Video

9/11 First Responders Fight As Zadroga Act Nears October 3rd Expiration

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John Feal is an Army veteran, a 9/11 first responder, and health advocate. In 2010, he helped drive the passage of the Zadroga Act, which covers health expenses and compensates 9/11 first responders who are suffering debilitating illnesses and injuries as a result of their service.

But critical programs in the Zadroga Act will expire soon unless it is reauthorized by Congress. In particular, the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, which pays for the ongoing treatment of first responders and survivors dealing with chronic diseases or respiratory disorders, expires October 3rd.

Last week, Feal, his fellow first responders, and Jon Stewart made their way back to Washington, D.C. to fight for the Zadroga Act’s reauthorization and to lobby Congress to make it permanent.

Feal brought to Washington, D.C. more than 100,000 signatures on a petition he started supporting permanent reauthorization of the Act. Currently, it has more than 114,000 signatures.

The Zadroga Act was named for James Zadroga, an NYPD first responder, who died in 2006 from respiratory disease sustained at Ground Zero. He is one of more than 33,000 responders to the September 11th attacks that have developed illnesses from exposure to toxins at 9/11 sites. More than three thousand developed cancers attributed to toxins at Ground Zero, according to the New York Times.

Want to see 9/11 first responder health care extended permanently? Tell Congress members to permanently extend the Zadroga Act by signing John Feal’s petition.

 

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Written by
Change.org
September 24, 2015 7:21 pm