With the 13th anniversary of September 11th coming up this week, there’s a renewed push to extend the Zadroga Act before it expires.
On Monday, a coalition including the mayor, labor and community leaders, and members of New York’s congressional delegation gathered outside the World Trade Center site to push for a 25-year extension of the bill.
The act provides health care and compensation to first responders and survivors of the terror attacks.
Two thousand fifty-three people died in the attacks, and the death toll of those sickened in the aftermath continues to mount. At least 70 firefighters and 60 New York City Police Department personnel have died. More than 30,000 September 11 responders and survivors have an illness or injury resulting from the aftermath, and more than 2,900 have cancers caused or made worse by toxins.
“We lost hundreds and hundreds of devoted public servants that terrible day. We lost thousands of civilians. And then, we started losing more,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The act was passed in 2010, but the health component is set to expire next October and the compensation program runs out in October 2016.
“The bill will expire in 2016, but their illnesses are not going to expire,” said Rep. Carlyn Maloney, whose district covers parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
People NY1 spoke with said the program should continue.
“It’s a bad idea to stop it after next year they should keep going, I mean unfortunately I know a lot of people that came down here for the few weeks and helped out and now they’re not feeling well so they should help those people out as much as they can,” said one New Yorker.
“I do know someone who is a 911 worker, and he’s had health issues so I’m all for it,” said another New Yorker.
The bill will require bipartisan support.
“This is not a Republican issue. It’s not a Democratic issue. This is an American issue,” said Rep. Peter King, whose district covers parts Long Island.
“These heroes should be treated no differently than our men and women who wear the uniform because they, too, answered the call of duty when our nation asked,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Officials said more than $ 1 billion has been spent so far on the program. There is no price tag on reauthorization, but advocates warned many more may yet fall ill.
“The people who are now getting treated must continue to get treated. The people who have not yet been diagnosed but will be diagnosed must not be left hanging,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler of Manhattan.
The Zadroga Act passed only after a tough fight in Congress, with many Republicans expressing concerns about the bill’s cost. The outlook for a reauthorization bill in a still-gridlocked Congress is unclear, but New York representatives said they plan to introduce the legislation later this month.
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