One word - Outrageous. Plenty of money in the coffers for tax breaks but cannot spare a measly 7 Billion odd for 9/11 victims. I want to hear the conservatives explain away this one. WASHINGTON — Republican senators blocked Democratic legislation on Thursday that sought to provide medical care to rescue workers and others who became ill as a result of breathing in toxic fumes, dust and smoke at the site of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. The Senate’s action created huge uncertainty over the bill’s future. Its proponents were working on Thursday to salvage the legislation, including by proposing to have it inserted into a large tax-cut bill that Republicans and Democrats are trying to pass before Congress ends its current session. But such a move seemed unlikely, since it might complicate passage of the tax package, which includes another provision that Democrats, including President Obama, sought in return for supporting the extension of tax cuts for all income levels that Republicans wanted: a continuation of unemployment benefits for jobless Americans. In a vote largely along party lines, the Senate rejected a procedural move by Democrats to end debate on the 9/11 health bill and to bring it to a vote; 60 yes votes were needed, but the move received only 57, with 42 votes against. Republicans have been raising concerns about how to pay for the $7.4 billion measure, while Democrats, led by Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand of New York, have argued that there was a moral obligation to assist those who put their lives at risk during rescue and cleanup operations at ground zero. The bill is formally known as the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, named after a New York police detective who participated in the rescue efforts at ground zero. He later developed breathing complications that were common to first responders at the site, and he died in January 2006. The cause of his death became a source of debate after the city’s medical examiner concluded that it was not directly related to the 9/11 attacks. After the vote, Representative Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, a chief sponsor of the bill in the House, argued that Democrats should include the 9/11 health bill in the larger tax-cut legislation and, in the process, dare Republicans to oppose it in that context. Ms. Maloney added that the tax- cut bill was the one piece of legislation that “Republicans won’t leave this town without passing.” As the day wore on, it appeared increasingly unlikely that the Senate would include a provision providing health care for ground zero workers in any tax package it brought to the floor, according to senior Hill officials. And later on Thursday, when Democratic leaders in the Senate released the details of the tax-cut bill it did not contain any provision providing health care for ground zero workers. But supporters of the 9/11 legislation said they were pushing Democratic leaders in the House to include it in any tax-cut plan that that chamber approves. The vote earlier in the day was a blow to sponsors of the bill, who mobilized a network of allies across the political spectrum to lobby on its behalf, including the New York City police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Ms. Gillibrand, the chief sponsor in the Senate, even reached out to former President George W. Bush. But her aides say Mr. Bush did not respond to her entreaties. In a statement, Mr. Bloomberg chastised Senate Republicans for their “wrongheaded political strategy” and called on them to allow the bill to come to the floor for a vote. “The attacks of 9/11 were attacks on America,” he said, “and we have a collective responsibility to care for the heroes — from all 50 states — who answered the call of duty, saved lives, and helped our nation recover.” The bill calls for providing $3.2 billion over the next eight years to monitor and treat injuries stemming from exposure to toxic dust and debris at ground zero. New York City would pay 10 percent of those health costs. The bill would also set aside $4.2 billion to reopen the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund to provide payments for job and economic losses. In addition, the bill includes a provision that would allow money from the Victim Compensation Fund to be paid to any eligible claimant who receives a payment under the settlement of lawsuits that 10,000 rescue and cleanup workers recently reached with the city. Now, those who receive a settlement from the city are limited in how much compensation they can get from the fund, according to the bill’s sponsors. There are nearly 60,000 people enrolled in health monitoring and treatment programs related to the 9/11 attacks, according to the sponsors of the bill. The federal government provides the bulk of the money for those programs. If the bill is not adopted by the current Congress, its supporters will have start over again next year. With Republicans set to take over the House, passing the bill in that chamber will be extremely difficult, the bill’s supporters say. That is a large part of the reason backers of the measure were pleading with Senate leaders to get it passed by this Congress. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/nyregion/10health.html
I guess no one cares about 9/11 now that its stale news and has been squeezed for all its worth to get special interest groups whatever they wanted.
Yes, apparently no one cares anymore.
iteracom Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Yes, apparently no one cares anymore. So much for we will never forget.
If the democrats had done this instead of the republicans, I bet the people on them would be out in full force calling them traitors.
Enjoying your conversation with yourself?
ohai Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Enjoying your conversation with yourself? Yes, very much so. Thanks for joining me.
marcus phoenix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If the democrats had done this instead of the > republicans, I bet the people on them would be out > in full force calling them traitors. Wait, are you trying to say that people are politically partisan? How profound. If the Democrats had done this instead of the Republicans I bet you wouldn’t have posted the article. So what?
i’d like to get a t-shirt that says “the democrats had two years and all i got was this t-shirt”
or a t-shirt that says " Democrats: full control of house, senate, presidency. 1st year accomplishments: Nothing. "
ohai Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Enjoying your conversation with yourself? haha good call
To anyone who makes light of the sacrifices of those made on Sep 11, 2001 - I hope all those you love get sick with cancer and die a slow and painful death.
iteracom Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > or a t-shirt that says > > " > Democrats: full control of house, senate, > presidency. > 1st year accomplishments: Nothing. > " Lol…stimulus package, tax cuts, healthcare reform. attempt to repeal DADT, reducing troop presence in Iraq = nothing? Yet another republican pretending to be moderate.
hh Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > To anyone who makes light of the sacrifices of > those made on Sep 11, 2001 - I hope all those you > love get sick with cancer and die a slow and > painful death. Wish that on republicans who are playing dirty politics with this bill to deny Obama any victories. Their mission is to make him a one term president after all, let the country be damned.
The story leaves out a couple of key facts: 1. The republicans told the democrats that they would filibuster ANY bill that was put up before the dems put the tax cut bill up. So, the dems could have introduced a bill granting sainthood to Ronald Reagan and the republicans would have filibustered it. 2. The majority of republican senators publicly stated that they support the bill and will be happy to vote in favor of it after the tax cut bill is put forward. Senate democrats knew this and put the bill forward anyway to generate bad press for the republicans. They knew the bill would not survive and put it forward anyway. So, who’s really playing politics?
higgmond Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The story leaves out a couple of key facts: > > 1. The republicans told the democrats that they > would filibuster ANY bill that was put up before > the dems put the tax cut bill up. So, the dems > could have introduced a bill granting sainthood to > Ronald Reagan and the republicans would have > filibustered it. Is it right for them to hold the country hostage so that the millionaires can get their tax cuts? So the country can go to hell as long as the millionaires don’t get their tax cuts. > 2. The majority of republican senators publicly > stated that they support the bill and will be > happy to vote in favor of it after the tax cut > bill is put forward. > > Senate democrats knew this and put the bill > forward anyway to generate bad press for the > republicans. They knew the bill would not survive > and put it forward anyway. So, who’s really > playing politics? AFAIK it is the republicans who have and are always threatening to shut down the government if they don’t get their way. So who is really acting in the best interests of the majority of this country? The fact is that while the democratic party is a large tent, the Republicans are a bunch of rigid ideologues. No wonder the democrats can’t get their way even with super majorities.
higgmond Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The story leaves out a couple of key facts: > > 1. The republicans told the democrats that they > would filibuster ANY bill that was put up before > the dems put the tax cut bill up. So, the dems > could have introduced a bill granting sainthood to > Ronald Reagan and the republicans would have > filibustered it. > > 2. The majority of republican senators publicly > stated that they support the bill and will be > happy to vote in favor of it after the tax cut > bill is put forward. > > Senate democrats knew this and put the bill > forward anyway to generate bad press for the > republicans. They knew the bill would not survive > and put it forward anyway. So, who’s really > playing politics? Food safety bill? Republicans voted against this becuase of the likelihood that illeagal immegrants in NYC would receive part of the benefit. They didn’t want to answer that allegation in future elections. Nice. Oh, and then there’s Mr. 911, Rudy Giuliani, where is his outrage about the people he took countless photo ops with in the days following the attack? Maybe we wouldn’t have this problem if that moron showed some real leadership and wore a protective mask and forced everyone else within 500 yard to do so, instead of standing around in the billowing smoke looking “tough” just long enough to get his picture in the papers.
95% of MP’s posts: Democrats Good, Republics Bad. This $hit is really getting old dude.
CFABLACKBELT Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > 95% of MP’s posts: Democrats Good, Republics > Bad. > > This $hit is really getting old dude. what’s the other 5%?
marcus phoenix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > iteracom Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > or a t-shirt that says > > > > " > > Democrats: full control of house, senate, > > presidency. > > 1st year accomplishments: Nothing. > > " > > > Lol…stimulus package, tax cuts, healthcare > reform. attempt to repeal DADT, reducing troop > presence in Iraq = nothing? > > Yet another republican pretending to be moderate. Talking about it doesn’t count as an accomplishment. Nothing was achieved in year 1. CERTAINLY not healthcare. That’s why the bill got watered down so bad when it finally did pass. Obama was already neutered by then. Please… give me a break. troops in Afghanistan actually went UP a significant amount. DADT is already under talks of being repealed, democrats got slaughtered in midterm elections, and obama himself took responsibility for the heavy losses. Obama-fail.