An insult to first-responders

You'd think members of Congress would have more pressing concerns than an irrational fear that there may be terrorists among the people who risked life and limb after 9/11 clearing debris at Ground Zero. Not Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.).

Due to an amendment he sponsored in the bill that created the World Trade Center Health Program in January, sick first-responders who seek compensation from the $4.2-billion fund will have their names checked against terrorist watch lists. That's absurd and insulting and isn't routinely required for anyone else getting federal dollars.

If it delays compensation for deserving first-responders, or causes them grief due to false hits, Congress should be quick to excise the nonsensical requirement from the law.