Democratic Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Edward Kennedy are calling on the Republican chairperson of the Senate’s health committee to set up hearings on Clinton’s bill to provide health money for workers and residents suffering from the 9/11 recovery and cleanup operation.
The New York and Massachusetts senators wrote to Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming asking him to schedule the hearings.
Clinton introduced a bill on Sept. 13 that would set aside $1.9 billion for World Trade Center emergency responders and clean-up workers. The money would go toward health care for those who are suffering from both mental and physical health problems resulting from the disaster. U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, who represents the Downtown district, has a comparable bill in the House.
“We must take action to help those who answered our nation’s call to service during those dark times,” the senators wrote. “We must act to provide this critical assistance so that more people do not suffer and potentially die as a result of these illnesses.”
