Republicans block 9/11 health bill

The 9/11 health bill foundered its first test in the Senate

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/154777.html


Republican Senators have blocked Democratic legislation seeking to provide medical care for Ground Zero workers and people living near the site that have fallen ill.

The $7.4 billion health bill, which would provide medical treatment for thousands of first responders and residents who became ill after 9/11 attacks in 2001, needed 60 votes for passage in the Senate, but it could garner 57 voted, with 42 against the motion, The New York Timesreported on Thursday.

Republicans, who were among majority of opponents, have vowed to delay all legislations until after Congress approves tax cut extensions and a government funding measure.

Earlier on Tuesday, US President Barack Obama agreed to keep all of the Bush-era tax cuts for another two years in a bid to resolve differences with Republicans in Congress.

This is while some Democrats have expressed their fury over the generous deal for the wealthy, saying it represents a climb-down by Obama.

Meanwhile, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who has sponsored the bill on behalf of Democrats, fumed over the rebuttal of the bill, adding that "The idea that tax cuts for millionaires would derail this legislation is simply outrageous and offensive."

"The men and women, who rushed to the burning towers and worked for hundreds of hours on the pile, did not delay and the Senate should not have delayed either, certainly not to give tax breaks for millionaires. We should not have to wait for tax deals to do what's right," Gillibrand said in a statement.

The 9/11 health bill, better known as the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, was approved by the House of Representatives in September.

Under the bill, $3.2 billion has been earmarked over the next eight years in order to monitor and treat injuries that people sustained due to exposure to toxic dust and debris at ground zero.

The bill also allocates $4.2 billion to compensate for job and economic losses as there are nearly 60,000 people, who have enrolled in health monitoring and treatment programs related to the 9/11 attacks.