The Ground Zero heroes won. Not exactly with a bang, but a quick voice vote and a mumbled announcement by Vice President Joe Biden that the ayes had it.
After weeks -- years -- of sound and fury, it was a welcome finale. The Senate Republicans had been shamed into giving up their opposition to a bill that would provide health care and economic support to the men and women who became ill due to their work on rescue and clean-up after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
They weren't happy about it. "We owe it to the American people to be accountable on how we spend money," grumbled Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina. But it was done.
"The Christmas miracle we've been looking for has arrived," Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement.
"We nearly gave up last night," Schumer said. "We thought it had all fallen apart."
But this morning, GOP Sen. Tom Coburn, the man who had threatened to scuttle the bill, gave way. The gloomy obstetrician from Oklahoma and his conservative homeboys did manage to reduce the size and scope of the legislation. But in the end, the party of flag-wavers just couldn't stand the pressure of being on the wrong side of an emotional national issue like Sept 11.
Among the people who should be particularly proud of the bill's passage is Jon Stewart, who devoted his last show of 2010 to a brilliant half-hour rant against the Republican obstructionist, leading to a cascade of new national stories about the stalled bill.
And then there's Gillibrand. New Yorkers have barely gotten to know Hillary Clinton's replacement. She was appointed to the job in the clumsiest and most embarrassing manner possible, and although she won election in her own right last month, given the quality of the Republican opposition you couldn't call it a popular uprising of support.
But during the lame duck session she's really come into her own. Her work to get rid of Don't Ask Don't Tell was tireless and passionate. Her fight for the Ground Zero workers was a thing of beauty.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Senator. You deserve it.
This gets a big eye roll from me. I am glad that this passed but unhappy with the watering down.
In addition, certain workers, students and residents who were exposed to the toxins are eligible for screening and health benefits. Some of the worst toxic exposure happened in the "cloud" when the two buildings came down exposing anyone who happened to be in the area to a toxic cloud that doctors have compared to swallowing Drano.
If you read the bill, you will see that New York City is responsible for 10% of the total cost of the bill.
UNBELIEVABLE.
Republicans gleefully vote for pork-e.n.g.o.r.g.e.d. defense budgets, and help shovel BILLIONS dollars into the coffers of corrupt, borderline illegal companies such as Blackwater, Bechtel and Halliburton...
...but a relatively modest amount of money for the people who committed an act of almost unimaginable bravery? NOW they get stingy and talk about accountability.
"Sociopathy" is the only term that comes to mind.
This race by the "republicans" to be the meanest and baddest, has to end. For the good of our society. For our honor as a decent nation.
I agree with everyone thing else you said.
The Dems should have sucked it up and stood their ground even if they had to change their travel plans on Christmas. The Dems have to go "all in" when they have the moral high ground and let the Repubs know that they are willing to do so.
How about Coburn's insistence that lawyers get no more than 10% of the final amount? Was that an evil provision that only a cruel and gloomy man could have insisted on?
Do Conservatives even have souls?
As I posted yesterday: to everyone who has tried to denigrate the responders and survivors of 9/11 as free loading scammers who are looking for hand outs...God have mercy on their souls...but that's impossible when you're speaking of the soulless
Did the NYFD union have a scam for an insurance plan? Why not simply make the 9/11 responders eligible for VA benefits, like all the other heroes? Will Sarah Palin's parents get a check for working in the clean-up?
So many questions, so little actual reporting. After reading a dozen articles, I still have no clue whatsoever whether this is a good idea or not.
http://maloney.house.gov/documents/911recovery/2010_0725_4page_Summary_HR847.pdf
http://maloney.house.gov/documents/911recovery/2010_0724_QA_HR847.pdf
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/deal-for-911-health-bill-reached-in-senate/?ref=politics
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.847: For the bill text.
". The legislation also sets aside $2.5 billion to reopen the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund for five years to provide payment for job and economic losses.
An additional provision allows for money from the Compensation Fund to be paid to any eligible claimant who receives a payment under the settlement of lawsuits that 10,000 rescue and cleanup workers recently reached with New York. Currently, those who receive a settlement are limited in how much compensation they can get from the fund, according to the bill’s sponsors.
There are nearly 60,000 people enrolled in health-monitoring and treatment programs related to the 9/11 attacks, according to the bill’s sponsors"
Each billion dollars means $16,000 per person assuming 60,000 people.