Why are Congressional Leaders Turning Their Back on Marci Simms and the 9/11 Zadroga Act?

New York Police Department Lieutenant Macy Simms died last week of 9/11 related lung cancer. Rest in Peace Lt. Simms.

Thankfully, all of Lt. Simms’ medical care was covered under the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010.  Last month the medical coverage portion of the Zadroga 9/11 Act expired, leaving current and future 9/11 cancer victims without medical coverage.

With either a wanton disregard or a shameful lack of human decency, House leaders failed to bring overwhelmingly bi-partisan bill to the floor for a vote which would extend medical care and compensation for all 9/11 heroes with cancer who were exposed to the deadly toxins at Ground Zero.

When he was recently elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan stated: “we [Republicans] need to move from being an opposition party to a proposition party”.

It was a very powerful statement  – and a promise that the American people should hold Speaker Ryan to in relation to the Zadroga Re-Authorization Act. 

Their are now 246 House co-sponsors and 64 Senate co-sponsors (both Republican and Democrat)  of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Re-authorization Act.   Both the House and the Senate are controlled by Republican majorities. This bill would make the Act permanent and fully funded, just like benefits for disabled veterans’.

So, I respectfully ask Speaker Ryan if he plans to support or oppose the current overwhelmingly bipartisan  James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Re-authorization Act bill?  Are the House Republicans an “opposition party or a proposition party” as he has promised?

The late Marci Simms and her fellow heroes need to know.