Plea to spare Zadroga law from drastic federal cuts in January
Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Pete King write House leaders, saying that since vets' benefits won't be touched when budget deal ax comes down, then Zadroga should also be exempt
By Joseph Straw
Daily News
September 28, 2012
WASHINGTON — New York lawmakers who penned legislation providing billions for those sickened by 9/11 are lobbying to rescue the funds from a massive budget cut.
The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act authorizes $4.3 billion in assistance for those afflicted with various illnesses due to conditions at Ground Zero after the attack.
The program, like most across the federal government, faces an automatic 7.6% cut on Jan. 2 as part of a 2011 deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and avert a national default.
Zadroga Act co-author Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens) and co-sponsoring Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn) and Pete King (R-L.I.), wrote House leaders of both parties Thursday, arguing that since veterans benefits have been spared, Zadroga benefits should be, too.
“As we work to stave off (cuts), we urge you to keep these heroes and survivors, as well as the vital programs that serve them, in mind,” they wrote.
Thousands of volunteers who recovered debris and human remains from the World Trade Center site have fallen ill with respiratory disorders and cancers, and many have died.
Congress has recessed until after Election Day.