Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act Announce Innovative Take Action Effort with New Web Tool

Injured and Ill 9/11 Responders, Survivors and their Supporters Can Now Compare their Congresspersons’ Rhetoric with their Actions

Washington– Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act today unveiled a new effort to urge Members of Congress to join in co-sponsoring the bipartisan James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1786 / S. 928).

The unique, “take action” tool allows users to compare public statements made by Members of Congress in the aftermath of 9/11 with their actions taken to support injured and ill 9/11 survivors and responders. Many Members of Congress who have in the past spoken about ‘never forgetting’ the heroes of 9/11 have not yet taken a stand on the legislation to renew and permanently extend the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. They have not yet become co-sponsors of the legislation.

“This tool will allow 9/11 responders, survivors their families and supporters to see where each member of Congress stands on renewing and extending the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and whether ‘Never Forgetting 9/11’ is just a hollow political statement or something that Members of Congress are in fact committed to doing,” said Richie Alles, Deputy Chief, FDNY, Board Member Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act.

The “Take Action” tool allows responders, survivors and their supporters to determine who their member of Congress are and helps them to contact them in Washington, through phone calls, websites and tweets. With the information provided by the web tool, users can either thank their Senators and Representative for joining in cosponsoring the legislation or if they have not yet done so, urge them to cosponsor the bipartisan legislation that has nearly 100 sponsors in the U.S. House Representatives and almost a quarter of the U.S. Senate

The Take Action tool is mobile-friendly, accessible via smartphone, and can also be used on a desktop computer. Below is an example:

Background: Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act is a coalition of advocates who are working to make sure that Washington does the right thing and renews and extends the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.  More than 33,000 sick and injured 9/11 responders and survivors, many with 9/11 cancers, depend on the medical treatment and the compensation programs provided by this law. Over 70,000 participate in the World Trade Center Health Program, including responders to the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the Shanksville Crash site and survivors of the WTC attack and over 10,000 to date have been found eligible for compensation under the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. 9/11 responders and survivors are now residing in every state and in 429 of 435 Congressional districts. 

Unless Congress acts, the World Trade Center Health Program, as well as the September 11th Victim Compensation Program, are due to shut down, leaving thousands with no specialized health care for their 9/11 injuries and with their promised compensation being reduced by perhaps over 60% and leaving those expected to contract 9/11 cancers in the future with no help.

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