9/11 First Responders Health Care Bill Signed Into Law By President Obama

HONOLULU — President Barack Obama said Sunday he was honored to sign a bill to provide aid to survivors of the Sept. 11 attacks and first responders who became ill working in the ruins at the World Trade Center.

"We will never forget the selfless courage demonstrated by the firefighters, police officers and first responders who risked their lives to save others," Obama said in a statement. "I believe this is a critical step for those who continue to bear the physical scars of those attacks."

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was named after a police officer who died of a respiratory disease he contracted during the 9/11 rescue operations. The bill was one of the last measures Congress passed before adjourning in December.

Some Republicans tried to block the measure, saying they were concerned with how to pay for the bill. They dropped their opposition after lawmakers struck a compromise to reduce the costs.

The $4.2 billion measure will be paid for with a fee on some foreign companies that get U.S. government procurement contracts.

"At long last, the President's signature has ended our nine-year struggle to address the 9/11 health crisis. The Zadroga law will save lives and fulfills our moral obligation to care for those who rose to the defense of America in a time of war," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.

"This is a great victory for the heroes of September 11th, the firefighters, police officers and construction workers. Justice is finally being served," added Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly hailed the passage of the bill. "The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were an attack on America by a foreign enemy and addressing its health impacts is a national duty," Bloomberg said.

There was no signing ceremony for the bill; Obama signed it privately at the rented oceanfront home in Hawaii where he's staying with his family.

White House spokesman Bill Burton said Obama had 10 days to sign the bill after its passage, a window that would have closed by the time the president returned to Washington Tuesday. Because the White House didn't receive the official bill until after Obama departed Washington Dec. 22, Burton said a staff member who was headed to Hawaii after the president carried it here for his signature.

Comments

[blindhog]

01:39 PM on 01/08/2011

I was watching a documentary about an event that happened on SEPTEMBER 11, 1973. I wonder if we are looking in the right direction when we look for who was behind the fateful event that these first responders became involved in.

[p456]

08:05 PM on 01/05/2011

This was long over due congratulations to the first responders and their families.

[expanse]

01:52 PM on 01/04/2011

So, the GOP opposed this bill due to cost, a bill which was in every way patriot. A bill in which we took care of those who risked their lives saving others on our worst day as a nation? Opposed by the GOP due to cost?

Yet,

The GOP had no problem holding up legislation so that millionaires and billionaires could receive all their costly and unneeded tax cuts????

What is wrong with us? Where was the OUTRAGE??? Where was the media to point out the hypocrisy? Oh, I forgot- the media is owned by those millionaires and billionaires and do their bidding.

If the GOP can do this and get away from it relatively unscathed then there is no limit to what they will attempt next.

[trweste144]

07:21 AM on 01/04/2011

I'm glad for this bill. However, had the health care reform act really succeeded, why would we even need this? Still, I'm glad to see the nation will pick up these guys medical tab. They're entitled to it. But I think we all should be.

[Kambriel2]

03:14 PM on 01/03/2011

Hooray!! About damn time!!!

[Mesaverde213]

01:45 PM on 01/03/2011

yay..NY gets a 7 billion dollar union slush fund...

[ArbitorA]

03:27 PM on 01/03/2011

Perhaps the next call to a first responder from you should be ignored to save money.

[roald]

04:01 PM on 01/03/2011

Why do you hate America?

[occa173]

07:13 PM on 01/03/2011

Because he loves money more then anything ...

[peachpage01]

01:07 PM on 01/03/2011

Meanwhile how many first responders died in the last 9 years because they weren't able to afford medical care. It looks like Bush was hoping for more casualties to justify his reasons for going to war, which is just sick. Glad to see this FINALLY signed.

[samuraifrog37]

09:26 PM on 01/03/2011

O.K....how many? How does it look like bush was hoping for more casualties? Time to make some sense.

[Iwpach]

12:14 PM on 01/03/2011

And all it took for the Party of Lincoln to get that rumps in gear was public ridicule by Jon Stewart.

[lizt]

12:02 PM on 01/03/2011

This article on President Obama signing the bill is a nice contrast to the other articles about what the Republicans are doing. Allen West claiming he hasn't learned anything, Issa starting his list of attacks and investigations upon President Obama, the GOP House & Constitutional battles, Palin's influence on an incoming GOPer. The Democrats and President Obama achieved a great deal. I notice how none of the articles on the GOP is talking about jobs and how to put America back to work.

[GunnyJ]

07:00 AM on 01/04/2011

Excellent point!

[AustinG]

11:56 AM on 01/03/2011

It was interesting to me to see the failure of this passing to be blamed on Republicans. Wouldn't it be the fault of Democrats whose original bill cost almost twice as much as the one that was passed? It was all that garbage that they attempted to put into the bill that delayed it. All sides say it was a good bill that was passed now. I mean if you attempted to load up a bill whose stated purpose was feeding the hungery with payouts to your special interests and other things could you honestly portray someone who voted against it as being against feeding the hungery? Wouldn't it be your fault for attempting to co-op feeding the hungery into something else?

[laila212]

02:52 PM on 01/03/2011

This was a stand alone bill. What garbage are you talking about? What was in the bill that provided payouts to special interests?

[AustinG]

03:07 PM on 01/03/2011

If it was a stand alone bill why did it change from 7.2 billion to 4.2 billion without anyone saying that anything of any substance was cut?

[laila212]

05:28 PM on 01/03/2011

And just to reiterate, as a sick responder who has been involved with this bill for years, I can tell you without a doubt who stalled the passage of this bill...and here's a little hint for you: they all have an "R" in front of their name.

[occa173]

07:18 PM on 01/03/2011

" I mean if you attempted to load up a bill whose stated purpose was feeding the hungery with payouts to your special interests and other things .."

By that are you referring to the Bail-out given to the corporations who brought this country into this state, where before you think about your own brothers and sisters, you think about your money ...

Anyone who was a first responder deserves to be shown this much honor like a veteran.
Even if a first responder had previous illness or problem, they should still be taken care off... this is one of the things these insurance companies used against a lot of first responders.

[ambrecel]

10:59 AM on 01/03/2011

Great way to start the new year.

[Arrech]

09:03 AM on 01/03/2011

9 years after.

This country is morally bankrupt.

[Boor123]

10:14 AM on 01/03/2011

Faved. Should've happenend 9/12/2001.

[eddw88]

11:32 AM on 01/03/2011

The Democrats have tried to bring this request up over, and over, and over again with the republicans blocking the measure every time. Why don't you place the blame where it belongs instead of painting our entire government with the same brush??

[mom72]

09:00 AM on 01/03/2011

Let it NEVER be forgotten that the Republicans BLOCKED this bill after using the tradegy of 9 11 for the past 9 years!!
Let it NEVER be forgotten that the Republicans BLOCKED this bill because they didn't want it to add to the deficit after demanding that the wealthiest 2% of the country got tax breaks adding 400 billion to the deficit.
Let it NEVER be forgotten that the Republicans BLOCKED this bill until the tax matter for the rich was dealth with first.
Let it NEVER be forgotten that this bill was SIGNED by a Democrat in the White House by a President who asked to get this done for the past two years!
Let it NEVER be forgotten that when it comes to the appreciation for what these men and women did for America had to wait 9 years for the Democrats to have a majority to all vote yes and for a President who is a Democrat to encourage congress to get it done EVEN though this horrible thing happened under a Republican President and a Republican majority who did nothing more then use this tradegy for their own political gain!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cole 33]

09:37 AM on 01/03/2011

Also let it not be forgotten that the media said virtually NOTHING about it, and it took a comedian on comedy central to give it the attention it deserves and for pointing out that not only our government, but our "news" people aren't doing their jobs.

[eddw88]

11:34 AM on 01/03/2011

The republicans blocked the Bill the last few times because it was designed to be paid for by eliminating tax breaks for companies hiding their wealth overseas and filing zero income.

[syllepsis]

08:57 AM on 01/03/2011

Thank you, President Obama and all members of Congress who supported this bill.

[hopeisalive]

08:54 AM on 01/03/2011

Hard to believe that it has been going on ten years since that awful day. It is also hard to believe that the legislators worried about paying for this bill, but didn't worry about paying for the tax cuts which has a much bigger price tag.

[justobserve]

09:14 AM on 01/03/2011

Yes, it just made me shake my head in disgust and my heart aches for these people, especially when they, the bill's opponents, demanded the tax cuts for the wealthies without the usual question "where's the money?"

[eddw88]

11:36 AM on 01/03/2011

Say who they are, "REPUBLICANS!"