Kelly, Police Unions Lobby Congress On Post-9/11 Ills Aid

Kelly, Police Unions Lobby Congress On Post-9/11 Ills Aid


Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and representatives from the city's law-enforcement unions met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. May 20, urging them to pass a bill ensuring medical treatment and compensation to anyone exposed to toxins in the aftermath of 9/11.

ROY T. RICHTER: Show they're not forgotten.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act is named after Det. James Zadroga, who died in 2006 at the age of 34 from respiratory illness caused by inhaling toxic air during the hundreds of hours he spent working in post-9/11 recovery and clean-up efforts. It would guarantee anyone exposed to Ground Zero toxins the right to be medically monitored and the right to medical treatment for those who are ill because of that exposure.

Would Reopen Victims Fund

It also would re-open the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund to cover economic damages and losses for individuals who filed after the original deadline of Dec. 22, 2003.

The bipartisan bill was introduced in 2007 by Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Vito Fossella, and now has 100 co-sponsors, said a spokesman for Congressman Nadler. The New York City contingent lobbied a group of fiscally conservative Democrats, hoping to gain their support.

RAYMOND W. KELLY: 'An extraordinary cause.'

"It's not often I have the opportunity to join together with members of every police union in a meeting like this one," said Mr. Kelly, addressing his audience. "It's pretty extraordinary, but so is the cause we're here to discuss with you today."

Because of its scope, the bill if approved would cost the Federal Government a potentially huge amount.

A Large Pool Outside New York

According to the Federally-funded World Trade Center Health Registry, "people from all 50 states and nearly every Congressional district in the country were in lower Manhattan on or after 9/11 and now have serious concerns about their health. In all, more than 10,000 people enrolled in the Registry live outside the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut." Mr. Kelly argued that the money should be made available through the designation of "emergency spending" funds, in the same way billions of dollars were made available immediately after the 9/11 attack and disasters like Hurricane Katrina.

Although the lawmakers did not commit to supporting the bill, the trip was considered successful. "We were given a very warm reception," said Lou Matarazzo, the legislative director for the Detectives' Endowment Association. "The Commissioner got two standing ovations."

"It's critical that the government and the nation address this issue with some type of long-term program," said Thomas Sullivan, first vice-president of the Lieutenants Benevolent Association, during a May 22 phone interview. "This is not just about New York City, it's a national responsibility. It's a national disaster," he said.

Roy T. Richter, president of the Captains Endowment Association summed it up this way: "We had T-shirts made after 9/11 - they were everywhere. They said 'Gone But Not Forgotten.' This bill ensures that victims, all victims and future victims will not be forgotten."