Let me premise this post by saying two things
1. This is an issue I implore anyone and everyone to take an action on. In a time where all we hear about politics is from the presidential race, not only is this not about Trump, but it is about something that all Americans treasure and love, the people that protect us.
2. This post is going to be an editorial because the topic frustrates me as well as many Americans. If you want to learn more or learn how to help, please visit http://www.renew911health.org/ (this is also one of my sources). With that said, let's get down to business.
On September 11th, after the World Trade Center and Pentagon were destroyed, tens of thousands of firemen, policemen, and paramedics arrived to help the injured and put out the fire. Regardless of political opinions, these people are as close to superheroes as you can get. Nearly 70,000 of these first responders were exposed to, as Huffington Post states "highly toxic dust from the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers, It contained asbestos, glass shards, cement and other toxins." 2,000 responders were injured in helping, many of which crippled for life, and 414 lives were ended. One of those whose lives were taken away after the chaos and madness was James Zadroga, an NYPD detective who died in 2006 of a respiratory illness caused by the air at Ground Zero.
In James' memory, George Pataki, the Governor of New York during 2006, signed a bill that expanded health care benefits to the first responders of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Every year till then, more and more first responders like James died of cancer or respiratory illnesses related to their fervor and bravado shown on Ground Zero. Later, the bill encompassed over 50 diseases related to exposure to toxic air on 9/11. Federally, however, the law was unsuccessful initially. Why? Republicans. Yes, the party that supposedly never forgot about those who served our country... forgot about those who served our country. Filibuster after filibuster, hour after hour, Republicans in the Senate fought tooth and nail to prevent the Zadroga Act from being implemented federally. They voiced their concerns of fiscal responsibility, as it did cost 7.4 billion dollars. Wow! 7.4 billion dollars? How much did President Bush spend on the Iraq War? 1.7 trillion? There is no way they could dare spare 7.4 billion dollars to help dying first responders, that would be fiscally irresponsible. I hope all of you can see the disgust in my words. Finally, after a large media campaign led by Jon Stewart shaming senate Republicans for their hypocrisy and negligence, the bill was implemented federally on January 2, 2011, 4 years after the bill was conceived in New York. All it took was publicly denouncing a few candidates, some rude remarks, and bi-partisan outrage to get the bill signed. Most of you are probably hoping this, excuse my french, crap is history.
Nope!
The time has come to renew the terms of the bill and Republicans in both the House and the Senate are at it again, touting fiscal responsibility. This time, the movement is led by everyone's favorite turtle Mitch Mcconnell. Mcconnell, the Senate majority leader, "is the key to getting this done and so far he's been an enormous obstacle. Unwilling to move the bill forward for purely political reasons" according to Jon Stewart. To show that this is purely political, the Daily Show later displayed a political ad sponsored by Mcconnell stating his support of a similar bill in his state, that expanded health care for cold war workers exposed to long-term radiation at their work. Why isn't Mcconnell supporting the bill? No one really knows. All we know is that he pulled the Zadroga Act section out of another bill when the same bill tightened oil export regulations. Essentially, he is taking the act hostage to get what he wants. However, when speaking to the responders, he showers them in the usual faceless rhetoric. The time has come again to pass the bill and people aren't budging, the situation looks bleak.
On the same episode of the Daily Show, former host Jon Stewart tried to assemble the identical panel he had on before but he was met with disturbing news. 2 of the 4 were too sick to make an appearance, and the third, John Devlin, had already died. On the show there are 5 seats total. Only two people are actually sitting. As a nation that loves its patriots, it is disgraceful, and time is always running out for a sick responder.
Look, as many of my friends know, I consider myself a Moderate Republican. However, the way the far right conducts itself is absolutely, without a doubt, unacceptable and has no place in American government and politics. Democrats do not even boast their support for soldiers and Ground Zero responders as much, but they always seem to do more. Far right Republicans talk and talk yet do absolutely nothing when the opportunity presents itself. Instead, they prefer inaction over bi-partisanship.
What do you think we should do to force Mcconnell to support the Zadroga Act? Does this situation make you rethink how America treats its first responders? Do you think the bill is too expensive? If so, are there any smarter and more fiscally responsible ways to support 9/11 first responders? Do politics interfere with bills that are time sensitive?
Sources
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/press-past/2013/03/20/the-underestimated-costs-and-price-tag-of-the-iraq-war
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/nyregion/10health.html
http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/zadroga-act-wtc-world-trade-center-claims-lawyer-attorney-lawsuit
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/11/911-first-responders_n_5797398.html
WATCH THIS! Jon Stewart recaps basically what I said except he is more funny.
http://www.cc.com/video-clips/i58xmo/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-worst-responders
http://www.cc.com/video-clips/5xvbon/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-jon-stewart-calls-out-mitch-mcconnell
5 comments:
As you state, while republicans constantly remind the public to the praise and support the ever-growing number of veterans. But this praise is rarely actually done in the form of law. And the reasons you have stated show this obvious oxymoron that the far right republicans have crafted. The Zadroga act was one of the few instances where this has actually happened, and it still is a very small bill in the grand scheme of the government. The bill covers 33,000 heroes who risked their lives for the good of the country. Even if the bill was more expensive than the relatively small amount it currently requires, I would fully support it. The only reason this bill has not been re-affirmed is because of the politics that surround it. There's just no other reason for the uncooperative nature that Mcconnell.
This act further shows the need for a clear act that will help veterans as a whole. Veterans statistically have a 50% higher chance than a non-military citizen to commit suicide, and a lot of the reason for that is the lack of institutions built towards re-acclimating soldiers into the civilian life, along with the rampant PTSD that so often plagues soldiers coming back from war.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/12/09/zadroga-act-congress-vote/
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/21/us/22-veteran-suicides-a-day/
Issues like this are precisely why I want to identify with the Republican Party but feel guilty doing so in such a polarized Republican political climate. I am all for conservative spending, including cuts in the military budget as many Republicans are so reluctant to do for some reason that I cannot fathom, and I am all for delegating more power to the states; I believe that the Federal government has a disproportionate amount of power compared to its disconnect with the every day American. I feel as though this is a great example of that. Mitch McConnell should have very little to no say in actions involving New Yorkers. Frankly, I believe that the extent that the government is willing to pay for the Zadroga Act should be decided in the state of New York, and I believe that a higher percentage of everybody's income should go towards state taxes as opposed to the Federal government. People's issues are often not addressed by sweeping government legislation. James Zadroga and the other countless firefighters, policemen, and emergency medical service personnel were doing their jobs, yes, but they did so under the most dire of circumstances. They were responsible for saving many during the most tragic event in contemporary American history, but instead of being rewarded with meaningful medical treatment to combat the long term effects of their valor, they are punished with an early death. To be fair, what is equally heinous to me is how two days ago, the Republicans under McConnell came up with a plan to fund the Zadroga by making cuts of equal amount in Medicare. However, Democrats opposed this as the Republicans did not support creating a bigger deficit in the budget in passing the legislation. Back and forth the policy goes, neither side willing to compromise. Just like in the rendition of the 2000 election in Recount it has been shown that the United States political system has a difficult time doing anything in a timely manner. How many more servicemen will die from these debilitating long term effects before something is done?
This seems to be an unfortunate pattern for the Republicans. They block bills like these because they are "fiscally irresponsible" in where the funding comes from, or because they "aim to do too much." Mr. 2CHAINZ, I think you are absolutely spot-on in mentioning the ultra pro-vet rhetoric the party has engaged in historically. How they can justify calling themselves pro-veteran when they block bills that are so similar in nature is beyond me. However, their practice of taking bills such as these as "political hostage" is not new. In 2014, the Senate blocked a bill that would have expanded aid and other benefit programs to veterans by $21 billion was contested by Republicans on the grounds of its "fiscal irresponsibility." However, the bill's true cause of death was the Republican attempts to attach additional Iran sanctions onto a non-partisan bill that they knew the Democrats would staunchly oppose. They then blame the Democrats in Congress when the bill inevitably fails. This sort of political jockeying often drowns efforts to pass bills addressing and resolving non-partisan bills. I think the best way to combat this behavior is to draw attention to it as Jon Stewart did. We have to shame them into actually working to compromise and work across the aisle.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/veterans-benefits-bill-blocked-in-senate/
I completely agree with Your Pal- Republicans are always boasting about the work they do for servicemen and women, but they do not back their statements with actions. Healthcare for veterans is dismal in the United States, and now the pathetic manner in which we repay American heroes is spreading to the 9/11 first responders. This situation is made even more disgusting by the fact that the cost of this bill is so small; compared to the amount of money that the United states government spends every year, $7.4 Billion dollars is pocket change. 2CHAINZ, you really made your point shine when you compared it to the trillions of dollars we spent on the Iraq War (which, by the way, were spent to send troops off to war, but very few of which were used to take care of them when they came home).
In order to convince the turtle to back the re-authorization of the Zadroga Act, people from across the nation must voice their support for it and contact their congressmen/women. Although Jon Stewart called upon the people of Kentucky, McConnell's constituents, to convince their Senator to support the bill, I believe that this will not be enough. Even if the people of Kentucky do petition McConnell, his argument may simply be that this bill does not concern the people he represents. Thus, this issue requires that people all across the United States voice their support for the Zadroga Act, not just the people of Kentucky. If McConnell sees that Americans support this bill, it is his duty as an elected official to see that the will of the American people is implemented.
Post a Comment