Pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Bill
Last night Jon Stewart did something amazing — he dedicated his entire show to the cause of revealing the hypocrisy of the GOP in the Senate for failing to bring the all important James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to a vote.
The House passed the bill on September 29, 2010. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claims that the Senate has the votes to pass it, however, the GOP is blocking Reid’s ability to bring the bill to the floor.
This piece of legislation will provide funding for 9/11 first responders to receive continued health care, medical monitoring and other financial support. Without it many will fall even further behind as they not only deal with the burdens of their diminished health, but the ignominy of fighting with insurance companies and workman’s compensation to pay their medical claims.
For those who don’t know, the men and women who worked tirelessly on the “pile” for months and months at a time are sick and getting sicker with illnesses that range from severe breathing disorders to cardiac disease to soft tissue cancers.
In giving a forum to Kenny Specht, Ken George, John Devlin and Chris Baumann, four tireless first responders each of whom is sick with horrific illnesses, Jon Stewart provided airtime to people who have otherwise been denied a voice.
Implied in his forum was the plaintive question — is America really leaving its wounded behind to die? The politicization of the 9/11 bill sure makes it seem that way.
All truly proud Americans must do no less than Jon Stewart and provide a forum to call-out the continued hypocrisy of invoking 9/11 on the one hand for the furtherance of political agendas and on the other — failing to provide the material support necessary to give aid and comfort to the dying.
It is shameful — and every blogger, everyone on a social networking site should do no less than Jon Stewart and dedicate a post to exposing the hypocrisy for what it is, a disgraceful blight on the memory of all of those who have died.
The link to the Jon Stewart show is here.
Girlboxing 
You may need to doublecheck a fact in your piece. If I remember correctly The Zagroda Bill did not pass in the House during the summer. This again was due to the House Republicans not voting for it (search Daily Show site for “Zagroda Bill” or “Congressman Weiner”). After it recently passed this first hurdle, the two Daily Show episodes from this week pick up the story from there.
I stand corrected, the House passed the bill on September 29, 2010. I shall update the post accordingly. Thank you for your “eagle” eye!
Just watching the Jon Stewart clip now. It’s really a disgrace.
What Jon Stewart did WAS amazing. He really may have saved the bill. As someone who worked with the first responders inside Ground Zero, I have a hard time believing that our politicans can use 9/11 to justify a war and demonize an entire religion, but they can’t seem to use it to actually help the people who were PART of 9/11.
You’re right. Everyone should blog about it. Here’s mine:
http://americanraksha.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/i-am-zadroga/
THANK YOU for writing about it. More people writing means more people being aware of what the republicans are trying to do. And that means more pressure on them to do the right thing.
~HM
Thank you for your comments and for your fabulous blog entry. It’s only in banding together that we can get this thing done!
Thank you for your comments and for your fabulous blog entry. It’s only in banding together that we can get this thing done!
thank you for your good work if i had the strenght i would love to blog about the way we were treated at the land fill.but unfortunly i am to sick
Thank you so much for your comment. I’m only sorry that you are so sick. It is heart breaking.