TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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WORLD TRADE CENTER HEALTH PROGRAM AND VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, we just passed the 14th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Americans all across the country honored the memory of 2,977 lives lost. There were moments of silence. There were testimonials from friends and family of the victims. There were statements, speeches, and posts online by my colleagues in Congress vowing to ``never forget.'' But the victims of September 11 are not just the men and women who were killed on that horrible day; the terror attacks on that day in 2001 are still claiming American lives. This includes the heroes who ran into the towers to save whom they could, who worked on the piles so that Americans might rebuild, and who would not abandon their community in a time of terrifying confusion and intense grief. Many of them are now sick because of their work at Ground Zero, and many are dying.

In 2010, after years of delay, we finally established the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation programs to provide our first responders, the survivors, and their families with the health care and benefits they very desperately needed. Tomorrow, at midnight, the bill authorizing this funding will expire.

More than 33,000 first responders and survivors have an illness or injury caused by the attacks or their aftermath. More than 1,700 have passed away from 9/11-related illnesses. More police officers have died since 9/11 from 9/11-related diseases than died on 9/11 itself. Since the 14th anniversary of the attacks earlier this month, another six 9/11 first responders have died. Think about that. In just a few short weeks, 6 more of our 9/11 heroes have died: John P. McKee, Roy McLaughlin, Reginald Umpthery, Kevin Kelly, Thomas Zayas, and Paul McCabe. They were married, and they had kids. Their average age was just a few years older than mine--53. They will all miss birthday parties and graduations. They will miss evening dinners and holidays. They leave behind mortgages, car payments, and college-tuition payments. These 9/11 illnesses not only rob families of their loved ones, but they leave them to face expenses without, in many cases, the family's primary breadwinner.

Two weeks ago, hundreds of first responders from all over the country traveled to Washington to lobby Congress not to let their health care program expire. If Congress doesn't act now, how many more first responders and their families are going to suffer medically and financially because we didn't do our job and reauthorize this program?

Let me tell you about just one responder, Ken George from Long Island. Ken was 37 on September 11, 2001. He was working for the New York City Highway Department, and after the attacks he went to do search and rescue work. He was there for a couple of weeks. Almost right away, Ken developed a cough, then asthma, and then the asthma led to restricted airway disease. Doctors found crushed glass from Ground Zero in his lungs. He was forced to retire in 2006 because his medical ailments became too burdensome, and now, as he put it, he is ``financially hurting like you wouldn't believe.''

We are not talking about statistics. We are not talking about data points on a chart. We are talking about a 51-year-old man with a wife and three kids, with crushed glass in his lungs because he chose to do the right thing. He chose to answer the call of duty, and he chose to search for survivors after 9/11. On top of everything else he is dealing with, Ken now has to worry if he will get the health treatments he needs and if his family will have the basic financial support they need.

The health program officially expires tomorrow at midnight, but these illnesses--Ken's and thousands of others'--never expire, and neither should their health care.

We must reauthorize and make permanent the World Trade Center Health Program and Victim Compensation Fund. The participants in the health program live in every single State. They live in 429 of the 435 congressional districts. Every Senator in this Chamber has constituents who are sick and dying and are in this program.

A majority of this body has already signed on as cosponsors of this legislation, including many after our day of action a couple weeks ago. So let's finish this job. Let's give our 9/11 heroes the care and compensation they deserve and so desperately need. Let's truly never forget. The clock is ticking. Let's do our job.

I yield the floor.

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