the DOJ for encouraging the use of email as a way to submit public comments on the issue of victim compensation after the tragic Sept. 11 attack.



I am writing to urge your department to write the regulations to carry out the intent and spirit of the law by compensating all of those who suffered both grievous emotional loss from these murders, and significant financial loss as well. I believe that the federal government should provide such compensation as is appropriate to all of those who had a close relationship with the murdered victim and whose own financial position will be seriously adversely affected by the death. Relevant indicators of such a relationship include a shared residence, shared bank accounts for other financial instruments, joint membership in a health plan, a significant sharing of living expenses, etc. Obviously a wide range of different personal relationships will be covered by this, and we believe that this coverage is wholly appropriate in this instance. We note that this is the approach taken by Republican Governor George Pataki of New York, where so many of the victims live.



Individual Comment

Minneapolis, MN



Attached:

1. Letter to AG Ashcroft from a bipartisan group of Congress Members on this subject

2. Washington Post Article that features a woman struggling with this

issue in Virginia



Attachment 1:

November 15, 2001



The Honorable John Ashcroft

Attorney General

Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20530



Dear Mr. Attorney General,



We applaud the approach you are taking in soliciting wide public comment in fulfilling your legislative mandate to promulgate regulations governing the distribution of funds voted by Congress and approved by the President for victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11.



Because it was important for us to act speedily, the legislation of
necessity sets out broad guidelines and leaves to you and your department the job of providing specificity so that these funds can be distributed fairly and expeditiously.



We write to express our view on one aspect of this important set of
questions which is before you -- namely, we urge that in creating the
category of those who qualify as "survivors of someone lost in the
crashes", (Topic 5, Notice of Inquiry), we can best carry out the intent and spirit of the law by compensating all of those who suffered both grievous emotional loss from these murders, and significant financial loss as well.



That is, we believe that the federal government should provide such
compensation as is appropriate to all of those who had a close relationship with the murdered victim and whose own financial position will be seriously adversely affected by the death. Relevant indicia of such a relationship include a shared residence, shared bank accounts for other financial instruments, joint membership in a health plan, a significant sharing of living expenses, etc. Obviously a wide range of different personal relationships will be covered by this, and we believe that this coverage is wholly appropriate in this instance. We note that this is the approach taken by Governor George Pataki of New York, where so many of the victims live.



The act we passed was not an effort by the Congress to regulate any set of personal relationships, nor to encourage or discourage people from
following any particular pattern in their living arrangements. It was
simply a prompt response by the Congress to the terrible murders inflicted on America on September 11, in particular by doing what we can to come to the aid of those who were particularly victimized by the deaths of people close to them. Aiding all of this latter category of victims seems to us the appropriate response.

2001-11-26