Bill Pascrell: “I thank our chairwoman, Carolyn Maloney, in particular, and Peter King. From the very beginning, they have been…”

“I thank our chairwoman, Carolyn Maloney, in particular, and Peter King. From the very beginning, they have been steadfast. And I say to you, the angels are singing now. We all know it took some kicking and screaming to get this fund established in the first place, but we got it through because a lot of people were here before that period of time and gave us that support. Firefighters are always there, but the work isn't over. They need our help. Last year, the fund announced that, due to a funding shortfall, injured and ill 9/11 responders and survivors will receive cuts to the awards that they were expecting--big cuts, 50 percent, 70 percent--for future claims. This is unacceptable. So the all-clear sign after 9/11 from the Federal Government was premature. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.”