July 11, 2009
Senate restores unspent 9/11 aid
WASHINGTON - New York's senators have scored a victory in their attempt to stop Republicans from taking back $125 million in unspent Sept. 11 workers' compensation money.
After weeks of closed-door wrangling, Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer convinced the Senate's GOP leadership yesterday to let the city keep the cash, intended to pay administration costs for terrorism-related health claims.
The White House and House Republicans targeted the funds, part of the $20 billion post-Sept. 11, 2001, federal aid package, saying they hadn't been used in years.
City and state officials argued that mental and physical problems resulting from work on smoldering toxic-laden trade center debris won't manifest themselves for many years, leading to delayed claims.
"This is the righting of an inadvertent wrong," said Clinton, who announced the deal on the Senate floor.
Recovery workers at the trade center and Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island have "suffered an incredible range of lung-related and breathing diseases," she added.
"Others have suffered greatly from the stresses they confronted, particularly when working on ... the pile day after day after day."
The agreement, which was brokered by Appropriations subcommittee on health and human services chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), must be approved by a joint House and Senate conference committee. Senate officials said its chances of passage were very good.
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