BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. WAXMAN. I rise in strong support, Madam Speaker, of H.R. 847, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. I want to thank the chairman of the Health Subcommittee, Frank Pallone, as well as my colleagues from New York on the committee, Eliot Engel and Anthony Weiner, for their relentless work on behalf of this legislation, as well as Representatives Maloney and Nadler, and the whole New York City delegation, who were tireless in their support of this bill.
This is an important piece of legislation that will attempt to provide the services to first responders and community residents who developed illness as a result of their exposure to the massive toxic dust cloud that blanketed Lower Manhattan after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. I strongly urge all Members to support this legislation.
H.R. 847, was reported by the Energy and Commerce Committee with bipartisan support on May 25 by a vote of 33-12.
The House passed H.R. 847 on September 29; the bill received bipartisan support from 268 Members.
The version of before us this afternoon is one that has been amended by the Senate in order to obtain bipartisan support in that Chamber.
Like the House-passed version, the Senate version is fully paid for and will not increase the deficit. It fully complies with all pay-go rules.
The World Trade Center Health Program currently provides services to first responders and community residents who developed illnesses as a result of their exposure to the massive toxic dust cloud that blanketed lower Manhattan after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
The current program is not authorized. The House-passed bill authorized the Health Program through FY 2019 at a federal funding level of $3.2 billion. The federal government will pay 90 percent of the cost, while New York City will pay 10 percent.
The Senate amendment reduces the authorization period to FY 2015 and federal funding to $1.5 billion. New York City would still be required to pay 10 percent of the costs.
The Senate amendment makes a number of other changes in the Health Program.
It prohibits the Secretary of HHS from using NIOSH to administer payments to Centers of Excellence and other participating providers.
It clarifies that Centers of Excellence delivering services to responders and community residents will have to provide claims-level data to the Health Program Administrator.
It clarifies the Centers of Excellence should be paid for the costs of carrying out the program that are not otherwise reimbursable, such as outreach, data collection, social services, and development of treatment protocols.
It authorizes the Program Administrator to contract with the VA to provide services to responders enrolled in the national program through its facilities, but only if the VA chooses to do so.
Finally, the Senate amendment directs the GAO to conduct studies on various aspects of the Health Program and to report to the Committees of jurisdiction prior to July 1, 2011. That is the date on which Secretary of HHS and the WTC Administrator are responsible for implementing the Health Program. In the likely event that the GAO is unable to complete all of its work by that date, the Program will nonetheless begin furnishing services to responders and survivors.
The Administration supports this bill for the same reason that all of us should: it is the right thing to do.
The first responders were there for us on 9-11. We should be there for them today.
I urge my colleagues to pass this bill and send it on to the President for signature.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT