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Ground Zero Workers Ask Bush: Where Are You Now? |
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President Bush is expected tonight to tell us that the state of the nation is strong. Here’s one question among many he may not answer: “Is the state of our union strong enough to provide for the health needs of 9/11 workers?”
On Capitol Hill today, AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney and New York State AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes joined members of Congress and the heroes of Sept. 11 in asking that crucial question.
First responders, cleanup crews and other workers directly involved with responding to the 9/11 attacks have experienced serious health problems, and the Bush administration has failed to respond to their health care needs. Thousands of Ground Zero workers need monitoring and special care to deal with the complex health problems that resulted from their work that day and in the months after the terrorist attacks.
Sweeney said the failure to provide for these workers showed a fundamental disrespect for their sacrifices:
Year after year, President Bush has refused to request the necessary funding to provide medical care for the 9/11 workers. Today, we are here to call upon our government to help those who came forward and helped the nation during one of its darkest hours.
Workers like Joe Libretti, who took part in today’s press conference, described their experiences since 9/11. Libretti, a member of Ironworkers Local 580 in New York, volunteered on the site in the days following the attacks and spent a month doing recovery and cleanup work in dangerous conditions. He currently is without health coverage and spends $2,000 a month on prescriptions to deal with the health effects of his work at the World Trade Center site.
He challenged the administration to step up and meet the pressing needs of 9/11 workers:
When 9/11 happened, no one asked what they should do. They just did it. The president said he wouldn’t forget us, but where are you now? I’d do it again, and not just because I lost my brother, but because it’s the right thing to do. [Bush] should do the right thing too.
Martin Fullman, a veteran member of the New York Fire Department, fell ill with pulmonary fibrosis and other serious respiratory ailments after responding on 9/11. He thanked those members of Congress who are fighting on his behalf and challenged the Bush administration to step up.
We have demonstrated our commitment to our great country. Now, we look over our shoulders to see who’s fighting for us.
Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) have introduced H.R. 3543, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which would create a permanent World Trade Center Health Program to provide monitoring, treatment and research to address the health effects of the 9/11 attacks.
The act is named after a New York police detective who died from the after-effects of responding to the disaster. Joe Zadroga, his father, spoke at the rally about the moral imperative to care for the long-term victims of 9/11:
It took my son’s death to realize how sick these people are. It is difficult to watch your son die a slow death from a long disease. My wife and I pledged that I will not give up, that she will not give up until we get help for these people. These heroes are not being taken care of. Their families have to watch them die a slow death. I ask the president to keep his word.
The 9/11 responders will be attending the State of the Union address tonight as guests of Maloney and other members of Congress.
Meanwhile, across the Capitol grounds, members of Congress discussed the wider health care crisis facing the country. At a summit for members of the progressive media, Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) discussed the need for serious reform and addressed the political challenges ahead.
Wyden said the next few months would be crucial in crafting a reform bill and building a health care coalition by the time the next president takes office.
I believe in 2009, we are going to end the disgrace of being the only western nation that hasn’t fixed our health care system.
The AFL-CIO is leading a national campaign in support of secure, high-quality health care for all. As part of this campaign, we’ve launched a national survey about the health care system and prepared a comprehensive chart comparing the health care plans of presidential candidates. More than 13,000 people have responded to the survey so far.
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Ground Zero Workers Ask Bush: Where Are You Now?
Sitting in the oval office. Get lost, you working people.
And the questions bouds: “Do you feel safer Now” The answer is a resounding NO! I live in Florida. Here about 6 months ago, I was entering the Key West Naval Station called Truman Annex. All military housing is here. Beautiful place! Some houses are less than 100 Yds form the Atlantic Ocean! On this particular day, immediately after entering, I noticed yellow crime scene tape to my left about 25 yards away but at the waters edge. I asked if perhaps someone had drowned or been hit by a boat or something. No not that. Apparently 2 cuban refugees had floated up in a “johnboat” and walked up to a house that looked like someone was home ON THIS NAVAL BASE and knocked on the door and asked the Admirals wife (in Spanish - of course) “Could you please call the authorities for us?” (Florida has a wetfoot dryfoot policy with regard to cuban refugees if they hit land, they can stay, if they are caught on the water they can be sent back and they know this) WALKED ONTO THE U.S. NAVAL BASE!!! How safe is this? Two people, ‘walked’ onto the base. I’m thinking these could be suicide bombers, terrorists and our military families could be in harms way! My daughter and her family live here! I’m taking them home where it IS safe! My only comment was “And I have to take off my shoes at the airport!”