9/11 Health Bill, Designed to Provide Medical Care to those Exposed to Toxins Including Mesothelioma-Causing Asbestos, Fails House Vote
The health care bill designed to provide long-term medical care and monitoring for 9/11 responders lacked the two-thirds majority vote needed to pass in the House. The proposed bill, estimated at $7.7 billion, was to provide mandatory funding for the World Trade Center Health Programs.
Hundreds of tons of asbestos were used in the twin towers, and upon their collapse, asbestos and other toxic substances such as mercury and lead were released into the air putting workers at risk of mesothelioma and other respiratory diseases.
Medical researchers are now seeing unusually high incidences of respiratory issues and lung scarring in the Ground Zero rescue workers. Mesothelioma, one such asbestos-related disease, is a cancer of the mesothelial cells, caused by breathing in asbestos fibers that become lodged in the thin membrane that lines and encases the lungs.
Introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), along with Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Peter King(R-NY), and Michael McMahon (D-NY), the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, contains the following provisions:
- Provides medical monitoring and treatment to WTC responders and survivors (area workers, residents, students) who were exposed to the toxins at Ground Zero.
- Builds on the existing monitoring and treatment program by delivering expert medical treatment for these unique exposures at Centers of Excellence.
- Reopens the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) to provide compensation for economic losses and harm as an alternative to the current litigation system.
- Provides liability protections for the WTC Contractors and the City of New York.
The sponsors of the bill issued a joint statement after the bill failed to pass, saying, “we will not rest until we finally provide proper care for ailing 9/11 responders and survivors, and fill the last remaining gap in America’s recovery from the attacks.”
While mesothelioma typically has an extended latency period, often as much as 50 years, there have been documented cases of 9/11 responders dying of mesothelioma. Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.
The House will take up the bill when it returns from recess under standard rules where passage will require a simple majority.
House Votes on 9/11 Health Bill
