Public Employee Press

Congress puts off action on federal 9/11 law

The proposed federal law to fund health care for victims of 9/11-related injuries and illnesses will have to wait for 2009. Shortly after Mayor Bloomberg withdrew his longstanding support for the measure, the House of Representatives postponed a vote on the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

The failure of Congress to pass the act in 2008 was only a “momentary setback,” said DC 37 Safety and Health Director Lee Clarke.

Clarke said the mayor’s position was “regrettable,” but pointed out that the timing of the bill was terrible, with Congress focused on the financial crisis and the Wall Street bailout. The mayor’s turnabout, she said, “was only one factor.”

Expressing guarded optimism for the bill, she said, “The unions and the bill’s Congressional supporters have until January to persuade the mayor to renew his support. That is ample time for all of us to sit down and see what can be tweaked in the bill.”

The city would have had to contribute $500 million toward the 9/11 health program, and the mayor said the bill did not give the city sufficient oversight over how the funds would be spent to prevent costs from ballooning.

The bill would have created a long-term $5 billion health program for workers — including many DC 37 members — and residents suffering from injuries and illnesses as a result of being at or near Ground Zero.

The bill to establish the plan was sponsored by U.S. Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Vito Fossella and Peter King.

Current 9/11 health care programs have been funded on a temporary or emergency basis or with city money. The city, for example, pays for the World Trade Center Environmental Health Centers at Bellevue, Gouverneur and Elmhurst hospitals.

On Sept. 12, representatives from uniformed unions, community boards, grassroots community health advocates and healthcare professionals joined City Council members on the steps of City Hall as council member Alan Gerson presented a check for $1.95 million to Dr. William Rom of the NYU/Bellevue Environmental Lung Health Center.

The City Council payment will provide funds to create laboratories and purchase equipment for the center to conduct basic research into 9/11-related pulmonary illnesses.

Uniformed Emergency Medical Service Officers Local 3621 President Thomas Eppinger, who was part of the ceremony, noted the importance of the City Council funds.

“Bellevue is a world-renowned institution whose research could end up saving members’ lives,” he said.