Pallone Joins 9/11 First Responders and NJ & NY Colleagues at Ground Zero to Call for Zadroga Reauthorization

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2015

LONG BRANCH, NJ – As the 14th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks approaches, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and a bipartisan group of his New Jersey and New York colleagues called on Congress to prevent the expiration of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The Members of Congress were joined by first responders and survivors at Ground Zero. Reauthorization of the legislation would ensure first responders and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center continue to receive the monitoring and care they need. Pallone is an original co-sponsor of the bill and, as the lead Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has been integral in securing a June hearing and advancing the bill.

"On 9/11, first responders answered our call for help when we needed them most. Yet, with the 14th anniversary approaching, many are still forced to deal with the enduring after-effects of their service at Ground Zero. We owe it to them to reauthorize the Zadroga Act so they can continue to receive the care they rely on,” said Congressman Pallone. “I am glad we were able to secure a hearing in my Committee, which was a critical first step toward passage. But as the anniversary approaches and as expiration of the program draws closer every day, Congress must redouble its efforts and renew its commitment to our 9/11 heroes.”

In addition to his efforts to advance the legislation in his Committee, Pallone has consistently made it a priority to call attention to the need for reauthorization. Prior to the June hearing, Pallone toured and held a press conference with first responders at the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program clinic at EOHSI in Piscataway, NJ.

In 2011, the bipartisan James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 was signed into law, establishing the WTC Health Program and the Nationwide Provider Network and reopened the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). The programs provide the thousands of 9/11 responders and their survivors with medical treatment for 9/11-related health conditions and economic compensation for losses resulting from the attack. Without reauthorization, the WTC Health Program will expire in October of this year and the VCF will expire in 2016.

In addition to providing health care services, the legislation directs the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research into new conditions that may be related to the attacks and to evaluate emerging methods of diagnosis and treatment. The program builds on the expertise of the Centers of Excellence, which are currently providing high-quality care to thousands of responders and ensuring ongoing data collection and analysis to evaluate health risks.

On Anniversary of 9/11, Pallone Announces Support for 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Legislation

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement to declare his support for reauthorization legislation that provides health care and compensation for the more than 60,000 9/11 first responders and area residents and workers who continue to suffer from health conditions associated with the side effects caused by exposure to toxins at Ground Zero:

“Although more than a decade has passed since 9/11, the brave men and women who risked their lives to report for duty at Ground Zero on that fateful morning, as well as the weeks and months that followed, are still experiencing adverse health effects,” said Pallone. “I am proud to announce my intention to co-sponsor reauthorization legislation so that vital health care services and deserved compensation can be provided to our heroes who chose to run toward the fire and smoke that day, not away from it. Now, in their time of need, we must not run away from them. This critical program should be extended without delay.”

Without congressional action, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which passed Congress back in 2010, will expire in 2015. The legislation created a health program that provides monitoring and treatment for those suffering from adverse health effects, as well as a compensation fund for economic damages and loss for individuals and first responders who became ill from the toxins at Ground Zero.

Congressman Pallone served as the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health in 2010 when the original law passed. He helped author and secure passage of the Zadroga Act after eight years of examination of the public health effects of 9/11.

Back Doors

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:

Last week The New York Times and The Guardian reported that the National Security Agency has weakened or broken the online encryption relied upon by hundreds of millions of Americans to protect their private data.

Congressman Rush Holt

According to these reports, the NSA has covertly weakened the computer security protocols that American citizens and businesses rely on. The NSA has surreptitiously obtained the encryption keys used by major corporations to protect online data. And the NSA has demanded that manufacturers insert “back doors” into computer systems to enable secret government eavesdropping.

It’s as though the NSA had secretly copied the keys to your home. Worse, it’s as though the NSA had prohibited manufacturers from even making secure locks – all while assuring the public that of course their belongings were safe.

Although the NSA’s goal may have been to allow the U.S. government to spy on communications, by introducing vulnerabilities into widely used computer hardware and software, the NSA would be rendering all communications vulnerable to criminals and foreign intelligence agencies. Anyone can walk through an open door if they can find it.

Earlier this year I introduced legislation, the Surveillance State Repeal Act, that would make it illegal for the NSA to coerce developers to include “back doors” in computer hardware or entry points in software. These revelations give that proposal new urgency.

Next Steps Forward in Syria

President Obama’s speech to the nation this week about the situation in Syria was both timely and necessary. I welcome his call for a delay in Congressional consideration of an authorization for the use of military force.

I am pleased that the President has dispatched Secretary of State Kerry to meet with his Russian counterpart in Europe to explore whether the proposal to verifiably disarm Syria of its chemical weapons can be successfully implemented. As we learned after the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the best way to ensure a rogue nation is reliably disarmed of its weapons of mass destruction is through intrusive, internationally supervised on-site inspections.

If the proposal works, it would be the best way to eliminate safely Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons arsenal without risking either American or Syrian lives in a military campaign.

Deadline to Register for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund

It has been twelve years since that terrible day when nearly 3,000 of our fellow citizens perished in an unprovoked series of attacks on our nation. And while the key perpetrators of that horror are now themselves either dead or in our custody, the pain and the heroism of Americans on that day is something we must never forget.

In 2009, I helped pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act establishing a fund to to compensate for physical harm or death caused by the attacks of September 11, 2001. Potential claimants include first responders; cleanup workers; construction and sanitation personnel; and individuals who lived, worked, or volunteered in the areas of the crashes at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon site, and the Shanksville, Pennsylvania site.

If you believe you may be eligible for compensation, it is important to register by the October 3, 2013 deadline. Registration is very easy and requires answering only a few questions. The website VCF.gov includes detailed information on the registration deadline and a link to register online, or you can call toll-free 1-855-885-1555.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress