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Mr. Chairman.
Members of the Subcommittee.
My name is Elizabeth McLaughlin.
Thank you Chairman Greenwood and the Subcommittee for inviting me to
speak at this hearing today. Honestly,
I feel an awesome sense of responsibility to the nearly 4,700 families whose
loved ones died on September 11th.
I think it is important that this Committee and the millions of generous
contributors across America know the unnecessary – and, at times,
overwhelming – obstacles the surviving victims face when trying to receive
assistance from the government and charities.
I hope that my testimony and the work of this committee will aid the
victims’ families in our efforts and improve upon the current system.
And, I think – with all due respect to their
fine team – that the Arizona Diamondbacks should have thrown the World Series
for New York.
First and most importantly, I am absolutely
amazed at the outpouring of support and generosity from the American people.
When I drive through New York and elsewhere and I see American flags
raised, I feel like those flags are raised for me.
I know if my husband Rob had died under any other
circumstances, I would not have this additional level of support - and be able
to be here today.
Rob was 29 years old and our only child,
Nicholas, was 9 months old on September 11th.
We had just moved into our first home, a fixer upper where we sank our
life’s savings. Rob was a partner
at Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor.
Like most of the world, I watched the World Trade Center towers fall down
that morning.
The events of September 11th have
changed our lives forever. But now,
Mr. Chairman, I am tired -- and I want to spend time with my son.
Shortly after the attacks, I saw news reports and
telethons that continuously mentioned the fund raising efforts for the families
of the victims of September 11th. I
asked friends and family to help see what funds were available.
No one really had much information, but we were all hopeful that these
organizations would help. – Rob was the sole source of income for our family,
and I thought, "Maybe I can keep our house."
But then, the real work began. You have to really focus – which some days is very hard –
to satisfy the various registration requirements; qualifying criteria; keep up
with policy changes; find out what groups sent money where; determine what
documents need to be sent and to whom; speak to uninformed representatives;
repeat my story to the same organization four, five and six times; countless
faxing, sending emails, and traveling in person each week to reapply.
Before, when I had friends and family helping me
full-time, the task did not seem so daunting.
We have contacted over 40 organizations. I have received some emergency funds, and I thought I was
doing everything right. We
developed an 18-page spreadsheet to organize the registration, contacts, proper
documentation and required follow-up. Now,
as time goes on and my friends have less time to devote to this effort, the
responsibility and pressure increase as my bills mount.
Ironically, I have a Masters degree in
not-for-profit management. I
understand the magnitude of this project for charitable groups is unprecedented.
I appreciate the work they’re doing for me and the thousands of others
families. I think my situation
could have been worse. But I
don’t think contributors to the various September 11th funds
thought that their donations would be caught up in so much red tape and become a
source of frustration to the families. It seems this process could have been better streamlined and
centralized so families can move on with their lives. That is the main reason I am here today.
It is not too late.
Mayor Guiliani and the city of New York very
quickly set up a family assistance center in Manhattan that gathered the
charities, government organizations, legal assistance, translators, volunteers,
food and counseling. Why then,
haven’t these charities been able to get together and agree on a uniform
application? Why haven’t they been able to get together and develop a quicker
way for families to receive the funds? We
all have missing persons’ reports, death certificates, and any other proof
needed to avoid fraud, but the charities are not sharing these documents or
information.
The system is not working the way I believe it
was intended. I know of a family
with four children who lost their father on September 11th. Their mother has to support all of these children both
emotionally and financially now. How
can she spend each day making the necessary phone calls, visits and follow-up to
these organizations? Many charities
are giving out funds on a first-come, first-served basis.
Does that mean she will not receive the donations that she and her family
need?
Sadly, a friend told me yesterday, "I give
up.”
I don’t want to let her down, and you should
not let her down either. There are
too many people that need help. Isn’t
that why these charities were set up in the first place?
Mr. Chairman, the American people have shown time
and time again that they are kind and generous.
Because of the unspeakable tragedy to my family on September 11th,
I now am forever grateful to be experiencing firsthand this kindness and
generosity. But, as I testified, it
has not been easy, and many are not getting the help they need.
I sincerely hope that this Committee will do everything it can to help
the thousands of suffering families across this Nation more quickly and more
easily receive the generosity that millions of Americans intended they receive.
Thank you. I
will happy to answer any questions the Committee may have.
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