dojA005521.xml

dojA005521.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-12-04

UNITED STATES SENATE
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
WASHINGTON, DC 20510-6275




December 4, 2001

Mr. Kenneth R. Feinberg
Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530

Dear Ken,

Congratulations on your recent appointment as Special Master of the September 11th Victim
Compensation Fund. While I suspect that this unprecedented post will prove to be difficult, I have no doubts that you are up to the challenge. I look forward to working with you to deliver fair and prompt compensation to the September 11th victims and their families.

I write to bring your attention to a not-for-profit organization called Families of September 11, Inc. This group was established by and for families of those who were physically injured or killed as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11 to secure fair and full reparations for the losses they have endured. The of Families of September 11, Inc., , himself lost his oldest son when United Airlines flight 175, on which he was a passenger, crashed into the World
Trade Center.

At his request, I ask that you meet with him when he and other members of Families of
September 11. Inc., visit Washington, D.C. this month. When the Department of Justice published the Notice of Inquiry and Advanced Notice of Rulemaking relating to the September 11th Compensation Fund and asked for public input on the development of substantive and procedural rules to govern the administration of the program, the organization promptly submitted comments. To follow-up they would like to meet with you and your staff to further express the views of their membership on the regulations now under consideration and to have a role in their articulation.

I have enclosed a copy of a letter from regarding this request. Please feel free to contact my staff members or at should you have any questions.


Sincerely,


Patrick J. Leahy
United States Senator






FAMILIES OF SEPTEMBER 11, INC.

November 30, 2001


The Honorable Patrick Leahy
433 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Leahy,

My wife and I live at . My father in law, , owned and operated for many years and his son has succeeded him at the there.

Our oldest son and the oldest grandchild of my father-in-law, , was a passenger on United Airlines flight 175 on September 11th. His ashes are mixed with the remains of thousands of others in the debris at and taken from "ground zero" in New York, circle the globe in the atmosphere that envelopes us all, and doubtless rain on the remains of other lost at Shanksville and Arlington.

I am a m of a not for profit organization called Families of September 11 and am of its Victim Compensation Committee. Families of September 11 has submitted a comment in response to Notice of Inquiry and Advance Notice of Rulemaking of the Civil Division of the Justice Department, which can been found at usdoj.gov/victimcompensation with the November 26 entries-comment W000542.

We are pleased with the appointment by Attorney General Ashcroft of Kenneth Feinberg as
Special Master to administer the captioned fund, and I write to request that you intercede on our behalf to the end that we may participate further in the rule making process.

Since the practical judicial remedies now available to our members are both doubtful and
minimal, it is of critical importance that the regulations under consideration provide the vehicle by which our members will be fully and fairly compensated for their losses. The president and treasurer of Families of September 11 and I would like very much to meet with Mr. Feinberg and his staff to further express the views of our membership on the regulations under consideration and play a role in their articulation. We will make ourselves available at the convenience of Mr. Feinberg. Since the development of the regulations will take place very quickly, I ask that you communicate promptly with Mr. Feinberg and urge him to meet with us and include us, to the extent possible, in helping to develop the regulations that will govern implementation of the Fund.

I can be reached at my law offices in at or at my home at to answer any questions you may have concerning this request and would like very much to meet with you in person, if your schedule permits.

Very truly yours,


FAMILIES OF SEPTEMBER 11, INC.

2001-12-04