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James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010

Floor Speech

Date: Dec. 22, 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care

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Madam Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of today, I call up the bill (H.R. 847) to amend the Public Health Service Act to extend and improve protections and services to individuals directly impacted by the terrorist attack in New York City on September 11, 2001, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and I have a motion at the desk.

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Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record.

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Madam Speaker, I yield to myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 847, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2019. Today, this body, for the third time, will vote on legislation to finally keep our promise and take care of the heroes of 9/11.

I would like to thank the bill's sponsors, Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler, as well as my colleagues from New York on the committee, Eliot Engel and Anthony Weiner, also, for their tireless work on behalf of this legislation.

Madam Speaker, this bill would establish the World Trade Center Health Program, a program to screen, monitor and treat eligible responders and survivors who are suffering from World Trade Center related diseases. It also reopens the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.

H.R. 847, as amended, costs $4.2 billion over 10 years. Of that amount, $1.5 billion will go to the health program, while $2.7 billion will go the VCF. Both programs are now limited to 5 years.

The amended bill before us today also changes how the two programs are paid for by a 2 percent fee on government procurement from foreign companies located in nongovernmental procurement, and a 1-year extension of H1-B and L-1 visa fees for outsourcing companies.

Madam Speaker, this bill has long been a huge priority for me and many of my colleagues in the House and the Senate. I urge my colleagues to pass the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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