Senate Approves James Zadroga 9/11 Health Bill

WASHINGTON – To the ill and dying Americans who answered the call after 9/11: Merry Christmas, help finally is on the way.

More than nine years after the worst foreign attack in U.S. history, the Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to pass the $4.3 billion James Zadroga Health and Compensation Act.

It gives medical care and financial relief to tens of thousands of responders.

Many Capitol Hill insiders never believed the measure would pass, and some Republicans had threatened to try and kill it – even with the holidays arriving.

But a dramatic night of negotiations by New York lawmakers and the bill’s foes Tuesday night and into Wednesday won an 11th hour deal.

“It’s a good Christmas present for everybody,” said Joe Zadroga, the father of city detective James Zadroga who died from his ruined lungs and became the face of the legislation.

Jennifer McNamara, whose firefighter husband John died of cancer blamed on 9/11, wept when she heard the news, remembering how much he wanted his government to act for people who sacrificed.

“Working for this day was such a part of my husband’s existence, and mine,” an emotional McNamara said.

“This is something that will help take care of people, and that’s something John would be proud of,” she said. “My Christmas is good. I’m done. This is the best present I’m going to get because my husband is never coming back.”

Some first responders who fought for years to get a lethargic Congress to act were awash in relief – even though the $4.3 billion bill approved was $2 billion less than planned.

“They’re going to celebrate Christmas knowing that help is on the way,” said Ground Zero construction veteran John Feal, whose FealGood Foundation led the fight. “I never won Lotto, but that’s got to be a pretty good feeling for people.”

“Am I 100% happy? No,” Feal added. “But we’re leaving Washington with a victory. On a scale of zero to 10, I give it a seven, and zero helps nobody – seven saves lives.”

The deal, first reported on nydailynews.com, finally came together Wednesday morning after marathon negotiations between Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirtsen Gillibrand, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, and GOP Sens. Mike Enzi and Tom Coburn.

“With this vote, Congress repaid a long-overdue debt and answered the emergency calls of thousands of ailing 9/11 first responders and survivors,” Maloney said. “This bipartisan compromise is a strong program that will save lives. Thanks in great measure to the Daily News’ steadfast advocacy, help is finally here for the thousands of Americans who are suffering because of 9/11.”

“The Christmas Miracle we’ve been looking for has arrived,” Schumer and Gillibrand said in a statement.

“Over the last 24 hours, our Republican colleagues have negotiated in good faith to forge a workable final package that will protect the health of the men and women who selflessly answered our nation’s call in her hour of greatest need,” the added.

Besides cutting the price from $6.2 billion, the new bill covers up to six years, instead of 10.

And rather than create a $3.2 billion health fund, it will be $1.5 billion.

The compensation portion is $2.8 billion, some of which will be paid out relatively soon, with the final payment in six years.

Other concessions negotiators had to make to Coburn and Enzi included capping all lawyers’ fees at 10%, with no exceptions, and even stronger reporting requirements and Government Accountability Office reviews than were already in the bill.

Although people who took money from the recent 9/11 lawsuit were already accounted for in the Zadroga bill, Republicans insisted on stronger language ensuring they could not double-dip.

Their legal settlements will be subtracted from any Zadroga bill payments.

One key provision the New York side refused to budge on was cutting the medical treatment pay scale, which was set at 140% of Medicaid because of high local medical costs.

The GOPer had hoped to set rates for sick responders at less than what federal workers get for workers’ compensation claims.

The House is expected to sign off this afternoon.