9-11, hypocrisy, exploitation, and media silence

What's in the bill?

Read it:

Read The Bill: H.R. 847 - GovTrack.us

It provides health screening and care for responders and survivors.

I have not heard the GOP say what their objection is, except for the cost.

They've offered no amendments.

Back in July, they called it " a job-killing growth of government that wou;d create a new entitlement and waste taxpayer dollars. ".

Ah, that magic phrase - "job killer".

It is to be funded via a tax on corporations who use overseas tax havens. I guess that's why the GOP figured it would kill jobs - in the Caymans.

Read it:

Read The Bill: H.R. 847 - GovTrack.us

It provides health screening and care for responders and survivors.

I have not heard the GOP say what their objection is, except for the cost.

They've offered no amendments.

Back in July, they called it " a job-killing growth of government that wou;d create a new entitlement and waste taxpayer dollars. ".

Ah, that magic phrase - "job killer".

It is to be funded via a tax on corporations who use overseas tax havens. I guess that's why the GOP figured it would kill jobs - in the Caymans.

Good lord, all that just to help some folks pay their medical bills? 😱 Just enroll them all in a federal health plan. This bill is an example of what's wrong with Washington.

OK, so where's that proposal? The GOP has been stonewalling on this for two years. Makes them look like assh***s when they could look like heroes.

I cannot understand why people who have to go out and beg for votes are so completely stone deaf to what the voters would approve of.

Oh, wait, that's right - they don't need the voters approval anymore, they just need campaign funding to put pretty ads and tough words in front of couch potatoes who can't be bothered to actually think about anything anymore.

(And I am not picking on the GOP here - this is a bipartisan issue, no team is better than the others on this)

The really deeply bitter part of me says that the GOP attitude on this is because this is a New York issue, and New York votes for the other team.

OK, so where's that proposal? The GOP has been stonewalling on this for two years. Makes them look like assh***s when they could look like heroes.

Well, remember, dems have been in control of all the committees, so they've had control over bill authorship and what ultimately gets to the floor for consideration. Republicans then can only offer amendments. There may well be a republican proposal out there that never got to the floor. Next year this will change.

I'd say push the first responders thing off a few weeks and see what comes out of the House as a replacement.

look no further than the recent supremely conservative court ruling allowing unlimited corporate funding of their dc weasels.

Well, remember, dems have been in control of all the committees, so they've had control over bill authorship and what ultimately gets to the floor for consideration. Republicans then can only offer amendments. There may well be a republican proposal out there that never got to the floor. Next year this will change.

I'd say push the first responders thing off a few weeks and see what comes out of the House as a replacement.

You may be right, but holy cow, what a way to run the country.

Good lord, all that just to help some folks pay their medical bills? 😱 Just enroll them all in a federal health plan. This bill is an example of what's wrong with Washington.

I agree with your last sentence.

This isn't just to help "some folks pay their medical bills," it's to help 9-11 responders who were exposed to incredibly unhealthy conditions and are having massive health problems as a result.

It's funded, it's the right thing to do, and they don't have the basic decency to pass it.

I agree with your last sentence.

This isn't just to help "some folks pay their medical bills," it's to help 9-11 responders who were exposed to incredibly unhealthy conditions and are having massive health problems as a result.

It's funded, it's the right thing to do, and they don't have the basic decency to pass it.

If these folks are running into health problems and their public service health benefits aren't covering things, I'm fine with helping them out. But did you read that bill? With all the systems and departments we have in place now we can't accommodate these folks with what we have? I sense an ulterior motive here. That bill seems rather large and complicated for accomplishing what seems rather simple to me.

I think I 'm beginning to understand why this is so expensive. This doesn't just cover the firefighters and police, it would cover pretty much anyone living or working in downtown New York City over a period of two years after the disaster.

I wonder what Mango thinks about this. Mango, any thoughts?

See SEC. 3321

Oh, and they get free psychiatric care too!

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Jon Stewart speaks with some of the 9-11 responders who are having health issues and with Mike Huckabee:
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December 16, 2010 - Mike Huckabee - The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - Full Episode Video | Comedy Central


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Why is this a federal issue? This is an issue for the New York legislature. Seems like this bill is like dropping atom bombs on spear chunkers. Overkill.

Why is this a federal issue? This is an issue for the New York legislature. Seems like this bill is like dropping atom bombs on spear chunkers. Overkill.

Many of the responders after the initial couple of days were associated with the Feds. Ie: DMORT, DMAT, etc. Most of these folks have full times jobs and work on the federal level in disaster response as necessary. (similar to the natl.guard except they don't get paid for training, only for deployment) The issue has been that the feds haven't been supportive in dealing with any chronic issue that "may" be associated with their exposure at ground zero and their medical coverage from their full time jobs have been pushing back against covering the expenses. In the best scenario, the responder is having to cover a significant amount of out of pocket expenses....deductibles, max's...etc.

BTW...several of YOUR local FL-1 DMAT personnel fall under this issue. They have done nothing but volunteer countless hours for years to protect the GOM states during hurricanes, respond to earthquakes in Haiti, support major federal events and spent several weeks at Ground Zero. This is definitely an issue that needs to take the politricks out of it and get it resolved.....

Don't federal employees already have healthcare? If it's an issue of coverage, make sure they have it obviously. I'm sure there are folks out there who aren't federal employees who had a hand in the cleanup effort, I think they could be given access to federal health care coverage as well. I also don't mind the research parts of this bill since that will benefit the general public. But free healthcare for all the people who lived, worked or simply wandered through down town New York over a two year period after the attack? That seems over the top and I'd bet it represents the vast majority of the cost.

We must remember these workers were falsely told by the EPA the air was safe to breath.

9-11 Research: Ground Zero Hazards

The federal "coverage" is a joke to non-FT fed personnel. They are only covered while on duty and for a very,very brief time after they are decom'd from an event. Until two years ago if you were injured while working for the feds your w/c was based on the fed salary for the year NOT your FT job's salary. In other words....screwed.

Regarding this issue, the feds and other insurers are very slow to make a "determination" IF the illness is "potentially" related to ground zero. I know of a mid-40 y/o Paramedic (not locally) who worked in NY at that time and stayed at the site for nearly 3 months. 7 years ago he left NY for South Florida. The same year he developed "emphysema type" respiratory issues. He is a non-drinker, non-smoker, grew up in a non-smoking environment, no other medical hx and/or family respiratory illness history. Since his onset, he has paid out a significant amount of his own money for tx, fighting the City of NY, State of NY, Feds and his insurer every step.

Isn't there some way of scaring everyone into passing this bill -the same way 9-11 was used to scare us into passing all kinds of other crap?