On Friday, December 18, 2015, President Barack Obama signed into law the omnibus spending bill that was agreed upon by members of the House of Representatives late Tuesday, December 15th. The bill includes the renewal of the federal “Zadroga” Act (the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act).
Under the terms of the bill, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which provides medical monitoring and health care for first responders, will be funded through 2090 – or 75 years. The second part of the Act, the Victim Compensation Fund, which provides financial assistance to the families of first responders, will also be fully funded through 2021 (five years) at an allotment of $4.6 billion. The DEA thanks all our members who wrote and called their members of Congress and urged them to support this extremely important legislation.
Here’s the backstory: On Thursday, December 10, 2015, DEA President Michael Palladino and VP Paul DiGiacomo participated in a press conference with Commissioner Bratton and other labor and political leaders in Washington, DC to lobby for the Zadroga bill. See the Media section of this website for the You Tube video.
Here’s the backstory: The DEA thanks those who participated in the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (also known as the federal “Zadroga bill”) press conference, Thursday, November 12th in Brooklyn. Coordinated by U.S. Congressman Dan Donovan, it was a great success. Participants included the DEA, PBA, LBA, CEA and the NYS Court Officers Association, as well as Congressman Peter King, State Senator Martin Golden, and State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis. Speakers included DEA President Michael Palladino, Joseph Zadroga, the father of Det. James Zadroga, and retired NYPD Detectives George Taylor and John Muller, both of whom have 9/11-related cancers. If the federal “Zadroga bill” is not renewed, then screening, diagnosis and treatment of 9/11 related illness will not be equitable. Responders who were diagnosed earlier will be covered under the original bill, but those who are in the pipeline now will not be getting their due. Please read the email and direct mail we sent regarding Congress members who have yet to sign the bill.
