Zadroga extension gets support from House Speaker Paul Ryan

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, speaks... — U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015. Credit: Bloomberg / Andrew Harrer

By TOM BRUNEtom.brune@newsday.com @TomBruneDCNovember 19, 2015

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act should be reauthorized by the end of the year and that he has asked two key House committee chairmen to work with Rep. Peter King to make it happen.

It was the first time since becoming speaker that Ryan (R-Wis.) has declared his support for the Zadroga Act, whose World Trade Center health program expired on Oct. 1 and whose victim compensation program expires next Oct. 1.

"I favor reauthorizing the program," Ryan told reporters at a morning news conference. "I have asked our committees of jurisdiction to work with Congressman Pete King to come up with a solution to this program so that by the end of the year we have reauthorized the program."

Noting that the program begins running out of money in February, Ryan said, "I think we should get this done by the end of the year."

Ryan's declaration came on a day when King (R-Seaford) and Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and Dan Donovan (R-Staten Island) met with Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees the compensation fund.

Goodlatte supports a rival bill that renews the victims compensation fund for another five years instead of the permanent renewal sought by King, Zeldin and Donovan. King called the meeting "a positive step."

Still being worked out among key players in the House and Senate are the final cost of the reauthorization and how to pay for it, Zeldin said.