2010

The 9/11 Health Bill is Passed by Congress

December 23, 2010

Mayor Bloomberg congratulated members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives after the James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was passed by Congress.
Read Mayor Bloomberg’s statement following passage of the legislation in the Senate and the House.

"Survivor Tree" Planted at 9/11 Memorial

December 22, 2010

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, City officials and 9/11 survivors planted the “Survivor Tree” at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza, marking its homecoming to the World Trade Center site.

“The presence of the Survivor Tree on the Memorial Plaza will symbolize New York City's and this nation's resilience after the attacks,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Like the thousands of courageous stories of survival that arose from the ashes of the World Trade Center, the story of this tree also will live on and inspire many.”

In October 2001, the tree with lifeless limbs, snapped roots and blackened trunk was discovered and freed from the piles of smoldering rubble in the plaza of the World Trade Center.

Streets Renamed to Honor 9/11 Victims

December 20, 2010

Mayor Bloomberg signed New York City Council legislation, which will rename five thoroughfares and public places for New Yorkers who died on 9/11.

“Although this is a modest gesture, this local law demonstrates the City's commitment to always remember those who perished that day,” Bloomberg said.

The renamed streets are: Seven in Heaven Way (Brooklyn), Firefighter Ronnie L. Henderson Way (Brooklyn), Red Hook Heroes Run (Brooklyn), Jennifer Y. Wong Way (Queens) and Chuck Costello 9/11 Memorial Way (Queens).

WTC Settlement Accepted

November 19, 2010

More than 95% of the rescue, recovery and clean-up workers who filed claims against New York City and its contractors after 9/11 have accepted the settlement negotiated by their attorneys and the WTC Captive Insurance Company. Worth at least $625 million in compensation, this settlement ends a legal battle that began seven years ago and provides more than 10,000 plaintiffs individual payments ranging from $3250 to more than $1 million for the sickest workers.

“This settlement is a fair and just resolution of these claims, protecting those who came to the aid of this City when we needed it most,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “We will continue our commitment to treatment and monitoring of those who were present at Ground Zero. This settlement can also help encourage the Senate to follow the lead of their colleagues in the House of Representatives and pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which will now be a less expensive proposition due to the payments made under this settlement agreement.
Read the press release

Mayor Bloomberg Pushes for 9/11 Health Bill

November 16, 2010

Mayor Bloomberg met with key Republican Senate members to urge their support for the James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. He also joined the legislation's sponsors and labor and community advocates at a press conference on Capitol Hill.

“All of our senators represent someone who answered the call to help our country in its hour of need, and now those brave men and women need our senators to answer their call for help,” said Mayor Bloomberg as part of his remarks at the press conference.

President Obama has indicated he will sign the legislation if it passes the Senate before the current session of Congress ends in December.

New York Representatives Request 9/11 Autopsy Guidelines

November 11, 2010

Members of the New York Congressional delegation asked the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to develop 9/11 autopsy guidelines. The guidelines would help physicians better understand the effects of WTC exposures on deceased responders and survivors.Read the press release

WTC Settlement Deadline Extended

November 10, 2010

The deadline for 9/11 rescue and recovery workers to accept the WTC Captive Insurance Company's settlement has been extended a second time, to November 16, 2010. To date, more than 90% of claimants have agreed to the settlement. For the settlement to go forward, 95% participation is needed.

In addition, the James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act has been amended so that those who accept the settlement will still be eligible for federal compensation, should Congress approve the legislation.

Port Authority Tentatively Agrees to $47.5 Million WTC Settlement

October 15, 2010

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey tentatively agreed to pay $47.5 million to rescue and recovery workers who claimed illnesses due to 9/11. The settlement, which needs approval by the Port Authority board, is only for those who sued the agency. It is separate from a $712.5 million settlement announced in June with the WTC Captive Insurance Company.

Like the WTC Captive Insurance settlement, the Port Authority settlement requires the participation of 80% to 95% of plaintiffs. Under both offers, plaintiffs can choose to accept or reject the proposal.

NYPD Commemorates Fallen 9/11 Responders

October 13, 2010

Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Kelly recently commemorated the lives of 11 New York City police officers who participated in the WTC rescue and recovery effort and have since died. The 11 names were inscribed on the Police Memorial Wall in Battery Park. In May, the names of the fallen officers were added to the NYPD Hall of Heroes Memorial inside Police Headquarters.

Since 2002, NYPD has been monitoring and providing treatment as necessary to members of the service who worked on 9/11. All uniformed members of the NYPD who believe they may have 9/11-related symptoms are eligible for an evaluation, as well as treatment and monitoring, at the NYPD Medical Division or WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program, which offers exams in Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.

9/11 Firefighters, EMS Workers to be Honored

October 6, 2010

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg joined former Special Master of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Kenneth R. Feinberg and several 9/11 responders to encourage lawsuit plaintiffs to accept the compensation offered by the $712.5 million World Trade Center settlement agreement.

Mayor Bloomberg and Fire Commissioner Cassano announced that a bronze memorial plaque will be placed in the lobby of Fire Department headquarters in Brooklyn dedicated to firefighters and emergency medical service (EMS) members who died of illnesses following their rescue and recovery work at the World Trade Center. The memorial plaque will include their names and is expected to be unveiled by the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

Mayor Bloomberg Encourages 9/11 Responders to Accept WTC Settlement

October 5, 2010

“The settlement would provide those who came to the City's aid and their loved ones with prompt and certain relief in an amount and fashion that the judge in this case, Judge Hellerstein, has found to be fair and reasonable,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We have no desire to be fighting in court with those who acted unselfishly and heroically in response to that attack, both on 9/11 and in its aftermath. Those who accept the settlement will still be eligible to apply for additional compensation if they accept the settlement before the Zadroga bill becomes law. Litigation will almost certainly stretch on for many years – with legal fees and expenses eating away at the resources available for compensation awards.”

The settlement deadline is November 8, 2010. Read the press release

House Passes 9/11 Health Bill

September 30, 2010

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act by a wide margin. The bill, long supported by the New York Congressional delegation, would provide long term funding for 9/11-related health care and research, and it would re-open the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund.

“Today’s bi-partisan vote by the House of Representatives is a significant moment in a fight we have waged for years,” said Mayor Bloomberg in a statement. “Today’s vote acknowledges that the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks were an attack on America, and addressing its health impacts is a national duty. This bill recognizes that the country should be there for the tens of thousands of responders who were there for us on 9/11.”

The legislation still requires Senate approval before President Obama, who indicated his support in a statement delivered to the House prior the vote, can sign it into law. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who has introduced 9/11 health legislation in the Senate, said in a statement “I’m working closely with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to bring the bill to a vote in the Senate. I know the Majority Leader fully supports our legislation, and I am pushing strongly for the Senate to take up this bill during the next work period.” The next work period in the Senate begins after the mid-term elections.

Mayor Bloomberg Releases Third Annual Report on 9/11 Health

September 12, 2010

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today released the 2010 Annual Report on 9/11 Health (PDF), a comprehensive review of the latest medical research on the health impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The report includes a series of recommendations about the methods researchers should use when conducting complex analyses of confirmed cancer diagnoses in WTC-exposed individuals, including New York City Firefighters and WTC Health Registry participants.
Read the press release

Exhibit Illustrates 9/11 Responders At Work

September 3, 2010

Artist as Witness: The 9/11 Responders is showing at the New York City Police Museum. The exhibit features 25 watercolors and sketches by courtroom artist Aggie Kenny, who visited the WTC recovery operation in the spring of 2002.

“Sketching the scenes of the aftermath was my attempt to comprehend the incomprehensible,” said Kenny. This will be the first time these works have been displayed in public.

The exhibit will run through January 2011.

WTC Settlement Deadline Extended

August 26, 2010

The deadline for 9/11 rescue and recovery workers to accept the WTC Captive Insurance Company’s settlement has been extended two months, to November 8, 2010. To date, more than 50% of claimants have agreed to the settlement.

9/11 Worker Protection Task Force Extended to 2015

August 13, 2010

Governor Paterson signed legislation extending the September 11 Worker Protection Task Force another five years, through June 2015. Established in 2005, the Task Force recommended changes to the WTC disability and workers' compensation laws, which expanded benefits to additional first responders. These recommendations were passed by the New York State legislature and signed into law. In addition, the legislation increases the Task Force to 20 members, including the Medical Director of the Mount Sinai Irving J. Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The panel also includes elected City and State officials, union leaders and other physicians specializing in occupational medicine.

9/11 Health Legislation Fails to Pass House

July 30, 2010

The James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act failed to pass the House on a suspension rule that requires two-thirds of those present to vote yes.

“Less than two months from today, we will observe the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. I remain committed to ensuring that those who survived the attacks, and those who risked their lives to save others, receive the health care that they deserve” said Mayor Bloomberg. See the press release.

The bill’s sponsors are reconsidering strategy for moving the bill forward.
See how your representative voted.

House Vote Expected on 9/11 Health

July 28, 2010

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act at the end of July. This is the first time that the legislation will be taken up by the House, after passing the House Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

In advance of the vote, Mayor Bloomberg sent a letter to all House members stating “This legislation would achieve what WTC responders, area residents, and other survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks have long been seeking: sustained funding to treat those who are sick or could become sick as a result of 9/11; continued research on potential WTC health effects; and the re-opening of the Victim Compensation Fund, which ensures that those harmed as a result of 9/11 are fairly compensated without having to show that anyone other than the terrorists was at fault.”

Judge in WTC Litigation to Hold Additional Public Hearings

July 21, 2010

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, the federal judge in the WTC litigation proceedings, will hold two public hearings about the proposed settlement in the coming weeks:

Monday, July 26 from 7-10 p.m.
Michael J. Petrides School
715 Ocean Terrace, Building C
Staten Island, NY 10301

Tuesday, August 3 from 7-10 p.m.
Queens County Supreme Court, Criminal Term
125-01 Queens Boulevard
Kew Gardens, NY 11415

Attorneys for the plaintiffs and the court-appointed administrators of the settlement will speak at the meetings, which are open to all interested persons.

9/11 Health Forum: September 15, 2010

July 20, 2010

The WTC Environmental Health Center is hosting a 9/11 health forum – Surviving and Thriving After 9/11: Addressing the Health Impact of 9/11 on the Community – on Wednesday, September 15, from 6 to 9 pm, at the CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, between 34th and 35th Street.

Join us, as we hear from medical experts and community members about the:

Health effects of 9/11
Treatment for 9/11-related health conditions at the WTC Environmental Health Center at no out-of-pocket cost
9/11 health experiences
Latest information on services for those affected

After the presentations, there will be a panel of experts to answer audience questions.

Seating is limited. Register now.

Senate Holds Hearing on 9/11 Health Legislation

June 30, 2010

The U.S. Senate recently held its first hearing on the James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (S. 1334). FDNY Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Prezant, 9/11 responder and FDNY Lt. Martin Fullam and Margrily Garcia, a 9/11 survivor and patient at the WTC Environmental Health Center were among those who testified at the hearing.

“The legislation would fulfill our moral obligation to the heroes who have sacrificed their lives for our country and all the victims who are dying from the worst terrorist attack in our history by creating a fully transparent system that establishes a long-term health program with proper oversight and accountability,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who is sponsoring the bill with Senators Frank Lautenberg, Robert Menendez and Charles Schumer.

“This legislation achieves what WTC responders, area residents, and other survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks have long been seeking-sustained funding to treat those who are sick, or could become sick because of 9/11; continued research on potential WTC health effects; and the re-opening of the Victim Compensation Fund so that those harmed as a result of 9/11 are fairly compensated without having to show that anyone but the terrorists were at fault,” said Mayor Bloomberg.

Governor Paterson, the United States Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties also wrote to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in support of the legislation.

A final vote on the House version of the bill is expected before the August recess.

New WTC Settlement Increases Compensation for 9/11 Workers

June 10, 2010

The WTC Captive Insurance Company and attorneys for more than 10,000 rescue and recovery workers who claimed sickness or injuries after the WTC attacks reached a new settlement deal that adds $125 million to the initial offer.
See WTC settlement documents.

9/11 Health Bill Passes Key House Committee

May 26, 2010

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 25. The legislation would guarantee federal funding for current monitoring and treatment programs for the next 10 years. New York City will contribute 10% of the overall cost of the World Trade Center Health Program.

“I would like to thank everyone who helped get us to this point including the entire New York delegation, which has shown an unwavering commitment to this legislation, and in particular the House sponsors, Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “I would also like to commend Chairman Waxman and the two New York City members on the Committee — Eliot Engel and Anthony Weiner — for their leadership in advancing the bill.”

The full Committee vote, which included an amendment to bar terrorists from care through the WTC Health Program, is the 3^rd favorable vote in the House this year. A vote by the full House is expected in June. The Senate version of the bill is pending.
Read the press release

WTC Responder Day: Saturday, June 5

May 17, 2010

Mayor Bloomberg has proclaimed Saturday, June 5 as WTC Responder Day (PDF) in New York City. The day will honor the courageous men and women who took part in the rescue, recovery and clean-up after the 9/11 attacks.

A variety of events organized by Mount Sinai’s WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program will take place throughout the day in lower Manhattan, including:

A service and concert featuring music by responders at St. Paul’s Chapel
A procession of antique responder vehicles
Responders reading aloud stories about their experiences
A film festival featuring 9/11 responders
A gallery exhibit documenting responder stories
Art and music workshops
A candlelight vigil

For a complete list of activities with times and locations, visit wtcexams.org.

Maloney, Nadler Urge Federal Government to Approve Funding for WTC Health Programs

May 12, 2010

Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler are urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve funding for federal programs to monitor and treat the health of those affected by 9/11. In response, OMB released funding for the WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program at FDNY and the Mount Sinai Consortium.

However, New York City is still awaiting final approval for $3.5 million in federal funding for its NYC 9/11 Benefit Program for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. In addition, approval for supplemental funding of the WTC Health Registry is also pending. Without a finalized budget that provides for adequate funding, the Registry will have to eliminate an upcoming 2010-2011 health survey. It also would be unable to support ongoing research on cancers and other emerging conditions.

NYPD Honors 11 Officers Who Died After Responding to WTC Disaster

May 7, 2010

More information

WTC Firefighters & EMS Workers Still Show Decreased Lung Function

April 8, 2010

A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that New York City firefighters and emergency medical service (EMS) workers who responded to the WTC disaster continued to have below-normal lung function up to 7 years after 9/11. Of those who never smoked, 13% of firefighters and 22% of EMS workers showed a persistent and often disabling decline in lung function. The rescue workers are enrolled in the WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program at the Fire Department of New York.

“Previous studies have indicated that the effects of firefighting on lung function are mild and reversible,” said lead author Thomas Aldrich, MD, professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an attending physician in the pulmonary medicine division at Montefiore Medical Center. “The difference seems to be that the workers in our study population experienced repeated daily exposures to much higher concentrations of airborne particulates (solid particles suspended in the air) and gaseous chemicals.”

Future Uncertain for WTC Legal Settlement

March 26, 2010

A federal judge raised a number of concerns about a proposed legal settlement for 9/11 rescue and recovery workers who claim to be sickened from dust and debris from the World Trade Center.

The settlement, negotiated by the WTC Captive Insurance Company and attorneys for more than 10,000 plaintiffs who have sued New York City and its contractors, would have provided at least $575 million among claimants. Federal District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein criticized the settlement, directing the parties to continue negotiating.

Brazilian Fire Brigade Tour WTC Centers of Excellence

March 25, 2010

Senior officers from the Fire Brigade of the Federal District in Brasilia toured the FDNY World Trade Center (WTC) Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program and the WTC Environmental Health Center as part of the brigade’s credentialing program.

“We wanted to better understand the United States’ response to large scale disasters,” said, Lt. Colonel Jose Francisco Goncalves, Jr., who is also a dentist. The group included doctors, nurses, psychologists and engineers who are senior managers in the brigade.

Kerry Kelly, MD and Joan Reibman, MD, medical directors of the FDNY and Environmental Health Center programs, led the tours.

9/11 Health Legislation Advances in Congress

March 16, 2010

The federal 9/11 Health and Compensation Act cleared a significant hurdle in the House of Representatives.

After vigorous lobbying by New York City officials, the New York Congressional delegation, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, first responders, labor unions and lower Manhattan community representatives and survivors, an amended version of the legislation was voted out of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Representative Frank Pallone, Jr.

“Over the past 6 months, I have worked tirelessly on moving this bill through my subcommittee,” said Pallone. “My staff, alongside the authors of the bill, members of the NY delegation, victims and their families, as well as the advocates that represent them, have continued around the clock to strengthen the bill and ensure its passage.”

Mayor Bloomberg released the following statement after the 25-8 bipartisan vote on March 16:

“Today’s approval of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act by the House Health Subcommittee marks an important step in our effort to secure sustained medical monitoring and treatment for the first responders and survivors of the September 11th attacks. The events of that day were an attack on America, and addressing its health impacts demands a federal response. With this vote, Congress recognizes that important truth.

“I would like to thank Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey, and the New York members of the subcommittee – Representatives Anthony Weiner and Eliot Engel – who helped make this outcome possible. I would also like to commend the hard work and dedication of Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler who have worked for years to move this important legislation.

“I look forward to passage by the full House and to working with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the Senate sponsor, and Senator Chuck Schumer on moving this bill in the Senate in the near future.”

Strategy Discussed to Preserve Community Program in Federal Legislation

March 5, 2010

With a mark-up of the 9/11 Health & Compensation Act by a House subcommittee likely to occur in the near future, Linda Gibbs, New York City's Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services met with New York Congressional delegation staff, labor representatives and Lower Manhattan community leaders in late February. They discussed a strategy for ensuring that the legislation continues to include services for Lower Manhattan residents, area workers and students who survived the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

As currently written, HR 847 and S1334 establish separate programs for World Trade Center (WTC) responders and community members. New York City and advocates for the WTC Environmental Health Center have been trying to prevent a move by some members of Congress to strip the legislation of the community program in an effort to reduce the overall cost of the legislation.

“It was a terrific meeting,” said Catherine McVay Hughes, chair of Manhattan Community Board 1's WTC Redevelopment Committee. “The need for a community program was acknowledged by both union and political leaders, although we're now calling it the “survivors program” to help Congress better understand who will be served.”

A key element of the strategy has been introducing White House and Congressional staff to 9/11 survivors who depend on the services they have been receiving from WTC Environmental Health Center, which received federal funding for the first time in 2008. Jill Fenwick (PDF) and Margrily Garcia (PDF) were among the patients who traveled to Washington, DC in recent weeks to tell their stories on behalf of the nearly 4,500 people who have been treated by the WTC Environmental Health Center.

“9/11 affected all of us who were down there that day,” said Ms. Fenwick. “Everybody's got the same diseases and all of us need the same kind of care.”

New York City Launches 9/11 Pediatric Outreach

February 4, 2010

The WTC Environmental Health Center and the New York City Health Department recently sent information on how to get care for 9/11-related health problems to more than 15,000 downtown parents, in response to requests from local community boards. The Department of Education provided the current addresses of parents whose children attended public school below 14th Street during the 2001-02 school year.

The mailing included a letter (PDF) describing services at the WTC Environmental Health Center and the recently released clinical guidelines (PDF) for children and adolescents exposed to the WTC disaster. It also included a fact sheet about the WTC Pediatric Program at Bellevue Hospital.

The letter and fact sheet are available online in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Polish, Russian and Spanish.

President's 2011 Budget Includes $150 Million for 9/11 Health Care

February 1, 2010

President Obama’s proposed budget (PDF) for fiscal year 2011 includes $150 million “to provide screening and treatment for first response emergency services personnel, residents, students, and others related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.”

This is a $79 million increase from last year’s budget for 9/11 health care. It came shortly after Katherine Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, informed the New York congressional delegation that the Obama Administration did not support the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act because it requires mandatory annual spending on federal 9/11 health programs.

“We’re heartened that the Obama Administration reportedly plans to more than double the commitment to the vital programs that serve responders and community members facing the health impacts of September 11,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “The terrorist attacks were attacks on the entire country, and there is still an urgent need for a long-term federal commitment to address their health impacts. An increase in appropriations – even one as significant as this – is not the same as long-term federal legislation. But it surely signals the Administration’s commitment to address this issue in a long-term, meaningful manner.”

Congress must still pass the Administration’s proposed budget. In the meantime, members of the New York congressional delegation have requested a meeting with the President as New York City continues its efforts in support of the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The legislation is awaiting action in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, pending the outcome of health care reform. The Senate version has been referred to committee.

NY State Assembly Speaker Urges Congress to Protect WTC Community Program

January 22, 2010

Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the New York State Assembly, recently wrote (PDF) Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler, urging them to protect the World Trade Center (WTC) Community Program. Under the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, the Community Program would provide medical monitoring and treatment to lower Manhattan residents, office workers and students with WTC-related health conditions.

“As a nation, we must not break faith with the survivors of 9/11, who courageously resolved to rebuild their lives and our community in the face of the worst terrorist attack in American history,” wrote Silver. “Our nation has a moral obligation to rebuild and revitalize this community. I trust that you will do everything in your power to protect the Community Program, which is a resource vital to the health of Lower Manhattan residents and to ensure that its scope, quality and level of support are preserved.”

The 9/11 Health and Compensation Act would establish permanent federal funding to monitor and treat more than 4,000 lower Manhattan residents, office workers and students enrolled in the WTC Environmental Health Center at Bellevue, Gouverneur and Elmhurst Hospitals. It would also expand access to 15,000 additional community members who lived, worked or went to school within a 1.5-mile radius of the WTC site. The legislation is awaiting committee action in the House of Representatives.

Rally at WTC Site Keeps Pressure on Congress to Pass 9/11 Health Legislation

January 5, 2010

Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Bill Pascrell, Jr. appeared with World Trade Center (WTC) responders at a rally in early January near the WTC site to demand passage of the federal James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (HR 847). The rally commemorated the fourth anniversary of NYPD Detective Zadroga’s death, and included the reading of names of other WTC responders who have died since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

“I am joining the 9/11 responder community and elected officials in calling on Congress to honor those who selflessly served at the WTC site and those exposed to the aftermath who are now suffering WTC-related health effects by passing the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act,” said Mayor Bloomberg in a statement read by Representative Maloney. “At least 15,000 responders and community members will continue to receive specialized treatment for 9/11-related health conditions if this bill is passed. Also, the legislation will ensure the continued health monitoring of thousands more responders and community members so we can properly track and treat any future WTC-related illness. I don’t want another anniversary of Detective Zadroga's death to pass without this legislation being enacted."

Representative Frank Pallone, Jr., whose statement also was read at the rally, chairs the Congressional subcommittee which must take action on the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act before it can be brought to the floor of the House for a vote.

The bill also must pass the Senate. The Senate version (S. 1334) has been referred to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. There is no action pending.