Menendez Hails House Passage of 9/11 First Responder Health Bill

Press Release

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to guarantee medical monitoring and treatment for first responders and volunteers who worked in and around Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks and have become ill as a result. The bill passed, despite almost lock-step opposition from Republicans.

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who was the original author of the Zadroga Act in the Senate, today hailed this important step in preserving the health of those who responded to the attacks. He also called for swift final passage in the Senate when it reconvenes in November.

"This bill is the embodiment of our national rallying cry from the days and weeks after the 9/11 attacks: "Never forget.' The men and women who rushed to the scene, helped the recovery and have become ill through no fault of their own should not be left to fend for themselves. The very least we can do for them is to help diagnose their illnesses and guarantee them the treatment they need. It is frankly embarrassing that, more than nine years after the fact, we as a nation have yet to make that very simple gesture. I applaud the action in the House of Representatives and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to unify and quickly pass this critical first responder health care measure when we reconvene."

James Zadroga was a New Jersey resident and New York City police officer whose death was the first to be officially linked to toxins in the air around Ground Zero.

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