Ayanna Pressley

Survivors of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein could potentially see compensation from the federal government.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., on Sept. 15 unveiled her new bill that would establish a restitution fund to give money to victims of sex offender Epstein and other abusers.

Called the Survivors Rights Restitution Act, the bill would establish a program that provides compensation to victims of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell for harms and losses associated with the assault. Other survivors could qualify if they prove that the federal government failed to protect them under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Pressley said that sexual assault survivors don't just suffer physical and emotional trauma, but also a financial burden as the trauma can take victims away from work or cause them to incur medical debt.

A 2017 study by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the lifetime cost of rape was $122,461 per victim.

“The harm of sexual violence is incalculable. It is impossible to truly quantify the lived harm and lifetime impact,” Pressley said. “But we have amoral obligation as people as humans and as policy makers to help free survivors from the bounds of their trauma and financial relief, that does not get nearly the attention and focus that it deserves, is an essential piece of that puzzle.”

Pressley said that in addition to the monetary compensation, they will continue fighting for the release of all the Epstein files. She expressed optimism about getting Republicans on board with her bill, but also said that they are “working hard” to get a Democratic majority in Congress in the upcoming midterm elections so that they can use their power in the Oversight Committee to issue subpoenas on abusers.