Thanks in part to the likes of Jon Stewart who, after his retirement from The Daily Show, made it his personal duty to fight the Republicans that blocked progress on the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act,
Over 14 years after terrorists hijacked planes to strike the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, lawmakers on Capitol Hill cut a deal Tuesday to provide effectively permanent health care for the thousands of Americans who are now sick and dying because they came forward to help that day.
After remarkably difficult negotiations that prompted critics to create a #WorstResponders hashtag for Congress, legislators finally agreed to an $8.1 billion reauthorization of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, and attached it to the massive omnibus spending bill that will have to pass in order to fund the government.
The spending bill was expected to be posted online imminently Tuesday night, said a senior Republican aide who confirmed the 9/11 bill is included.
“This agreement is incredible news for our 9/11 heroes and their families, and it is a testament to the extraordinary power that Americans can have when they raise their voice and demand action,“ said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).
