Posted: Monday, 26 July 2010 5:07PM
Congressional Move Dampens 9/11 Responders Hope for Federal Medical Aid
Tom Mongelli Reporting
Advocates for long-sought federal funding to help ailing 9/11 first responders pay their bills now must mobilize against yet another challenge.This time, they seek your help to overcome it.
Many emergency and rescue workers who voluntarily rushed to Ground Zero after the terrorist attacks in New York are suffering from lingering, debilitating and life-threatening illnesses that they trace to the toxins they inhaled in the first weeks of salvage and recovery. HR 847, the James Zadroga Health Compensation Bill, is designed to set aside billions of dollars to help them pay medical bills that have stretched far beyond the ability of many of them to pay.
The measure is scheduled to be taken up by the full House of Representatives this week. On Monday, Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the House Majority Whip, designated the measure to be considered as a suspension bill instead of a regular bill.
Suspension of rules is a policy usually reserved for non-controversial bills about which little or no opposition is expected, and can be called on either a Monday or Tuesday, or within the last six days of a Congressional cycle. They require a larger number of "aye" votes to achieve passage than legislation posted on the regular agenda. Why Hoyer chose this path for HR 847 is a mystery to advocates including members of the New York-based Fealgood Foundation.
"This is our last chance to get HR 847 passed," says Charles Giles of Barnegat, a former New York first responder who traces his work at the World Trade Center disaster to the diseases that now keep him bedridden. "We have no indication why Representative Hoyer would even think of putting it on as a suspension bill."
One thing of which Giles is sure - lives hang in the balance. "As a regular bill, we would only need 240 votes," says Giles. "As a suspension bill, we would need over 300 votes."
The worst case scenario is defeat in the House. The best case would be tabling while advocates lobby for the remaining votes. But Giles contends that he and many of his comrades don't have the kind of time that would be needed, and he's trying to avoid the impression that it's a calculated move by the Maryland Democrat.
Giles is urging everyone with an interest in seeing it passed to take action. "Call Representative Hoyer...and [ask him to] please put HR 847 on the floor as a regular bill, and not a suspension bill," says Giles.
Neither Representative Hoyer nor his aides in his legislative office or the House Majority Leader office would respond to WOBM's calls, faxes or e-mails seeking comment.
The Congressman's Washington office can be reached at 202-225-4131.
Copyright 2010 - 92.7 WOBM News. All rights reserved.
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