Statement from Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act on Speaker Boehner’s reported opposition to the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act

Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act released the following statement upon the press report in the NY Daily News that the Speaker of the House is opposed to the legislation to reauthorize the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, HR 1786.

“After Speaker Boehner’s visit to the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum to pay his respects to the victims of the attacks, the Speaker would have been wise to have also met with 9/11 responders, survivors, and their families.

“If he had, he would have learned that thousands of responders, who came to the aid of fellow Americans, and indeed the nation, are still ill, many seriously ill disabling conditions caused by exposure to the toxins at Ground Zero. Some are dying from that exposure now almost 14 years later. Congress–Republicans and Democrats–recognized this and did something about it about 5 years ago, but the law is set to expire.

“Now there is a bipartisan coalition behind an effort to reauthorize what Republicans and Democrats did together to help injured and ill responders and survivors.

“If Congress under Speaker Boehner’s leadership is about bipartisanship, then maybe the Speaker should re-evaluate what his spokesman said about him not supporting a bill that sets things right for 9/11 responders and survivors from 429 of the 435 districts of the House of Representatives, including his own.”

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