Thursday, December 9, 2010

Senate Republicans block health aid for the 9/11 workers

These people searched for survivors, inhaled the toxic smoke of the rubble while working around the clock, and helped clear the remains of one of the largest twin buildings in world history, among other jobs and responsibilities in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and this his how our Congress repays these heroes? Absolutely shameful.

Republican senators blocked Democratic legislation on Thursday that sought to provide medical care to rescue workers and residents of New York City who became ill as a result of breathing in toxic fumes, dust and smoke from ground zero...

In a vote largely along party lines, the Senate rejected a procedural move by Democrats to end debate on the 9/11 health bill and bring it to an up-or-down vote; 60 yes votes were needed, but the move received only 57, with 42 votes against.
All 42 Republican Senators voted against this bill. All of them basically told the workers to suck it up and to give more to the rich.

The Republican Party has undergone a series of transformations in just eight short years. They've gone from overzealous, chest-pumping Neanderthals who have the stones to question anyone who dared criticize Bush Jr., to a party that supports torture and violating civil liberties in the name of "defending the homeland", now to greedy lawmakers who care only about keeping Corporate America in the black, to hell with everyone else.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I respectfully disagree Jonathan. The Republican party is all of those things you mentioned.

et said...

Bloody cynics. Every other year for a decade they've been grandstanding on the backs of first responders in their "war on terror" rhetoric, using them shamelessly as props. But THIS year, out of nothing more than greed for their bankrollers, it's this behavior.

I feel like starting a campaign to have people all over the country scan or photocopy the definition of "shame" from the nearest dictionary and mail/e-mail it to every last one of them.

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