Mikie Sherrill: “I thank the gentleman from New York, as I like to call it the suburbs of northern Jersey. But as my colleagues before me…”

“I thank the gentleman from New York, as I like to call it the suburbs of northern Jersey. But as my colleagues before me have made clear, this Congress must honor the first responders and survivors of 9/11 and make the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund permanent. For 8 months and 19 days after September 11, police officers, firefighters, first responders, FBI agents, and Federal officers from across the country came together in New York. In a gesture of national unity that we have not forgotten, they stayed, sometimes far away from home, to help. Firefighters like Gerry Lynch from the Bloomfield Fire Department in my district. Gerry and the Bloomfield firefighters were assigned to help Ladder 105 Engine 219 in Brooklyn because they were at Ground Zero looking for their brothers. After being told that they could go home to Jersey, Gerry didn't think twice about what he would do next. He went down to help on the bucket brigades at Ground Zero working with men and women on the line. Madam Speaker, we now know that first responders, as well as students, residents, workers, and business owners of Lower Manhattan were exposed to toxic fumes in the aftermath of the attack. What some have called a toxic soup of mercury, dust, silica, lead, fiberglass, benzene, and many other substances, were pulverized and released into the air. These victims have developed cancers, pulmonary disease, respiratory disease, and sleep apnea, among many other ailments.…”