Senators see chance for passing 9/11 health bill

Senators still see chance for 9/11 health bill
A retooled bill providing medical care for Firefighters and other emergency responders to the September 11, 2001 attacks could be resurrected soon in the Senate, a few weeks after Republicans blocked the measure, backers said on Sunday. “We believe we are on a path to victory by the end of this week,” said Senator Charles Schumer. But he was quick to add that unexpected obstacles could arise. He and fellow New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand outlined for reporters some changes they w...

Senators see chance for passing 9/11 health bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A retooled bill providing medical care for Firefighters and other emergency responders to the September 11, 2001 attacks could be resurrected soon in the Senate, a few weeks after Republicans blocked the measure, backers said on Sunday. "We believe we are on a path to victory by the end of this week," said Senator Charles Schumer. But he was quick to add that unexpected obstacles could arise. He and fellow New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand outlined for ...

U.S. senators hope to pass 9/11 health bill
WASHINGTON - A retooled bill providing medical care for Firefighters and other emergency responders to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks could be resurrected soon in the U.S. Senate, a few weeks after Republicans blocked the measure, backers said Sunday. “We believe we are on a path to victory by the end of this week,” said Senator Charles Schumer. But he was quick to add that unexpected obstacles could arise. He and fellow New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand outlined for reporters some c...

Senators See Chance For Passing 9 / 11 Health Bill
The latest on President Obama, the new Congress and other news from Washington and around the nation. Join the discussion. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A retooled bill providing medical care for Firefighters and other emergency responders to the September 11, 2001 attacks could be resurrected soon in the Senate, a few weeks after Republicans blocked the measure, backers said on Sunday. "We believe we are on a path to victory by the end of this week," said Senator Charles Schumer. But he was quick to ...

Dems: Congress will OK aid for 9/11 responders
(12-20) 06:21 PST WASHINGTON, CA (AP) -- New York's two senators said Monday that the votes are there for Congress to approve a scaled-back bill providing extra benefits to emergency workers who responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center. But one of them, Charles Schumer, expressed concern that opponents might use a Filibuster to kill the bill as Congress tries to complete its business for the year this week. "If no one does undue delay — just stands up and delays and delays and ...

Senate Democrats likely to pass new 9/11 health bill
Stumble This! Legislation to improve Health Care services to Rescue Workers who became ill as a result of breathing dangerous fumes and dust at the World Trade Center may receive a second chance after being blocked by Senate Republicans last week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid intends to bring up a scaled-down version of the 9/11 First Responders health bill for another vote during the lame-duck session. The bill is expected after the Senate votes on the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty...

A Handful of Republicans Have Finally Been Convinced to Help Sick Ground Zero Workers
Photo: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images Don't look now, but the Democrats are starting to rack up a pretty sizable number of successes in what was at one time expected to be a quiet and largely uneventful lame-duck session. There was the tax-cut deal, which included an extension of Unemployment Benefits, then the Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and soon, it appears, even the long-stalled James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. And yes, it is strange that guaranteeing medical assistance f...

Backers of 9/11 health bill optimistic
WASHINGTON (AP) — Backers of a bill in Congress to help people who became sick after working in the World Trade Center dust created by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks said Sunday they're optimistic the Senate will approve the measure before the lame-duck session ends. "We are on the verge of a Christmas miracle," said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York. Gillibrand and Sen. Chuck Schumer, also a New York Democrat, are offering a less-costly alternative to the original bill to aid ...

Backers of 9/11 health bill optimistic
WASHINGTON — Backers of a bill in Congress to help people who became sick after working in the World Trade Center dust created by the Sept. 11 attacks said Sunday they're optimistic the Senate will approve the measure before the lame-duck session ends. "We are on the verge of a Christmas miracle," said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. Gillibrand and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., are offering a less-costly alternative to the original bill to aid 9/11 responders and survivors, saying that the...

Senate Democrats optimistic over 9/11 rescue workers bill
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Senate Democrats said they were hopeful they had pulled off "a Christmas miracle" by gaining enough votes to pass a Health Care bill benefiting 9/11 Rescue Workers. Long-time champion of the bill, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, said in the past 48 hours Democrats had retooled the measure to gain Republican support. He said Democrats would introduce the bill after the last vote on the START nuclear arms treaty, which has occupied the Senate for several days. "Barring a setba...

NY senators seek "Christmas miracle" for Ground Zero heroes bill
Politico: New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday that the House should stay in session until the Senate passes a new version of a bill aimed at giving health benefits to Ground Zero workers. Setting up a clash in the final days of the congressional session, Schumer - along with fellow New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand - offered a modified version of a bill Sunday giving compensation to Rescue Workers who fell ill from the toxic dust stemming from the collapse of the twin towers ...

9/11 First Responders Bill: Senator Gillibrand Insists The Votes Are There
WASHINGTON — New York's two senators said Monday that the votes are there for Congress to approve a scaled-back bill providing extra benefits to emergency workers who responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center. But one of them, Charles Schumer, expressed concern that opponents might use a Filibuster to kill the bill as Congress tries to complete its business for the year this week. "If no one does undue delay – just stands up and delays and delays and delays – we will...

Gillibrand: Votes there for first responder care
A New York senator is predicting that the scaled-back costs of a bill to provide Health Care to the police and Firefighters who were first on the scene of the country's worst Terrorist Attack will win Senate passage. Democrat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Monday that trimming the cost of the First Responders' Health Care bill from $7.4 billion to $6.2 billion has addressed concerns of some of her Republican colleagues. The bill would cover the Health Care costs of those who reached the World Trad...

Gillibrand: Votes there for first responder care
WASHINGTON (AP) — A New York senator is predicting that the scaled-back costs of a bill to provide Health Care to the police and Firefighters who were first on the scene of the country’s worst Terrorist Attack will win Senate passage. Democrat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Monday that trimming the cost of the First Responders’ Health Care bill from $7.4 billion to $6.2 billion has addressed concerns of some of her Republican colleagues. The bill would cover the Health Care costs...

9/11 Health Bill Wins Support From G.O.P. (to pass before end of 111th Congress)
Source: New York Times 9/11 Health Bill Wins Support From G.O.P. By CARL HULSE Published: December 18, 2010 WASHINGTON — Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand said Saturday that she and other sponsors of a stalled 9/11 health bill had won new Republican support for the measure and intended to try again to pass it before the end of the 111th Congress. Following the Senate’s vote to Repeal the ban on gays serving in the Military, Ms. Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, said Democrats intended to resurrect t..

9/11 health bill 'Christmas miracle'?
Published: Dec. 20, 2010 at 4:15 AM WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- A less-costly Healthcare Bill for ill Ground Zero workers should get enough Republican support to pass the lame-duck U.S. Congress, the bill's backers said. "We are on the verge of a Christmas miracle,'' said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. Gillibrand and fellow New York Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer said the new version of the bill -- with a $6.2 billion Price Tag over 10 years, instead of $7.4 billion, and using an Excise Tax t...

Gillibrand: 9/11 Health Bill has Votes to Pass
New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said on CBS' "The Early Show" Monday morning that a bill to provide Health Care for First Responders to the Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks has the votes to pass thanks in part to a decision to reduce the cost of the bill from $7.4 billion to $6.2 billion. She said "we have the support we need" to win passage immediately following a planned Senate vote on the New START Treaty. "We've been working very hard for many months and over the last several weeks o...

NY Lawmakers Hope To Pass 9/11 Bill During Lame Duck
NEW YORK (CBS 2) — The Senate is expected to begin debating the 9/11 health bill once more this week, the last week of the session, but as Kathryn Brown reports, New York lawmakers said this time they think they’ll succeed. “We believe we’ve secured enough Republican votes to prevail,” Senator Chuck Schumer said. “America will be watching very closely on how the senate votes on something that goes fundamentally to the issue of who we are as Americans and wheth...

Gillibrand Joined By Maloney, 9/11 First Responders, Workers, Families Of Fallen Heroes, Lower Manhattan Residents Announce First-Ever Senate Hearing On James Zadroga 9/11 Health And Compensation Act This Month
New York, NY – On the heels of a key House panel’s passage last month of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) stood at Ground Zero today with Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Councilwoman Margaret Chin (D-Manhattan), 9/11 First Responders, workers, families who lost loved ones on 9/11 and Lower Manhattan residents to announce that on Tuesday, June 29th, the U.S. Senate will hold its first-ever hearing on the James Zadroga 9/...

Obama again urges GOP Senators to place national security above party politics
In his weekly address on Saturday, President Barack Obama once again made a call for Republicans to cast aside their continued politically motivated obstruction of ratification of START.  He argued that such a treaty, which will strengthen the National Security of the United States, should not be held up by the political gamesmanship of the Republican Party.  For the video of the President weekly address, please click on the link at the left. WASHINGTON- In this week’...

Russia reacts to Senate GOP posturing: Warns of changes to treaty
There's nothing like antagonizing a Nuclear Power in a fit of pique over gays being allowed to serve in the Military. The Republican obstruction of and posturing over START Treaty ratification is not amusing Moscow: WASHINGTON — Russia warned the United States Senate on Monday not to rewrite the new Arms Control treaty being debated on Capitol Hill as American lawmakers clashed about the politics of ratification in the waning days of the Congressional session.... “I can only undersc...

9/11 First Responders Bill May Move Ahead This Week
What is this? Firefighters make their way through the rubble of the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001. Firefighters make their way through the rubble of the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001. While the new START Treaty, the Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the tax package put together by President Obama and Congressional Republicans have been getting most of the attention, another piece of important Legislation has been on the Senate's agenda. And there's word ...

Senate Dems Think They Can Pass $6 Billion 9/11 Health Bill
Photograph of dust after the September 11, 2001 attacks from the EPA After Republican Senators filibustered the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act because, well, they wanted to make sure they got their $900 billion in Bush Tax Cuts, there's been a determined push to get the Legislation passed before the end of this year. Now New York's Democratic Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer say believe there are enough votes from Republicans to pass a less expensive, $6 billion ...

New 9/11 Health Bill Could Be Passed By New Year
New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand think they've got a 9/11 First Responders Health bill that can pass through the Senate, but they have to Cut funding and make it Deficit neutral to attract Republicans. As it stands, the bill would be paid for by a two percent Tax on certain imports and would in turn provide $6.2 billion in funding for a specially administered payment program. The two expect the bill to come up for discussion after the ratification of the new START Nuclear arms limit

The final legislative drama -- New START
After passage of the tax-cut deal, as well as the Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," ratification of the New START arms-reduction treaty with Russia represents the final legislative drama during this lame-duck session of Congress. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has scheduled a vote to end debate on treaty for Tuesday. That needs 60 votes to pass, which appears to be a given. The uncertainty, however, is over ratification, which will need 67 votes -- so at least nine GOP votes -- and that acti...