Labor & Political Leaders Call for Passage of 9/11 Health and Compensation Act

• by New York State AFL-CIO

PRESS CONFERENCE

Tuesday, September 8th - 11:00 a.m.

West Broadway, Between Barclay and Vesey Streets

New York City

WHO: The New York State AFL-CIO, the New York City Central Labor Council, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Joseph Zadroga and 9/11 First Responders.

WHAT: Labor and Political Leaders are joining together to call for passage of HR. 847 and S.1334, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009. Eight years after 9/11 over 16,000 responders and 2,700 community members are documented sick from their exposures to toxins. We need a permanent comprehensive program that will provide them long-term care monitoring and compensation for their economic losses. A permanent comprehensive program is needed to provide them long term care, medical monitoring and compensation for their economic losses.

The 9/11 Health and Compensation Act would:

• Establish a federal health and compensation program for 9/11 responders and community members.
• Provide ongoing medical care of 9/11 health conditions to approximately 15,000 additional WTC responders and 15,000 additional WTC community members.
• Require a matching contribution from the City of New York for the health program.
• Reopen the Victim Compensation Fund to provide compensation for those who have been sick by 9/11 exposures and to address the over 10,000 pending lawsuits brought by sick 9/11 responders.