Carolyn Maloney: “Today we are considering a bill that is overwhelmingly supported by the American people. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health…”

“Today we are considering a bill that is overwhelmingly supported by the American people. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which I offered along with the entire New York delegation, will provide needed health care for more than 36,000 Americans who are sick or injured because of 9/11. This is a national issue. Those who are suffering come from all 50 States, which this chart shows. The darker color shows States that have more than 1,000 of their residents enrolled in health programs. For those Americans, the 9/11 attacks are not history but are an ongoing nightmare that is slowly robbing them of their health, their strength, their livelihood, and, in some cases, their lives. Thousands lost their lives 9 years ago, but since then, thousands and thousands more have lost their health. This is not an entitlement program. This is a responsibility to take care of those who took care of us when our Nation was attacked, and this bill sends a message to future generations that we take care of our veterans from the war against terror. In today's debate, I hope that all Members will put politics aside and, in a bipartisan way, honor and respect the sacrifices of the 9/11 victims.”