U.S. Senate Introduces Zadroga Bill Covering Post-9/11 Health Aid

CHARLES E. SCHUMER: 'Heroes need our help.'

A bill that would secure permanent Federal funding for medical monitoring and treatment for 9/11 responders who have become ill or injured from working at Ground Zero was introduced in the U.S. Senate June 24.

Standing with the U.S. House of Representative sponsors of the James Zadroga Act, Mayor Bloomberg and union officials, the four Senators from New York and New Jersey announced the move. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand introduced the bill with co-sponsors Charles E. Schumer, Frank R. Lautenberg and Robert Menendez. Senator Gillibrand said in a statement, "Today we are taking a major step toward fulfilling our obligation, but we have a lot of work left to do."

'9/11's Effects Still Felt'

"Though the dust has settled and the ruins of the 9/11 attacks have been cleared away, the physical effects of the attack are still being felt," Senator Schumer said in a statement. "The first responders who made it home safely that day are still, nearly eight years later, suffering from medical conditions resulting from the dust they breathed in as they helped rescue countless victims. Our heroes are sick and looking to government at all levels for some much-needed answers. This legislation is a promise that we will not abandon the thousands that gave so much."

John Ahern, president of the AFLCIO New York City Central Labor Council, added, "Construction crews and cranes are in downtown Manhattan each and every day rebuilding our city. Now, we must rebuild the health of those courageous heroes who seized the moment and prevented even more lives from being lost."

Mayor Bloomberg last year abruptly withdrew his support of the Zadroga Act, saying that while the city's stated cost was to be $500 million, a lack of city oversight of the medical monitoring and treatment programs could raise the tab by $350 million. A statement announcing the Senate bill said, "The City of New York would be required to contribute a 20-percent matching cost share of the community health program, but will not exceed $250 million over 10 years."

The Zadroga Act failed to come to a full vote in the House in October after Congress turned its focus to the economic crash. U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney reintroduced the bill, which would also cover lower Manhattan residents and students in the area.

Lawmakers and union officials have said that thousand of workers and residents currently suffer from respiratory ailments and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of working and living at and near the World Trade Center site.