by ARI PAUL
The U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee that has kept the James Zadroga bill from coming to a full floor vote is set to act on it March 16, the day this newspaper hits the stands, lawmakers said.
The Health Subcommittee of the Energy Committee has held off until now at the direction of U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, who despite pressure from first-responder unions to call the bill to a vote previously said he did not have enough support to pass it.
Offers Permanent Funding
The bill, named for an NYPD Detective who died as a result of illnesses many believed he contracted while working at the toxic Ground Zero site, would provide permanent Federal funding for 9/11 health monitoring and treatment programs.
Because the bill has two aspects- monetary compensation for victims and health program funding-it must be passed by the two relevant committees. The Judiciary Committee has already passed the compensation part, but the Energy Committee must vote on the bill's health details before the measure comes to a full floor vote.
"In this case, there's no such animal as too little too late," said Patrick J. Bahnken, who as president of District Council 37 Local 2507 represents Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians. "We welcome movement. People are still sick and people are getting sicker every day."
On the subject of Rep. Pallone's turnabout, Mr. Bahnken said, "We are glad that he has finally moved."
A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a key sponsor of the bill, said of the scheduled vote, "We are very hopeful that it will pass."
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