Coburn: ‘We Don’t Have’ The ‘Extra’ Money Needed For 9/11 First Responders

By Alex Seitz-Wald

The New York Daily News is reporting that, after a marathon negotiating session late last night and continuing into this morning, Senate Democrats have struck a deal to pass the 9/11 first responders bill with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), who has been blocking the bill because of its cost. Coburn, along with fellow-obstructionist Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), managed to extract huge concessions, bringing the total compensation package to $4.3 billion, down from an original pool of over $7 billion. The “time span was also significantly limited to five years each for the health treatment program.”

“I’ll stand in the way of anything that doesn’t make sense and doesn’t spend our money wisely, so you know, it doesn’t matter what the issue is, we’re in such a hole, Jon, that we don’t have the luxury of not getting things right,” Coburn told ABC News today after announcing the deal.

Last night on CNBC, Coburn defended his obstruction of the bill and his insistence that it lavishes too much money on dying 9/11 first responders, saying “we’re spending four times as much money as we need to.” Coburn said that the actual cost of pre-deal bill would be $11 billion (he disputed the way the Congressional Budget Office scored it), and suggested that it was not paid for, saying, “we don’t have an extra $11 billion right now.” Watch it:

Of course, the bill would not require an “extra” $11 billion. The bill is entirely paid for by offsets, some of which were changed at the GOP’s behest. As ThinkProgress has noted, these offsets — which at one point included a tax on foreign corporations — led the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to lobby against the measure.

Meanwhile, on MSNBC’s Countdown last night, guest host Chris Hayes brought on Ground Zero worker T.J. Gilmartin, who recounted his disturbing interaction with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on the bill earlier this month. Gilmartin told his heartbreaking story about losing his ability to breath properly after working in the toxic dust at Ground Zero, how he can no longer work, and has “nothing left.” Still, he said he has no regrets about volunteering to work after 9/11. Speaking hypothetically to Coburn, Gilmartin asked, “what about the responders in Oklahoma?” “What are you going to tell them as they get sicker and sicker and start dying and they need help? Are you going tell them, ‘Well, I had a to bicker like a 5 year old in kindergarten’?” Watch it:

UPDATEThe Senate passed a compromise version of the 9/11 first responders bill this afternoon. "The measure was passed on a voice vote with no one objecting after Democrats and Republican critics reached a compromise reducing the bill's cost from $6.2 billion to $4.2 billion." The House will vote on it later today.

M.C.L Comment: On one hand Republicans can say: we don't have money for the unemployed and 9.11 workers. Republicans on the other hand can say: We got the money to give Paris Hilton and the cast of Jersey Shore tax breaks.

Kyl On 9/11 First Responders Bill: ‘Why Would They Need $6 Billion?’

By Alex Seitz-Wald

Two weeks ago, Senate Republicans unanimously filibustered a bill to provide health benefits to the firefighters, police officers, and construction workers who were the first responders to the terror attacks on 9/11 and contracted illnesses as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals during their work. Republicans have been callously blocking the bill, saying it has a lower priority than extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, that they don’t want to “hurry,” and telling the responders — some of whom have already died from their illnesses — “I can’t help you.”

This weekend, New York Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) Chuck Schumer (D) announced they had modified the bill, reducing its overall pricetag and changing the way it is paid for, and thus gained some GOP support. But Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), the number two Senate Republican, is still not pleased. Appearing on Fox News today, Kyl pretended he had “no idea” what was in the bill, and even wondered if these heroes needed the help:

HOST: Will you change your vote to a yes on the bill, knowing those changes?

KYL: This has been a moving target since day one. … This is something that they came up with to just put directly on the floor of the Senate,without any hearings, without any opportunities to figure out what it should be like. [...]

I have no idea how this thing would work. So they reduced it from $7 billion to $6 billion — I have no idea whether $6 billion is a reasonable figure. … But the question is who’s responsible? Who’s at fault? Do they have the money? Is the insurance adequate to cover it? Wasn’t the previous settlement adequate? Why would they need $6 billion?

Watch it:

Kyl’s feigned ignorance on the bill is pathetic. As ThinkProgress noted when Kyl tried to pass off the same phony objections last week, the Senate and House version of the bill have been available to Kyl and anyone else to read since 2009, and there was in fact a Senate hearing on it in June, even though he insists it never happened. Meanwhile, changes to bill have been made at the GOP’s behest. So to claim that he has “no idea” what’s in the bill is negligent, at best.

As for Kyl’s list of questions, these have all been answered in the hearing and elsewhere. The bill will provide funding for eight years to monitor and treat injuries stemming from exposure to toxic dust and debris, as well as to reopen the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund to provide help for job and economic losses. The case of Joe Picurro, who volunteered to cut steel at Ground Zero and died in October as a result, illustrates why these heroes need $6 billion. Picurro fought with his insurance company and the government for years, before finally receiving workers’ compensation in 2006, but only after “he was down to his last nickel.” His wife, Laura has “had to scrimp, scrape and borrow to make ends meet, care for Joe – and stave off eviction.” Meanwhile, Kyl and his colleagues have spent the last year fighting tooth and nail to give the wealthiest two percent of Americans another $700 billion, and to cut estate taxes to help children of the richest 0.2 percent of households.

On Thursday, former GOP Arkansas Gov. and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said “every Republican” should support the bill.

As for Kyl’s cowardly attempt to hide behind the way the bill has moved through the Senate, is Kyl really going to jeopardize the health of thousands of American heroeslike Picurro to claim the moral high ground on arcane Senate procedure, which only affects him and his 40 GOP colleagues?

UPDATENew York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) strongly urged the Senate to pass the bill today at a press conference with firefighters and police officers, saying, "The time for excuses is over."

UPDATEThis afternoon on Fox, former New York Republican Gov. George Pataki shot down each one of Kyl's concerns, saying "he's raising valid questions, but I think they've been answered." Pataki pleaded with the Senate to finish the bill before recessing, saying, "this is the right thing to do for the people who inspired America, and this is the right time to do it." "It's hard to argue with any of that," Fox host Shep Smith responded:

9/11 First Responders Challenge Teary-Eyed McConnell: ‘Where Is His Human Feeling For Us?’

By Tanya Somanader

In this lame duck session, Senate Republicans are grasping at every possible reasonto “run out the clock” on any Democratic priority. Their brazen obstruction, however, took some victims last week when they used another filibuster to block the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. Named after a New York City policeman who died from health complications, this legislation that provides health care to 9/11 first responders and emergency workers who suffered illnesses from working at Ground Zero.

Not one Republican senator came to the floor to explain why the desperately needed, fully paid-for compensation didn’t deserve to pass. When Fox News’ Don Imus pressed Sen. John Thune (R-SD) for an explanation, Thune said the tax cuts are a bigger priority because “there is a deadline.” And when first responders came to the Senate to advocate for the bill yesterday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) actually called the Capitol police on them to prevent a sit-in.

Such callous miscarriage of responsibility was not lost on The Daily Show. Ripping the GOP earlier this week for “co-opting 9/11 imagery” while simultaneously killing legislation to help 9/11 victims, host Jon Stewart dedicated his entire show last night to censure their obstruction. Disgusted by Thune’s “deadline for taxes” excuse, Stewart scoffed, “yes there are only two sure things in life. Death and taxes. Apparently, the only thing this cat cares about is taxes.”

Then, in a unique segment for the Daily Show, Stewart held a panel discussion with four 9/11 first responders suffering from serious health issues to offer their views on Republican obstruction. Recounting Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) silence over their plight, Stewart then played McConnell’s emotional, teary farewell to retiring Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH). The first responders pointed to McConnell’s tears as a sign of his grossly misplaced priorities:STEWART: That’s Sen. Mitch McConnell on the floor of the Senate, he’s talking about Sen. Judd Gregg who’s retiring from the Senate.

JOHN DEVLIN, ENGINEER: Yeah, he’s shedding a tear on his lunch buddy that he hangs out with everyday. Where is his human feeling for — not only for us, we represent the brother and sisters…that can’t come out and speak like we can. It’s sad to see someone like him –

STEWART: To be fair, they have worked together for six years. [...]

KENNY SPECK, FDNY: Watching that, there’s only one thing I can say. I found time to dress as a New York City fireman on September 11, isn’t that incredible?…I tell you I feel bad for Mitch McConnell, you know, he said something very important. He’s going to watch his friend walk out of the Senate chambers, and unfortunately that’s more than a New York City firefighter can say about 343 of his brothers who can’t walk anymore.

Stewart then noted another GOP excuse for this tragic miscarriage of responsibility — “hey man, it’s Christmas” — and asked for their take on Sen. Jon Kyl’s (R-AZ) complaintthat working after Christmas was somehow “disrespectful” to the Senate:

STEWART: Basically what he’s saying is that I can’t stay here and work between Christmas and New Years, that would be disrespecting Christians and his family. Do you have any thoughts on that?

SPECK: It just goes to show the disconnect between those we elect to represent us, and those who get out there and do the work. Because I’m here to say that you won’t find a single New York City firefighter who considers it a sign of disrespect to work in a New York City firehouse on Christmas Eve or Christmas day.[...]

DEVLIN: It was an honor to work through Christmas on that 9/11.

Watch it:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
9/11 First Responders React to the Senate Filibuster
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Stewart reserved further outrage for media outlets that failed to cover the story for two and a half months. Calling it an “outrageous abdication of our responsibility for those who were most heroic on 9/11,” Stewart pointed out that Middle-Eastern network Al Jazeera was the only network to give the full 22 minutes of coverage it deserved.” Fox News, “the nation’s leading source of 9/11-based outrage,” Stewart noted that while Fox News paraded 9/11 imagery and first responders during its campaign against Park51, the Republican-friendly network failed to highlight even one first responder to address this issue. Fox News’s Peter Johnson did rail against the Senate filibuster, but as Stewart noted, “he never mentioned that it was the Republicans holding up the bill.” His guest, Fox News host and Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AK), agreed that “every Republican should vote for this bill” but refused to censure Fox for generating ” its 9/11 outrage machine.”

In his characteristic use of satire, Stewart juxtaposed the Senate’s failure to help the first responders with their quick response to Ground Zero on September 11: “On 9/11, when you heard the towers got hit, when you guys voted — obviously you needed a supermajority to vote to go down there, right?” One responder quipped, “Yeah, we barely made it by one vote.”

M.C.L comment: For all of those "independent" voters who voted for these bastards can you justify this action? They held up aid for sick 9/11 volunteers just to make sure Paris Hilton and her ilk get a tax cut.

‘U.S.’ Chamber Of Commerce Lobbied To Help GOP Kill Bill To Provide Health Care To 9/11 First Responders

By Lee Fang

Last night, the Daily Show’s Jon Stewart skewered Republicans for killing deficit neutral legislation to provide health care to the 9/11 first responders and emergency workers who suffered illnesses from working at Ground Zero. He also mocked the celebrity-obsessed media that has completely ignored the story. Republicans, like Sen. John Thune (R-SD), filibustered the bill because they said tax cuts for the richest 2 percent were a higher priority for Congress. While Republicans quietly snuffed out efforts to compensate 9/11 heroes, they were aided by a quiet lobbying campaign by the powerful lobbying front — the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber fought to help kill the 9/11 compensation bill because it was funded by ending a special tax loophole exploited by foreign corporations doing business in the United States. The “U.S.” part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a misnomer. As ThinkProgress reported, the Chamber represents dozens of foreign businesses in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, Bahrain, India, Brazil, and other countries. An investigation of the Chamber turned up recent fundraising documents from the Chamber soliciting foreign contributions to the Chamber’s 501(c)(6), the tax entity the Chamber used to run nasty campaign ads against Democrats earlier this year. In September, the Chamber sent a letter officially opposing the 9/11 first responders bill, called the “James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010.” The Chamber warned that ending the tax loophole would “damage U.S. relationships with major trading partners” and “aggravate already unsettled financial markets.” A lobbying disclosure filed with the Senate confirms the Chamber contacted lawmakers to help kill the bill. In typical fashion, the Chamber has not revealed which of its foreign members had asked them to kill the 9/11 bill. As the Chamber CEO explained to the Washington Monthly’s James Verini, the entire purpose of the Chamber is to provide “deniability” to corporations that want to affect the outcomes of elections or of public policy. In 2009, the Chamber secretly used a $86 million donation from the health insurance industry to fight health reform. At the time, the Chamber lied and claimed to the public that they were simply acting on behalf of the entire “business community.” Republicans are continuing to protest any renewed attempts to pass the 9/11 first responders bill because of the tax issue raised by the Chamber. Yesterday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) sent out a statement that mirrored the Chamber’s opposition to ending the foreign corporate tax loophole.

Sen. Thune Admits Bush Tax Cut Extensions Are More Of A Priority Than 9/11 Workers’ Health

By George Zornick

On Fox Business Network this morning, Don Imus aggressively questioned Senator — and possible presidential hopeful — John Thune (R-SD) about Republican obstruction of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, which would provide desperately needed health care to those who volunteered to help at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Imus raised Daily Show host Jon Stewart’s recent point about Republicans who frequently invoke 9/11 imagery, but refuse to help the workers, and asked Thune how he could defend this refusal. Thune explained that preserving the Bush tax cuts was more of a priority:

IMUS: It seems to me and it seems to others that if we’re going to help anybody, we would certainly help these Americans who were the first responders to 9/11.

THUNE: The difference I think with the tax bill is there is a deadline, Jan. 1, we have to get this done, taxes go up on Jan. 1, that’s a matter of law. We need to get the issue addressed for the firefighters and the 9/11 victims and we will. But again there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this, and there’s a way in which you can pay for these things, and try and get this thing to where it doesn’t cost quite as much, where it doesn’t provide as much exposure, as much liability – there are some things in this bill that we think can be improved upon. We need an opportunity to do that.They want to rush through all these things at the end of the year, without debate, without amdendments, with the opportunity to go through a normal process. And I think we can do that, we can do many of these last-minute initiatives they’re trying to push through, we can do them next year.

IMUS: I know there’s a deadline on the tax situation, but there’s also a deadline on the health of these firemen and these police officers.

Watch it:

Thune’s admission that tax cuts are a higher priority is stunning, as are his admonitions against “rushing” the Zadroga bill. As Imus correctly notes, there’s a very real deadline on the health of 9/11 volunteers who are desperately awaiting health care assistance from the country they served over nine years ago. For example, just this fall, Joe Picurro, a 9/11 volunteer who was central to the push for health care assistance — and who himself suffered for years with little or no health care — passed away. As the New York Daily News reported:

Joe Picurro volunteered to cut steel at Ground Zero more than nine years ago. It cost him his life Friday morning. [...]

“He fought up until the day he went,” said wife Laura Picurro. “I’m going to miss him, like unbelievable.”

Because Picurro volunteered, he had to fight for years to get any aid after 9/11 charities closed.

Even as his lungs deteriorated and late-night rushes to the emergency rooms grew all too familiar, he and Laura still had to fight bureaucrats who refused to recognize the source of his problems. When he finally got workers’ compensation in 2006, he was down to his last nickel.

Laura had to scrimp, scrape and borrow to make ends meet, care for Joe – and stave off eviction. “I don’t know how we made it, still in this house, the lights still on,” she said, her voice cracking.

But Picurro’s tale made him one of the symbols of how the heroes of 9/11 were being forgotten. He joined the push on Congress to pass the James Zadroga Health and Compensation Act. His death was a blow to a community that has seen all too much tragedy, with hundreds of 9/11 responders having died over the years.

As the report notes, Picurro and other volunteers have been waiting for years for assistance from the federal government. Thune’s whining that Democrats are “rushing” the Zadroga bill through is patently ridiculous. The bill, or very similar versions, were first introduced in the House over four years ago, and have suffered repeated Republican obstruction ever since. Nevertheless, Thune apparently finds the preservation of low tax rates for the wealthy to be a more pressing matter.