De Blasio joins call for Paul Ryan to renew Zadroga Act
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Mayor de Blasio joined mayors from around the country and New York’s Congressional reps to push new House Speaker Paul Ryan to renew the Zadroga Act.
Twenty seven mayors and county executives — including the mayors of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston and Miami — signed a letter with de Blasio urging Ryan to make the Sept. 11 health care bill permanent.
And stepping up the push to get the law renewed, de Blasio and eight members of Congress took to the City Hall steps Monday to demand protection for responders to the terrorist attack.
“It should be seen as a national obligation,” de Blasio said. “It’s not a matter of party. It’s a matter of patriotism to help these heroes.”
Congress let the World Trade Center Health Program expire in September. The program has enough money to continue treatment for responders suffering from cancer and respiratory disease caused by Ground Zero toxins for now, but it will run out if the feds don’t renew it.
"If this bill is not reauthorized, people will die,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan). “Heroes and heroines will die.”
She said that even though many of the cops, firefighters and construction workers sickened since Sept. 11 have health insurance, the Zadroga funds cover treatment that private plans exclude and are available when someone loses their insurance because they’re too sick to work.
Plus, the act has led to the creation of specialty health centers that tackle ailments like lung scarring that are unique to Ground Zero responders in a way other doctors haven’t.
Left to right: Rep. Charlie Rangel, Mayor de Blasio, Rep. Gregory Meeks (rear) and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton. Mayor Bill de Blasio hosted a Congressional delegation on Monday to discuss the Zadroga Act.
Maloney blasted a weaker rival bill sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican.
“The people who put these bills in did not vote for the first Zadroga bill. Goodlatte didn’t vote for it, and others didn’t vote for it that are behind this particular effort,” she said.
The alternative bill would sharply limit health and compensation funds, end after five years, and pay for the program by cutting Medicare, according to Maloney.
“When they saw that the steamroller was coming, they threw something in to muck up the works,” she said. “It’s drafted in a way to kill the program.”
A permanent renewal already has 248 co-sponsors. “If the bill went to the floor tomorrow, it would pass,” Maloney said.
Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens) said he thinks Ryan will eventually come around, citing the support of two key New York Republicans.
“I suspect that when given the argument, especially in a bipartisan approach – with Peter King’s support, with Dan Donovan’s support ... that Mr. Speaker Ryan will come to the conclusion that it’s the right thing to do to extend the Zadroga Act permanently,” he said.
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