September 15, 2010– IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger urged the U.S. House of Representatives to pass H.R. 847, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.
The bill would provide funding for existing medical monitoring and treatment programs for people who were at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, or involved with the cleanup at Ground Zero who have suffered illnesses from the toxic dust and debris.
“The fact is that 9/11 is still claiming lives. We cannot afford to ignore those who continue to suffer from the injuries inflicted on the living victims of the worst domestic terrorist attack in our nation’s history,” said Schaitberger. “They deserve to be treated with dignity. They deserve access to medical care. This is about providing justice to people who have suffered injustice for too long.”
Schaitberger spoke at a press conference on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol surrounded by lawmakers. Steve Cassidy, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association Local 94, Richard Alles, federal legislative director of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association Local 854, and numerous FDNY fire fighters and fire officers also attended.
U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), a co-sponsor of the bill, said the House is expected to vote on the measure next week. U.S. Representatives Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Peter King (R-NY), co-sponsors of the legislation, also attended the press conference.
The House took up the measure on July 29 under suspension off the rules. The bill received 255 votes. Even though it received votes from a majority of House members, it fell short of passage. Because the measure was taken up under suspension of the rules, the bill needed to be approved by two-thirds of the House membership.
“I don’t care about the last vote or all the finger pointing or controversy surrounding it. I care about the next vote. I care about the vote next week, and nine years after 9/11 it’s time for Congress to take a straight up or down vote on the bill,” Schaitberger said. “The living victims of 9/11 have been through enough and it is our duty, it is our responsibility, it is our moral obligation to help them in any way we can, while we still can, and the way to do that is by passing the Zadroga bill next week.”
