Gillibrand Announces Filibuster-Proof Majority of 61 Senate Cosponsors for Permanent & Fully Funded 9/11 Zadroga Health & Compensation Bill, 237 Bipartisan Cosponsors in the House of Representatives

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act, a bill to permanently extend and fully fund the 9/11 health and compensation programs, has garnered 61 Senate cosponsors, including 15 Republicans? -- a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate -- and 237 cosponsors in the House of Representatives.

"61 Senators have done the right thing for our heroes by supporting legislation that ?reauthoriz?es? and permanently extends? the 9/11 health and compensation programs," said Senator Gillibrand. "More than 14 years later, the 9/11 terror attacks are still claiming American lives, and we can't wait any longer to extend these programs, on which thousands of first responders, survivors, and their families rely. The cancers these heroes face don't expire and neither should their health care. Congress should not shortchange the victims of the largest terrorist attack on American soil in history. More police officers have died from 9/11-related illnesses than died on 9/11 itself. The damage from those attacks did not end on that day, and Congress has a moral obligation to help those brave first responders. Now that we have an overwhelming majority of Senators who support permanently extending the 9/11 health and compensation programs, we owe it to our heroes and their families to pass this bill."

Last month, hundreds of first responders and advocates -- including former Daily Show host Jon Stewart -- lobbied Congress in support of the permanent reauthorization of the Zadroga Act. Since then, 24 Senators -- 15 Democrats and nine Republicans -- have joined as cosponsors of the bill: the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act. A total of 61 Senators now support this legislation.

Created in 2010, the World Trade Center Health Program provides treatment and medical care to 33,000 first responders and survivors suffering from at least one 9/11-related illness or injury. More than 72,000 first responders and survivors receive medical monitoring to screen for cancers and other diseases observed in the 9/11 population. Participants in the World Trade Center Health Program live in all 50 states, and in 433 of the 435 Congressional Districts. The program expired on September 30th, putting these critical services in jeopardy.

Another program established as a part of the Zadroga Act, the Victims Compensation Fund, will expire in October 2016. The Fund provides financial aid to responders, survivors, and families who have suffered economic losses as a result of 9/11-related injuries.

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