King wants simple majority House vote on 9/11 health-care bill
By JENNIFER FERMINONew York Post
August 9, 2010
Fresh from his dust-up with US Rep. Anthony Weiner over the 9/11 health-care bill, Republican Peter King has joined forces with a prominent New York Democrat calling on the House to bring the legislation back from the dead for a simple majority vote.
The Long Island Congressman and New York State Democratic National Committee member Robert Zimmerman issued a joint statement urging the House to ditch the partisan posturing and remember their "moral obligation" to help 9/11 heroes.
"Police officers, firefighters and construction workers should not be allowed to die because elected representatives are reluctant to cast a possibly difficult vote. It would be unconscionable not to pass lifesaving legislation when a clear majority of House members support it," read the statement.
The bill to provide $7.4 billion in assistance to Ground Zero workers seemed destined to sail through the House, but fell victim to partisan sniping.
With the mid-term elections looming, Dems decided to put the bill to a two-thirds majority vote, instead of the usual simple majority. That way, they could stop the Republicans from tacking on amendments on hot button issues like immigration.
But the bill died after not getting the two-thirds majority — prompting a now infamous blowout between US Rep. Anthony Weiner and King on the House floor.
The Democratic Weiner accused King, a key backer of the bill, of "not doing the right thing on behalf of heroes" and blamed him for the bill’s lack of Republican support.
But King blasted the Dems and accused them of being "petrified" of a simple majority vote, which might force them to take a stand on an unpopular issue as the November elections near.
In the statement released on Monday King and Zimmerman urged the both sides to let the bill come back as soon as possible.
"We call upon the House Democratic Leadership to bring this bill quickly back to the House floor, this time allowing it to pass under the standard rule of a simple majority," read the statement.
"We call upon the House Republican Leadership to agree not to offer an amendment or a motion to recommit related to illegal immigration or any other "hot button" issue."
Meanwhile, sources said Weiner is fuming that Zimmerman joined up with King. The Brooklyn Democrat is telling people he wants Zimmerman ousted.