"Republican senators had blocked a more expensive House version from coming to the floor of the Senate for a vote. In recent days, Republican senators had been under fire for their opposition to the legislation."
They did indeed back down, matie. On 12/22/10, GregfromBoston <[email protected]> wrote: > A unanmimous senate and a 3 to 1 House isn't backing down, mate. The > last thing to pass so dramatically was called the Patriot Act. > > On Dec 22, 10:35 pm, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: >> Senate Passes 9/11 Health Bill as Republicans Back Down >> >> Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times >> Wendy Flammia with a photo of her friend Jenn McNamara’s husband, John >> McNamara, a New York City firefighter and 9/11 responder who later >> died of cancer, at a news conference Wednesday on Capitol Hill. >> >> By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ >> Published: December 22, 2010 >> Twitter >> Sign In to E-Mail >> >> Print >> >> Reprints >> >> Share >> CloseLinkedinDiggMixxMySpaceYahoo! BuzzPermalink WASHINGTON — After >> years of fierce lobbying and debate, Congress approved a bill on >> Wednesday to cover the cost of medical care for rescue workers and >> others who became sick from toxic fumes, dust and smoke after the 2001 >> attack on the World Trade Center. >> >> Related >> Post a Comment >> The House Vote >> The Caucus: G.O.P. Finds Itself in a Corner Over 9/11 Bill Stance >> (December 22, 2010) >> 9/11 Health Bill Wins Support From G.O.P. (December 19, 2010) >> Times Topic: 9/11 Health and Environmental IssuesThe $4.3 billion bill >> cleared its biggest hurdle early in the afternoon when the Senate >> unexpectedly approved it just 12 days after Republican senators had >> blocked a more expensive House version from coming to the floor of the >> Senate for a vote. >> >> In recent days, Republican senators had been under fire for their >> opposition to the legislation. >> >> The House quickly passed the Senate bill a few hours later, as was >> widely expected. The vote was 206 to 60, breaking down largely along >> party lines. The White House said President Obama would sign the bill >> into law. >> >> After the Senate vote, a celebration broke out in a room in the >> Capitol that was packed with emergency workers and 9/11 families, as >> well as the two senators from New York, Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten >> E. Gillibrand, and the two senators from New Jersey, Frank R. >> Lautenberg and Robert Menendez. The senators, all Democrats, were >> greeted with a huge ovation and repeated chants of “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” >> >> Mr. Schumer, the state’s senior senator, allowed Ms. Gillibrand to >> address the group first, in apparent deference to the role she took in >> the Senate on the 9/11 legislation. >> >> “Our Christmas miracle has arrived,” she said to applause and cheers. >> >> “To the firefighters here, the police officers here, everyone involved >> in the recovery, all the volunteers, the family members: Thank you!” >> she continued. “It was your work, it was your heroism, it was your >> dedication that made the difference. It was your effort, coming here >> week after week to tell senators and Congress members about your >> stories and what you went through.” >> >> The votes came after prolonged aggressive lobbying by top New York >> officials and lawmakers, police and firefighter groups and 9/11 >> families, who argued that the nation had a moral obligation to provide >> medical assistance to rescue workers who spent days, weeks and even >> months at ground zero. >> >> In a reminder of the bill’s long road to passage, Secretary of State >> Hillary Rodham Clinton, who sponsored the legislation when she >> represented New York in the Senate, was coincidentally at the Capitol >> on Wednesday for a Senate vote on ratification of the New Start treaty >> >> The 9/11 health measure calls for providing $1.8 billion over the next >> five years to monitor and treat injuries stemming from exposure to >> toxic dust and debris at ground zero; New York City would pay 10 >> percent of these costs. >> >> There are nearly 60,000 people enrolled in health-monitoring and >> treatment programs related to the 9/11 attack. The federal government >> currently provides the bulk of the financing for these programs. >> >> The legislation adopted on Wednesday 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. >> >> In a statement released by City Hall, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg >> hailed the passage of the legislation, saying it “affirms our nation’s >> commitment to protecting those who protect us all.” >> >> The bill was adopted during a flurry of activity as lawmakers rushed >> to adjourn for the year. It was a major turn of events since the bill >> appeared to have fallen victim to partisan squabbling and rancor. >> >> In September, after years of negotiation and debate, the House passed >> legislation that called for providing $7.4 billion over eight years to >> cover the medical care of 9/11 rescue workers and others. But this >> month, Republicans derailed that legislation in the Senate, expressing >> concern about its cost. >> >> By Wednesday, Senate Republicans budged, following a barrage of >> criticism over the last few days — not just from Democrats, but also >> from allies, including former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York >> and conservative news outlets like Fox News. The 9/11 health care >> issue also became a cause of Jon Stewart, who used the platform of his >> program, “The Daily Show,” to bring national attention to the bill. >> >> Before agreeing to lift their opposition, Senate Republicans managed >> to get Democrats to scale back the size of the original House bill. >> >> The Senate adopted the legislation by a voice vote, eliminating the >> need for a recorded vote, as lawmakers rushed to bring the >> Congressional session to a close. >> >> One of the main critics of the original House bill, Senator Tom >> Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, expressed satisfaction with the >> legislation’s final cost. >> >> “Every American recognizes the heroism of the 9/11 first responders,” >> Mr. Coburn said. “But it is not compassionate to help one group while >> robbing future generations of opportunity.” >> >> Still, the acrimonious fight over the 9/11 legislation appeared to >> leave Republicans on the defensive and concerned that their party had >> been unfairly demonized for raising legitimate objections to the >> original $7.4 billion bill the House passed. >> >> “Some have tried to portray this debate as a debate between those who >> support 9/11 workers and those who don’t,” said Senator Mitch >> McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader. “This is a gross >> distortion of the facts. There was never any doubt about supporting >> the first responders. It was about doing it right.” >> >> In the House, there was some disappointment among Democrats over the >> deal cut in the Senate. But many concluded that the Senate bill was >> the best they could get at the moment. >> >> “This compromise isn’t everything we wanted,” Representative Carolyn >> B. Maloney, Democrat of New York, a chief sponsor of the original >> legislation, said. “But in the end we got a strong program that will >> save lives.” >> >> The bill is formally known as the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and >> Compensation Act, named after a New York police detective who took >> part in the rescue efforts at ground zero and later developed >> breathing complications. He died in January 2006. The cause of his >> death became a source of debate after the city’s medical examiner >> concluded that it was not directly related to the attack. >> >> The legislation allows for money from the Victims’ Compensation Fund >> to be paid to any eligible claimant who receives a payment under the >> settlement of lawsuits that more than 10,000 rescue and cleanup >> workers recently reached with the city. Currently, those who receive a >> settlement are limited in how much compensation they can get from the >> fund. >> >> In New York, a federal judge told lawyers for the 10,000 that payments >> from the settlement must start going out by late January. The judge, >> Alvin K. Hellerstein of United States District Court in Manhattan, >> worked out a timetable with the lawyers so that the settlement terms, >> which call for payments of at least $625 million, become final within >> the next two weeks. >> >> More:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/nyregion/23health.html?partner=rss&;... >> >> More:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/nyregion/23health.html?partner=rss&;... >> >> -- >> Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. >> Have a great day, >> Tommy > > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -- Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. Have a great day, Tommy -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
