Joe Crowley: “I thank my colleague and friend from New York (Mr. Rangel) for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong…”

“I thank my colleague and friend from New York (Mr. Rangel) for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. I would like to thank those who are here today for the debate who served our Nation so nobly on 9/11 and the days and months following. We thank you for your bravery and for your service. It has been 9 years since the terrorist attack that took the lives of close to 3,000 of our fellow Americans. Over those years, speeches have been offered and medals have been awarded and promises have been made-- promises have been made, and yet not fulfilled--all regarding our 9/11 heroes. But 9 years later, the most important commitment and tribute remains to be fulfilled. The first responders, the first rebuilders, and the residents who risked their lives at Ground Zero are still waiting for much-needed health care services. These are the heroes who dug through the broken glass and the debris, and, yes, through human remains. These are the heroes who were urged by our Federal officials, return to life as usual in downtown New York because ``the air is safe.'' Well, the government was wrong. The air was not safe, and now many, too many, are suffering as a result. Today we once again have the opportunity to honor our commitment that we made to those who answered the call to service. By passing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, we will provide critical health care service to those who stood up for America.…”