We Remember Their Sacrifice

Dear Friends,

On the morning of September 11, 2001, thousands of innocent lives were taken in one of the darkest hours in our nation’s history. In the smoke and fire of this horror and confusion, our firefighters, police officers and first responders ran into the inferno, into the rubble and wreckage, for us.

During these attacks and in the days that followed, they risked—and many gave—their lives for others and for our nation.

They were there for us when we needed them, and we have always dedicated ourselves as a nation to do the same for them, and for their surviving loved ones.

19 years later, even more of these heroes have been taken from us too soon and many more are suffering the lasting effects of their sacrifice and service that day. We have heard from these survivors and the families of victims. And time and again we have committed that their sacrifices will be honored, and any monetary costs paid. It’s the least we can do.

We got to work creating and later extending the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. We faced political headwinds, but we got the job done. For them. Or so we thought. 

Yesterday, between visits to several beautiful 9/11 remembrances in our Capital Region, I was astonished and outraged to read credible reporting that the Trump Administration has been siphoning millions of dollars in Congressionally appropriated taxpayer money intended to go to 9/11 survivors and their families. And they won’t even explain why.

If true, this is a staggering betrayal of every firefighter, police officer and first responder who risked their lives for us that day. It violates everything for which our nation stands.

We have a solemn duty to make sure the bravery of these heroes is never forgotten. It’s why I fought for years in Congress to advance the Never Forget the Heroes Act, a law that extended the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund until 2092 and took long-overdue action to provide financial security and support for our 9/11 first responders, survivors and families. We got it done each time for our nation’s heroes, and I am profoundly disappointed to learn that the Treasury Department has eroded this work by refusing to deliver.

Each of us owes an enduring debt to our first responders. Their sacrifice is not limited to the days, weeks and months after the September 11^th attacks. Every day on the job is a day that they put our communities, our nation and our people ahead of their own safety and well-being.

Their bravery gives us the light of hope, shows us the best that we can be and reminds us to keep our faith in one another. We will never forget them or the gift of their sacrifice. We must not.

DID YOU KNOW?

Throughout this pandemic, my office and I have worked to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations on any and all COVID-19 related topics. With that in mind here is some information that may be of interest to you:

• The Internal Revenue Service today announced its annual "Dirty Dozen" list of tax scams with a special emphasis on aggressive and evolving schemes related to coronavirus tax relief, including Economic Impact Payments.
• Taxpayers are encouraged to review the list in a special section on IRS.gov and be on the lookout for these scams throughout the year.

• These tax scams include: Phishing; Fake Charities; Threatening Impersonator Phone Calls; Social Media Scams; EIP or Refund Theft; Senior Fraud; Scams targeting non-English speakers; Unscrupulous Return Preparers; Offer in Compromise Mills; Fake Payments with Repayment Demands; Payroll and HR Scams; and Ransomware.