9/11 Survivors bill passes Senate by Geezer

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9/11 Survivors bill passes Senate

POSTED BY: GEEZER
UPDATED: Friday, December 24, 2010 10:35
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Wednesday, December 22, 2010 11:23 AM

Keep the Shiny side up

Quote:
WASHINGTON (AP) - After a last-minute compromise, the Senate passed legislation Wednesday to provide up to $4.2 billion in new aid to survivors of the September 2001 terrorism attack on the World Trade Center and responders who became ill working in its ruins.

A House vote was expected on the bill within hours as lawmakers raced to wrap up their work for the year before Christmas. President Obama has said he looks forward to signing the measure, though some supporters of the bill have criticized him for not getting more involved in the fight.

The measure was a product of a compromise involving Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.

http://www.wtop.com/?sid=2209326&nid=116

Darn that "Party of No" anyway. Compromising on the START treaty, DADT, and the 9/11 bill in just the last few days. Might have to change the name to the "Party of Okay".

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010 12:24 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

Yeah, after only stonewalling and obstructing since last spring...

How can this have passed? After all, Tom Coburn (R) says it hasn't even gone to committee yet. (Actually, it did. It went to the committee Tom Coburn sits on. Only he didn't bother to show up that day.)

Maybe the GOP figured that enough of the sick had already died, so they're "okay" with coughing up (no pun intended) the funds to take care of the few who still survive.

And gosh - it only took 'em almost a decade to decide to take care of the people they were so quick to sacrifice!

This Space For Rent!

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010 12:37 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Quote:
The 9/11 legislation provides [$4.2 billion] for monitoring and treating illnesses related to Ground Zero and reopens a victims' compensation fund for another five years to cover wage and other economic losses of sickened workers and nearby residents. Schumer and Gillibrand had sought $6.2 billion and keeping the compensation fund open for 10 years.

"Every American recognizes the heroism of the 9/11 first responders, but it is not compassionate to help one group while robbing future generation of opportunity," said Coburn, who led a GOP blockade against the bill. "This agreement strikes a fair balance."

Yup, they compromised...for less money...then Coburn dissed it.

Why did those things pass? Wanna bet there were some closed-door sessions that connected either a willingness to compromise or allowing their fellow Republicans to vote any way they wanted, connected to the Bush tax cuts? Happened awfully fast after that, to my suspicious mind.

How many nominees are still on "holds"? And why did they say "no" to virtually EVERYTHING then, at the last minute, give in on these? We'll never know...the only thing I can think of is that START and the 9/11 bill looked awfully bad for them...and DADT will still take a year or more to "implement".

If you're trying to argue that they're the Good Guys and haven't BEEN the Party of No for two years: Sorry, no sale.

I'm just glad all three things had the chance to pass, given I'd bet dollars to donuts the incoming neophite Republicans would have continued to block them.

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010 1:11 PM

KWICKO

I think the right-wingers who were blocking this bill decided it was going to be downright uncomfortable for them to go home without taking care of the 9/11 heroes, especially since the "lamestream media" had picked up on the story, FINALLY, this week.

Jon Stewart has been talking about it for more than two months, and the major networks just decided to bring it up. I understand they've had bigger stories to cover, and things that were more important... like The Beatles being on iTunes now, and the upcoming Royal Wedding.

Media is saying the GOP were "shamed" into passing this. That's untrue. They have no sense of shame, nor any sense of decency.

This Space For Rent!

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010 1:32 PM

WHOZIT

If it was such a niffty bill then why'd they cut a billion $ from it? They should have fought for more!!

If they did, how much more would the trial lawyers have gotten, can illeagal aliens still get some of the money?

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010 5:34 PM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
"Every American recognizes the heroism of the 9/11 first responders, but it is not compassionate to help one group while robbing future generation of opportunity," said Coburn, who led a GOP blockade against the bill. "This agreement strikes a fair balance." Yup, they compromised...for less money...then Coburn dissed it.

And Coburn is everyone?

Quote:
...to my suspicious mind.

Not suspicious. Hateful. Anyone who doesn't agree with you 100% you have to belittle and insult. Pretty standard for the Libs here. Yawn.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010 7:19 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Don't gov't employees already HAVE coverage ? Why the extra 8 BILLION dollars more , that the Dems were asking for ?

D.C. sucks.

And before any of you big gov't elites start vomiting up the standard Left wing talking points,

put a sock in it. I don't give a damn about your whining and rants about how we NEED more and more big gov't, to fix every god damn thing in the world.

This could have been done long ago, for a lot less $$ and been a lot more effective.

But D.C. sucks, and there's no denying that.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Thursday, December 23, 2010 2:55 AM

KWICKO

Here's the thing: They WEREN'T federal employees. They were CITY employees (FDNY, NYPD, etc. - the "NY" stands for "New York", meaning "City of New York"). They were grabbed by the feds, who stepped in and took jurisdiction (but not responsibility) and ordered them in, kept them on the toxic site for months on end - eleven months straight, 7 days a week, for some of them - and now wants to claim that this isn't the fed's problem, because their state insurance should cover it.

These are people whose insurance the state provided has run out, or run into its maximum coverage limits, or been reduced because (due to their illnesses) they are no longer able to work full-time, their disability pay is deemed to have run out, and their unemployment insurance has run out. They are, quite literally, DYING, and the GOP has been asking them to please do so quietly, without bothering anyone.

On September 12, 2001, the nation said there was no price too high to pay these heroes who rushed in while others ran out. Now that the bills are coming due, the GOP - who campaigned on the backs of these heroes and plastered their images everywhere they thought it would bring in a campaign donation - says "Too bad; times are tough; pull yourself up by your bootstraps; can't help ya..."

This Space For Rent!

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Thursday, December 23, 2010 2:58 AM

KWICKO

Quote:
Posted by Geezer:

Anyone who doesn't agree with you 100% you have to belittle and insult. Pretty standard for the Libs here. Yawn.

Dear Kettle,

You're black.

Signed,

The Pot.

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Thursday, December 23, 2010 3:23 AM

DMAANLILEILTT

This IS an internet forum.

"I really am ruggedly handsome, aren't I?"

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Friday, December 24, 2010 10:35 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Mike pretty much summed it up.

Why did they cut billions from it (and make it five years rather than ten)? Because that's the compromise they HAD to make with the Republicans in order to get it passed.

Nothing hateful about suspecting that deals were made; given DADT, the 9/11 bill AND the unemployment thing all passed right after Obama let them have their way in extending tax cuts for the rich, and given that MOST of us here don't necessarily trust the government or the legislature, it's not a huge leap to take.

I don't think they'd have cared about going home to explain it, personally; they're in such a bubble cut off from most constituents, and 2012 is far enough away they know people will forget, that I don't think it was the "discomfort" that got it passed. I think there was a deal made...it all happened too quickly and too easily, given the Repubs only had to stonewall a little bit longer to ensure all three didn't happen.

It's real easy for those among us who hate taxes, period, to holler about taking care of these guys, but as Stewart said, it's sure great they didn't have to "caucus" and "vote" about whether they would have GONE to 9/11 in the first place, or a heckofalot of taxpayers would have been screwed!

When I look at all the things these guys have suffered ever since 9/11, how careers have been killed, some have died, many will lead circumscribed lives for the rest of their time on earth, it infuriates me the legislators could even THINK about not taking care of them! Sickos, all of them: "I've got mine, fuck you!" in spades.

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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