Gillibrand, Schumer: New Momentum For 9/11 Health Bill

Press Release

Gillibrand, Schumer: The Finish Line for 9/11 First Responders is in Sight

Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) announced they have made alterations to an important health bill for 9/11 first responders--including trimming the bill's price tag by $1.2 billion--in a move that is expected to clear the way for final passage of the measure before the end of this year.

The senators said that they have received a commitment from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to hold a vote on the bill this week once debate on the New START treaty is ended. They said the changes to the 9/11 bill were likely to win enough Republican support to block a filibuster.

"I believe we now have more than enough votes to pass this legislation. We have been working extremely closely with a number of Republicans and have made a series of changes to the bill. Americans will be watching closely over the next few days and expecting the Senate to do what is right and fulfill our moral obligation to these heroes," Gillibrand said.

"Since this bill was blocked last week, we have redoubled our efforts to reach out to Republicans so we could finally pass this bill. The clock is winding down, but we believe we are on the verge of an eleventh-hour breakthrough. This has been a long process. It's been like running a marathon. We've had a lot of ups and downs, but now the finish line is in sight. Barring a setback, we believe we are on a path to victory by the end of this week," Schumer said.

As a result of the settlement reached last month with many of the ailing Ground Zero workers, the overall cost of the bill is now reduced from $7.4 billion to $6.2 billion.

Additionally, in response to concerns raised by Senate Republicans, Gillibrand and Schumer unveiled a new way of paying for the bill. Instead of relying on the House-passed offset that closed foreign tax loopholes, the new Senate bill would impose a 2-percent excise fee on certain foreign companies that receive U.S. government contracts. This raises roughly $4.5 billion over 10 year. To offset the remaining cost of the 9/11 measure, the bill includes two other revenue-raising measures that have passed the Senate either unanimously or on a broad, bipartisan vote.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which has been a priority of New York's congressional delegation for years, would provide health care for 9/11 first responders who rushed to Ground Zero in the days after the World Trade Center attack. It failed on a party-line vote earlier this month on account of a Republican filibuster, but Gillibrand and Schumer have vowed all along to continue fighting.

If Gillibrand and Schumer succeed in pushing the modified legislation through the Senate this week, the House of Representative would need to pass the measure again with the new offsets. Gillibrand and Schumer said Sunday they were hopeful the House could be called back into session in that event.

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