It is not an easy thing to come up with the numbers. They have gone through them and to the public program. It is not meant to be a windfall. It is meant just to replace losses. Like, if you have a Life Insurance policy for instance that would be subtracted from any award you get. So its just meant to replace what people lost because of the attack. Were talking about the Victim Compensation fund. Taking your questions and comments those who live in the mountain and pacific time zone and a special line for families of 9 11 victim 20274880024 is the number. Norma is up first from ogden, kansas. Good morning. I am normal, i am 75. I remember 9 11. They were heroes. You know something, for the first time in years i saw our country come together. Everybody was nice to everybody else. Everybody volunteered. People went to church and they prayed. These people, the 9 11, the firefighters, reporter tatian for the slaves youre working on, this leaves have been dead 150 years or more, our firefighters and the rest of the people that saved our country and people by going into buildings that were not safe, you know what . They deserve compensation. Can you talk about the obstacles that this latest bill faces . Is it likely to pass and if so, when . They are planning to bring this to the floor. I expect that to happen in july, certainly before the august recess. Then, if you go through regular order in the senate than Lindsay Graham and a Judiciary Committee would market up and Mitch Mcconnell would have to put it on the floor. It does have a majority of support in the senate. I dont see any problem and it passing it comes down to the leadership decided we need to move this and need to move it fairly quickly. The way it has worked in the past and much to the dismay of the responders is it has been attached other measures and has had to go through this legislative sausage making process that is rather on pleasant if you are the person affected. They would like to see it on the floor even on september 11 of this year to pass on its own. Whether or not that will happen, i dont know. You mentioned Mitch Mcconnell after the jon stewart clip went viral, Mitch Mcconnell was asked about John Stewarts testimony. Heres what he had to say. We have never failed to address this issue. And we will address it again. I dont know why he is all bent out of shape. But we will take care of the 9 11 Victims Compensation fund. I think he was shocked when he was appearing before the committee i believe it was in the house, so if you member showed up that day. There frequently happens because members have a lot of things going on at the same time. It sounds to me he is looking for someone to take offense. There is no way we will not address this problem appropriately. We have in the past. It will be fully funded. Yes. That was the Senate Majority leader on fox news per were taking your calls and questions on the 9 11 Victims Compensation fund. We have the new york daily news, good morning. Hello. Good morning. I said to my daughter, i want you to remember this forever and, she does. She is older now. My question is, why do they have to do this process when the president can buy the morrow log owen spend millions on golf. We have money for golf but we dont have money for people . Michael. Well. I guess thats where were at. The senate is probably going to pass this. Its just a question of when and whether or not they do it in a fashion that makes the 9 11 community feel whole. Im pretty sure the country will indeed come up with the money for this program. Reporter when it comes to a set amount of money for this program, some folks are asking why are there limits to this fund . People who ran towards the twin towers should have all their health needs given them for free for what they did. Heroes deserve it. Why hasnt this happened in 18 years . Why limit . He goes back to that original gap i was talking about. After that unity that everyone saw and celebrates right after 9 11 it faded and in some ways its understandable because people dont want to keep something painful like that in the forefront. When the legislation started advancing especially the first time was very regional. Even a bit partisan for people were casting it as a new york issue. It was not going to pass at all. Tom coburn who is in the u. S. Senate and mike nc were objecting to the price tag at the time. Kirsten gillibrand saved the bill and got them to agree to move it but they had to cut it in half and putting restrictions to make sure there is no fraud, abuse or anything like that. It is that legacy of both partisanship and regionalism and fiscal prudence has started the cap. It has gone on in fiveyear increments and spent. Do we know if there has been fraud and abuse of the fund . There hasnt been. Its been a Successful Fund in terms of that. All the audience have come back 100 clean and maybe thats perhaps because they put so many restrictions on it. There is a Health Program and in order to get into the Health Program you have to prove that you are there and there for a certain amount of time. Then, that puts you in the line for the Compensation Program but then you still have to go through another approval and verification process before you can be added into the Compensation Program. There is a lot of checking that goes on. On the firefighters and Police Officers bumped to the head of the line past the regular folks, the citizens through their . Know they are not bumped to the front of the line but just by the fact of the jobs that they did they have documentation, they have people who can testify that they were there. They also have medical systems in place so its easier for them to get through the process. One of the reason the fund is running out of money is there survivors and people in the neighborhoods are beginning to realize this is there for them as well. There are more of them coming forward. Tony, good morning. Good morning, john. Its good to talk to you. I have a real problem. With 9 11 fund. Its another Government Program that they promise. Im a veteran, okay. They can even take care of the veterans right now. No, they are fallen back on their promise for the 9 11 victims and this is an ongoing situation. We have such incompetency in our congress and our senate that its ridiculous. I do one ask one question. One more thing i need to state the first. I love the people from. And these people are wonderful. But why are they cheap . Thats where government is at a standstill. My question is about this 9 11 situation. You know, they say like i have an agent orange problem and in the hasnt been recognized yet. I was in infantrymen on the ground and i was virtually sprayed but i had no real effects except ulcers, Prostate Cancer and breathing problems. My question is, the people that lived around this, did they get it away from this enough to be able to not be affected by then or do they still live in that area around their . First of all, im sorry for your own problems. Sorry you havent been able to get that dealt with. If you remember back to Rudy Giuliani and Christie Todd whitman of the time they told people the air was fine. A lot of folks who may have stayed away specially folks who had the means to come and went back and went back to work and went back to where they lived. There are probably many more who suffered longer exposure than might have otherwise. Thats another part of why there are more people coming forward now at this late date. Michael is next out of brooklyn. Good morning. Thank you for taking my calls. Actually you just began to answer my question. My understand at that time Christie Todd whitman who is a governor of new jersey was in charge of the epa and she determined the area was safe. Obviously it wasnt. Other any consequences that happen to her for the epa and the result of that . Her name pretty much disappeared pretty quickly. Seems like she might be responsible for that. She hasnt faced any particular consequences except as the effects became more apparent they did have a hearing several years after the fact on capitol hill that was rather uncomfortable for her. But she was gone from the epa from then and long since not a governor. Good morning everyone. Thank you for taking my phone call. I wanted to make a quick comments. I really think that im a healthcare worker, registered nurse for 26 years. On that particular day when 9 11 occurred my younger sister was traveling from louisiana to visit. Just being in the healthcare system, i agree with the previous calling, the soldiers are not being properly taken care of. But i feel very strongly that people, especially the firemen running into save peoples lives, they should be compensated. I really feel to see his senator like Mitch Mcconnell who has delivered, along with the president , the largest tax break for the 1 of the population, these firemen who works every day to save people, they deserve to be compensated. I think Mitch Mcconnell who calls himself the grim reaper, which is appalling to me, she should stand back and really determine, is he a true statesman or is he just in support of taking a big tax break and forgetting about the hardworking and brave people who come to work every day, who dont get to stand up in front of congress and abuse power. We heard the majority leader in the senate talk about saying this will get a vote, it will get taken care of. Are there members in the senate right now we have come out against this getting a vote . Are there members that calls for attention into another vehicle that might stall it . No one has come out against it. I have heard word although we dont know which senator has been asking some questions about details and things like that. As far as i know there are no no one is opposing it. It seems to have a clear line of sight to getting on the floor. So, we will see where that goes. When you see say you have of a senator asking around, this is a scrutiny that goes on behind the scene. This is behind the scenes stuff. This is meetings that the 9 11 responders are having with people on the hill. They have been coming here since october. There is an advocate coming tomorrow to meet with Mitch Mcconnell actually in his office. John and several people who have been working with him and they will hash some of these things out. I would imagine before mcconnell or anyone makes a statement. Do they seem optimistic . They are optimistic. What they really want is to see that level of commitments that they feel rest of the country shows that. They want to see that come out of washington hon out of the Majority Leaders Office and other speaker posies office, to. Judy out of michigan, good morning. Good morning. I cannot believe what is going on regarding ninth 11. I was involved in it. Why . Our work for nextel next to giants stadium. I was on the 12th floor. I have binoculars in my office. As i was getting off the turnpike i saw the first plane hit the building. I thought it was a mistake from the airport. By the time i got to my office i realized what was going on. Over the course of the next hour and a half the fbi and the Police Showed up. Why . This out towers were down, the only phones that worked for nextel. They had radio dispatch. So, management state for almost two days programming phones and every hour on the hour the fbi or the police came to pick them up to give them to the First Responders. Why am i upset . Because i saw people jump out of the building. Because i saw the plane hit the second building. And why . Because Mitch Mcconnell and everyone else should be limited to two terms. Then, they cant get their claws in, number one. Number two, Congress Took money out of Social Security. Have they ever paid it back . No. Do you know how much somebody earns starting as a congressman . 174,000 per year. And guess what . Every year they get a raise. Are they on the same medical plans we are . No. Are they on the same Social Security . No. Do they have the same drug and medical coverage . No. Where is the ground level for everyone in the united states. Judy in michigan, is there anything you want to say . It is interesting. People talk about First Responders but they dont necessarily know who all of the First Responders are. Like the man coming down here tomorrow was a construction worker who lost half of his foot when a beam fell on her. Shes with nextel but the verizon workers had to go through tunnels for days and weeks to replace fiber so that wall street could get back up and running again. Those guys had a really tough job and a lot of them got sick. Carol is in ohio, good morning. Good morning. I just have a comment. I hear all about the First Responders, thank goodness for them. But, i was watching television from florida the day that this happened and i saw hundreds and hundreds of construction worke workers, hardhats, farmworkers, laborers, all of the construction workers russian to do everything they could to help the people in these buildings. I dont hear much about these people who probably some of them have since given their life from the damage that damage their health. I just wonder what you have to say about these people and what the government has done for them and their families . Thank you so much. Right. That goes to what ives talking about. There is another construction worker who wrote stories about when i said the daily news. He was an ironworker and he got really sick and dying shortly after the First Program was renewed. Those folks are out there. If you walk around the hill with the responder you get to meet some of them. There were Corrections Officers who were involved with the cleanup. You dont think of them as First Responders but a lot were at the landfill were they took debris and at the morgue where they were sorting peoples bodies parts in trying to identify them. You talk about your experience down there and getting the dust from your pocket tested. Are there reporters who have qualified for the Victim Compensation fund . And the folks in the new york area . Yes, i dont know who they are but i know theres at least a dozen reporters at least in the Health Program. I dont know reporters were in the compensation funds but there were folks who were down there day in and day out and exposed to the same stuff. Ironically or maybe not the reporters are in the same program with some of the firefighters and Police Officers. Mcmichael press covered it for years as reporter with various organizations congress reported within the new york daily news, you can see his work at ny daily news. Com. We appreciate your time. Thanks, jon. Washington journal mugs are available as he spans new online store. Go to cspan store. Org. Check out the washington journal mugs and see the cspan products. I am a white male and im prejudice. The reason it is is something i was not top of something i have learned. I dont like to be forced to like people. I like to be led to like people through example. And what can i do to change . To be a better american . There was a remarkable moment. I didnt really realize until i stepped off the set because there are more calls after that. How powerful it was. There was something in his voice that touched me and you could hear it. Its so authentic as he searches for the words to Say Something to a National Audience that most of us wont admit in our home. I am prejudiced. Sunday night on q a. Heather mcgee, president of the Public Policy organization was a guest on washington journal in august 2016 when gary called her she talks about that interaction in her followup. Part of the reason for that, this is august. Weve had a racially charged summer with Donald Trumps campaign, with black lives matter in the Police Shootings and tragic events all in baton rouge and dallas. It was a time when people felt like all they are seen on tv about race was bad news. Here was first a white man admitting that he was prejudice which were people of color we just say finally. Sunday night on q a. Tonight on the communicators, we continue our visit to ces on the hill to hear about sam Songs Program sulfur tomorrow which challenges kids to use stem to improve communities. So was School Shootings we created a door lock that will be on the outside of the door. To help with that image in the mind whenever the doors closed and the shooters in the building that locke will slide in. Tonight. Eastern on cspan2. Next on cspan2, communicators visit capitol hill to talk to exhibitors at ces on the hill. And events for members of congress and staff an advance look at new Tech Industry products. Then later, a look at u. S. South korea relations for the center for strategic and international studies. Virtual reality, artificial intelligence, privacy, cybersecurity. Some of the issues we talked to Tech Companies about this week on the communicators are on capitol hill for the Consumer Technology association, sponsors Tech Companies to meet with members of congress and talk about policy issues they face. But is this week, communicators. On the communicators we want to introduce you to people from