Like the House did once, although it eventually passed, the Senate yesterday sent the message that the heroes of 9/11 are on their own. They let it be known that any attempt by Americans to help their fellow Americans will now be frowned upon in “tea party” America. The Senate republicans yesterday blocked health aid for 9/11 workers.
Republican senators blocked Democratic legislation on Thursday that sought to provide medical care to rescue workers and others who became ill as a result of breathing in toxic fumes, dust and smoke at the site of the World Trade Center attack in 2001.
The 9/11 health bill, a version of which was approved by the House of Representatives in September, was among several initiatives that Senate Democrats had hoped to approve before the close of the 111th Congress. Supporters believe this was their last real opportunity to have the bill passed.
Despicably, the Bush administration knew the air was toxic and covered it up, thus allowing massive health problems for the heroes that helped at ground zero. Now the party of no, said that they need to fend for themselves! I know we are broke and cant afford the $7 billion dollars to do the right thing, its more important to spend $858 billion on tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires!
… That’s depressing.
Though, I’m positive most Republicans won’t acknowledge this decision.
On its face, I don’t understand why a bill providing $7.4 billion for health care to monitor the health of 60,000 people is necessary. Didn’t Congress already pass healthcare for all Americans? This bill may have a nice title but it just rings of pork.
Moreover, the New York times cites notes that:
“Congress has previously appropriated money on an annual basis to monitor the health of people injured at ground zero and to provide them with medical treatment.”
In other words, the rescue workers are already being taken care of without the new bill.
I have a question for you – were they pork back when they tried to get their rights and declined repeatedly then during the Bush Administration then? Because Republicans have repeatedly declined and ignored their health while waving the American flag and saying “Never Forget!” yet ignored the victims and the heroes of the tragedy.
I’m asking this as a serious question. A reason why it’s still a sore subject and they’re not ‘over it’ is because unlike say a lot of other tragedies like the bombings in London? They didn’t receive anything. Zippo.
For one the health care bill did not take care of health care for all, it waw insurance company reform only.
Secondly, we have numerous examples of 911 workers falling through the cracks. This is inexplicable and the republicans are wrong on this. Had the dems voted against it we would be getting nonstop fox coverage of how they hated the 9/11 heroes!
so its going to take $7.4 billion to prevent 911 workers from falling through the cracks?