Congress Turns Its Back On 9/11 Heroes
Last month was the 14-year-anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. When the towers fell, millions of tons of cement, steel, burning jet fuel, melted plastic, and other synthetic materials were pulverized and mixed together like a massive blender, raining down on the streets of Manhattan. Hundreds of New York City firefighters and police officers were still inside the buildings when they collapsed.
On September 13, 2001, the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) Administrator at the time, Christine Todd Whitman stated in a press conference at ground zero that the air at Ground Zero did not pose a health hazard; a statement which turned out to be devastatingly wrong.
In the years following 9/11, thousands of citizens, firefighters, police officers, and other volunteers have become ill with various cancers and respiratory diseases that have been directly attributed to toxin exposure at ground zero. It wasn’t until January of 2011 that President Obama signed the James Zadroga Health & Compensation Act into law. Congress’s H.R. 1786 bill was named after NYPD Officer James Zadroga, who died of a respiratory disease developed after participating in the search and rescue effort at ground zero.
Here are some staggering numbers to give you an idea of how many people rely on the Zadroga Act. There are 63,000 9/11 responders receiving medical monitoring to safeguard against future illness. There are 8,942 injured 9/11 survivors receiving medical care for their injuries through the World Trade Center Health Program. Over 2,000 active duty firefighters and over 550 NYC police officers have had to retire since 9/11 due to various injuries sustained on that day or from illnesses developed since. More that 4,166 responders and citizens have been certified to have 9/11 related cancer, 1,100 of which are New York City fire and EMS personnel. Over 85 New York City police officers and 110 firefighters have reportedly died due to 9/11 injuries and illnesses, and more will come. If these numbers seem too many to be true, remember this: there were thousands of people at the WTC and Pentagon who escaped death on 9/11, but were still exposed to millions of tons of pulverized and burning chemicals. The workers at ground zero were exposed to these chemicals for days, weeks, and months.
Depressed yet? It only gets worse.
On September 16th, supporters and advocates including former Daily Show host Jon Stewart gathered on Capitol Hill in Washington to call on congress to renew the Zadroga Act and extend benefits for 9/11 resonders and victims. The deadline to extend the Zadroga Act was set at October 1st (2016). What happened? You guessed it. Our patriotic members of congress tucked tale and bailed allowing the Zadroga Act to expire, and giving victims of 9/11 only a year left of healthcare coverage for 9/11 illnesses and injuries, many of which have been far more deadly than the tragedy that occurred 14 years ago. It’s little consolation to those suffering that the remaining funds left to care for thousands who depend on it will only last till September of 2016.
I wish I could leave politics out of this issue, because caring for those that sacrificed so much that day is not an issue of right or left, but right or wrong. However, the truth is that for years leading up to the October 1st renewal deadline, Republicans in congress were skeptical of the Zadroga Act due to the large scale funding needed to care for those affected. In fact, high profile Republicans such as former vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) voted twice against the bill and opposed its final passing. Former Senate majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), former speaker of the house John Boehner (R-Ohio) also voted against it. The original bill only passed unanimously after Republicans cut the funding from $7.4 billion to $4.3 billion; and shortened the time frame of the coverage to 6 years (unfortunately there’s not a 6 year term limit for cancer).
How can this be? Republicans are the first to support military action against our nation’s threats, yet those who were the first to be affected by terrorism fail to keep their attention. Republicans are also staunch pro-life supporters, but what about the lives of those who faced our nation’s most unprecedented tragedy in the streets of New York City that day? Most ironic of all, it’s republicans who often question the patriotism of those on the left. Although I’m not a republican, I’ve found myself questioning the logic of those on the left on certain issues too. But if republicans like those that have dragged their feet when it comes to this bill want to tout themselves as patriots, they better walk the walk. If they need an example of patriotism, refer back to the months that physically and emotionally damaged firefighters, police officers, and volunteers spent on that pile digging for survivors and remains.
Being a former Firefighter/EMT myself, I look up to the men and women who were the first to answer our nation’s call for help that day. They were first put in harms way by those who attacked us, then by our government who assured them the air they were breathing was relatively safe. Now for a 3rd time, they have been put in harms way by those they voted into power in Washington. The public opinion and the media are two of the biggest influences on our elected officials. Spreading the word of specific congressional failures and pressuring them to make their wrongs right again isn’t something we should take lightly.
Here’s What You Can Do
The Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act is an organization dedicated to ensuring healthcare and compensation for not only the heroic men and women who responded to the attacks on 9/11/01, but also the everyday citizens. Their website ( http://www.renew911health.org/ ) has excellent tools to help in the effort to get this bill renewed and to take care of our nations 9/11 first responders. Visit the renew911health.org website, use the ‘Take Action’ tool to find out if your local representative has signed on as co-sponsor of the bill. If they haven't, urge them to with a direct email or letter. If they have, thank them for their support.
Join Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act: http://www.renew911health.org/
Fact Sheet on Statistics on the 911 Health Crisis: http://www.renew911health.org/one-page-summary-of-statistics-on-the-911-health-crisis-2/
Take Action: Urge Your member of Congress to Sponsor the 9/11 Health Bill: http://www.renew911health.org/take-action/take-action-contact-your-members-of-congress/
Members of Congress who voted against the original Zadroga Act: http://whovotedagainst911healthbill.tumblr.com/
