By Bill Parry
Mayor Bill de Blasio added his voice, and those of 23 other mayors of major cities across the nation, to the growing chorus of support for the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act.
The bipartisan coalition sent a letter to new House Speaker Paul Ryan (D-Wis.) urging him to expedite a vote on the issue one week after an NYPD lieutenant died from 9/11-related illness.
“And if we needed any more reminder of what this means, we just lost another hero—NYPD Lieutenant Marci Simms,” de Blasio said. “She worked at Ground Zero for months on the rescue and recovery. A year and a half ago she contracted lung cancer, and just days ago, we lost her.”
The 51-year-old Simms, who joined the 107th Precinct in Fresh Meadows in 2013, was forced to leave her job when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in 2014. An estimated 1,700 people have died as a result of their work at Ground Zero following the Sept. 11 attacks at the World Trade Center.
Her medical costs were taken care of by the Zadroga Health and Compensation Act, which provides more than 72,000 first responders and survivors with treatment and medical monitoring across the country. The Health program was allowed to expire in September after Congress failed to extend the bill, although it is funded through the rest of the year, while the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund is set to expire next October.
De Blasio said renewal should not be a partisan matter.
“It’s not a red issue, it’s not a blue issue, this is a truly red, white and blue issue,” he said. “There’s no two ways about it. This is a question of patriotism: Are we going to serve those who responded after an attack on our nation?”
U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) joined de Blasio at a rally with other lawmakers on the steps of City Hall Monday and said that if the bill were brought to a vote in the House, where it has 247 supporters, it would pass overwhelmingly. The bill currently has 64 sponsors in the Senate.
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) wants the Zadroga Act fully funded and made permanent, similar to other programs Congress has created. Both the Federal Black Lung Program for coal miners and the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act, which assists nuclear workers who built atomic weapons in the ‘50s and ‘60s or now work in our nuclear industry, are permanent and fully funded.
“It was the worst terrorist attack in the history of our country, and innocent people went to work and were murdered, and people came from all around the country and they are sick,” Maloney said at the rally.” It was an attack on America, and the efforts of the mayor, speaking out across America makes that—underscores that fact—that it’s an American challenge. We need to take care of our injured. Our heroes and heroines shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not they’re going to have their health care—their specialized health care for the specialized illnesses they are suffering from.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
