The Time is now to Support Heroes of 9/11

Floor Speech

THE TIME IS NOW TO SUPPORT HEROES OF 9/11 -- (House of Representatives - September 06, 2007)

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Ms. CLARKE. Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking the gentlelady from New York for her relentless efforts on behalf of the victims, heroes and heroines of the World Trade Center attack and aftermath. I am joining my colleagues on the floor in pursuit of justice for the second-generation victims of the wicked attack of our Nation in New York City on September 11 and to demand basic health care support and services for those whose physical well-being was adversely and irreparably impacted by the horrific attack on the World Trade Center.

As was stated by the gentlelady from New York, I was elected to the New York City Council the year our dear city was attacked. I became Chair of the Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services, as well as a member of the Health Committee where we examined year after year what the impact of the aftermath, the work that our first responders, the residents of the area were feeling as a result of having been misguided, misled by our own Federal Government through the leadership, or lack of leadership some would say, of the administration through the Environmental Protection Agency which said to New Yorkers that the air we were breathing was okay and that we would be fine, only to find out that today many are diseased.

I also watched as a very close friend, a very best friend and companion of mine, rushed out on September 11 to the pile, a member of Local 79, who heard the call. And as I speak with him each and every day, I am reminded that he is one of the lucky ones. But every now and then when he coughs, I wonder could this be the advent of a serious health crisis that was precipitated by his heroism on that day.

I cannot fathom why on the advent of the 6th anniversary of this most tragic event in our history this administration has not seen fit to do right by its most courageous citizenry. This is a problem that not only affects many thousands of people throughout the New York region, but also countless thousands throughout the country who bravely came to New York City and helped my hometown in our time of need.

Immediately following the attack and imminent collapse of the World Trade Center, first responders, construction workers and volunteers from across every economic sector and walk of life converged upon what we know as Ground Zero to perform search and rescue missions.

From the outset, these heroic individuals went in without a second thought about their own personal well-being. They just wanted to save anyone who might have been buried alive and/or to help recover the bodies of those who had perished, heroes and heroines, without whose efforts New York City and our Nation never could have recovered as quickly as it did.

Later, many of these same workers went through the lengthy process of cleaning up the demolished site. At the time, the EPA declared the air to be safe to breathe, a statement we now know to have been false. Because of their efforts in helping our country to recover, these men and women ingested vast amounts of toxic dust and harmful chemicals. The result is a plague of debilitating and deadly diseases, some of which are rarely seen in nature. Only now, 6 years later, are many of these diseases and complications showing themselves. In fact, many of the people who spent time near the site may not show any problems until several years further down the line. Even the best experts have no clue just how many of these individuals will actually fall ill of long-term complications from the exposure.

Of course we cannot change the past so there is nothing anyone can do about exposure that already took place. All we can do now is make sure that these victims receive the medical treatment they deserve. Bureaucratic red tape and legal challenges have left these second generation victims overwhelmed by deteriorating health as well as a lack of meaningful financial support from a grateful Nation. Many are going bankrupt under the weight of escalating health costs and the loss of income to their homes and families. And what about the families?

Furthermore, there has been no assistance offered to the many nonresponders who worked on the scene and the area residents who breathed the tainted air that entered their homes. These people are also victims of the attacks, and require support for health problems that are only now manifesting.

This is why I am compelled to add my name and wholehearted support behind the Maloney-Nadler-Fossella 9/11 Health Compensation Act. This comprehensive bill establishes programs to monitor and treat everyone exposed to the dangerous toxins found at Ground Zero.

Whether you are a police officer or firefighter, construction worker, area resident, government employee or anyone else who spent significant time at the scene, you are entitled to treatment for any disease that doctors find is linked to your work immediately after the attacks.

Some of my colleagues from outside the New York region may wonder why they should support such a bill. They say it does nothing for their own States or districts, so why bother voting for it.

I feel the reasons could not be clearer. The diseases being developed by victims of Ground Zero are horrid. Already well over 100 deaths have been partially attributed to toxins from the site. Not long ago, a 34-year-old detective collapsed and died while playing with his young daughter due to complications from exposure. There are victims requiring double lung transplants because of damage caused from dust and chemicals. Others develop rare cancers

These people are heroes to the Nation. They went in and helped resuscitate not just a city but an entire country that had been shocked, frozen, traumatized and unsure of how to react. It should be a matter of national honor to help these victims who have rushed in where we all rushed out.

I wholeheartedly support the Maloney-Nadler-Fossella bill as a cosponsor, and I look forward to joining my colleagues and the AFL-CIO this weekend at the World Trade Center site as we rally in support of fulfilling victims' long-term health care needs.

I thank the gentlewoman from New York for her extraordinary leadership with regards to this matter, and I look forward to pursuing what is right and what is just on behalf of our fellow New Yorkers, fellow Americans and their families.

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