Res. No. 533-A
Resolution calling upon the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act.
By Council Members Chin, The Speaker (Council Member Mark-Viverito), Vallone, Miller, Cohen, Constantinides, Eugene, Gentile, Gibson, Johnson, Koo, Lander, Levine, Mendez, Richards, Rodriguez, Rose, Wills, Levin, Dromm, Kallos, Rosenthal and Ulrich
Whereas, The Nation remembers the 2,977 people who were killed on 9/11 in New York City, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania; among them 343 members of the New York Fire Department, 23 members of the New York City Police Department, and 37 Port Authority officers; and
Whereas, The Nation does not seem to know of the over 30,000 Americans who have been certified to suffer from at least one illnesses related to the 9/11 attacks and two thirds of those have more than one injury; and
Whereas, First responders in New York City are particularly hard hit; and
Whereas, More than 1,500 members of the New York City Fire Department (Firefighters and EMS workers) and more than 550 members of the Police Department have had to leave their jobs because of their disabling 9/11 related illnesses that were severe enough to be granted a WTC disability pension; and
Whereas, Over 3,600 Responders and Survivors have been certified with a 9/11 related cancer, of which over 950 are New York City Fire Department Personal (Firefighters and EMS workers); and
Whereas, More than 90 members of the New York City Fire Department (Firefighters and EMS workers) and more than 80 New York City Police Officers have died from their 9/11 injuries since 9/11, with more dying every month; and
Whereas, While the majority of recipients live in the New York City area, many survivors and first responders of the 9/11 attacks live across the United States; and
Whereas, These individuals live in every State and in 429 out 435 Congressional districts across the county; and
Whereas, The 2010 James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was finally passed after years of delay by Washington to respond to the 9/11 Health Crisis, and
Whereas, The Act created the World Trade Center Health Program (the "Program"), which provides health treatment to people who worked or resided in the vicinity of the World Trade Center on and after the events of September 11, 2001; and
Whereas, The Program is comprised of the "Responder Program" and the "Survivor Program"; and
Whereas, The Responder Program provides medical treatment for 9/11 injuries and medical monitoring to the personnel who carried our rescue and recovery duties at the World Trade site and has over 60,000 participating in it; and
Whereas, The Survivor Program provides services to individuals who lived, worked or went to school around the World Trade Center site and over 7,500 survivors who are injured are getting treatment for their 9/11 injuries; and
Whereas, In addition to authorizing the World Trade Center Health Program, the legislation will also reopen the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund ("VCF"); and
Whereas, The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund is now compensating injured and ill 9/11 responders, survivors and their surviving families for economic losses related to their injuries; and
Whereas, The 9/11 Health and Compensation Act expires this Congress; and
Whereas, The World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund are scheduled to expire in October 2015 and October 2016, respectively; and
Whereas, Congress members Carolyn Maloney, Jerold Nadler and Peter King and United States Senators Kirsten E. Gillibrand and Charles Schumer will be reintroducing legislation, which would reauthorize the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (the "Zadroga Act"); and
Whereas, Unless Congress acts to reauthorize the Zadroga Act thousands of injured and ill 9/11 responders and survivors are at risk of losing crucial health care; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act.
LS# 2703, 2706, 2875
March 30, 2015
GZ