GOP Threaten to Fillibuster 9-11 1st Responder HC Bill...

[Qwerty 42]

I don't watch televised news a whole lot, but CNN did a pretty lengthy spot on this tonight.

[Ritterin Sophia]

The Right has spent the last two years portraying Obama as a weak-willed pussy on defense issues...

Obama did all the legwork on presenting himself as a weak-willed pussy in every other issue, though.

The Right has spent the last two years portraying Obama as a weak-willed pussy on defense issues...

Obama did all the legwork on presenting himself as a weak-willed pussy in every other issue, though.

Remember all that hope and change, and how 2008 showed the new generation taking over and rejecting Republican ideals and blah blah blah? Well the GOP turned things around real fast, didn't they? And it'll only get WORSE when the swarm of new Teabaggers take office next year. Fuck.

What did you expect? Obama and the Dems got voted in on hope and change with the vastly underutilized twenty-something demographic, said demographic doesn't normally vote because they're so jaded with the system to begin with and that it won't change no matter what they do, Obama and the Dems proved them right. They threw up their hands and became jaded again, the only difference is that they have recent precedence to justify it.

[Skylon]

I think what made me sickest was the clip of a senator saying they would disrespect Christmas by staying in Washington to vote on legislation that would possibly be saving these people's lives.

Fuck you. Even Baby Jesus would give you this for a statement like that.

[Bernkastel]

Yeah, I saw that on the Daily Show. It should not be possible for this to happen, yet it has. The Republicans aren't going to loose anything from this too. Other posters have already expressed how they feel this is the worst part of the whole thing and I agree with them. Given who this Bill is for, it is utter madness that it should be possible to block it and get away with doing so.

[FSTargetDrone]

(Edit: got rid of the first story I posted here because it was useless) Here are some actual details:

HEALTH -- December 22, 2010 at 2:45 PM EDT

Senate Approves 9/11 First Responders Health Bill

By: Lea Winerman

Updated 2:38 p.m. ET The Senate has passed a $4.2 billion aid package for 9/11 responders and survivors. It's a smaller version of the measure as it was originally introduced. Here's a breakdown of some of the changes to the bill, as compiled by Slate.

The New York Times has more on the deal that led to the revised aid package:

The compromise on Wednesday was reached after Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both New York Democrats, agreed to changes demanded by conservative Republicans, who raised concerns about the measure's cost and prevented the bill from advancing in the Senate. After drawing criticism in recent days from Democrats and Republicans alike, the Republican senators backed down.

Under the new agreement, the bill provides $4.3 billion over five years for health coverage to the 9/11 workers, instead of the original $7.4 billion over eight years.

Posted 11:30 a.m. ET The Senate appears headed toward action Wednesday on a long-delayed bill to provide health care and compensation for 9/11 first responders -- the EMTs, firefighters, policemen and others who became sick after working in the toxic dust and debris at the World Trade Center site.

The bill has been in the works for years, and was most recently voted down two weeks ago by Senate Republicans.

But a renewed push by New York legislators -- and renewed media attention -- has given the bill new momentum as the lame-duck session of Congress winds down.

More public attention has shifted toward the bill in the last couple of weeks, credited in large part to Comedy Central's Jon Stewart, who devoted an episode of "The Daily Show" to the issue last week.

"This bill has long been a huge priority for us in New York, but Jon's attention to this helped turn it into the national issue it always should have been," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., told ABC News.

The Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act is named for police officer and first responder James Zadroga, who died in 2006 of a respiratory illness. The $6.2 billion bill would provide money to set up a medical monitoring program for those who lived or worked at the World Trade Center site, and would pay for the treatment of any diseases related to exposure to the toxic dust there.

The original $7 billion Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund paid compensation to people who were injured (or the families of those who were killed) in the immediate aftermath of the attack. The new bill would fund compensation and treatment for people who became sick months or years later.

Paramedic Marvin Bethea, for example, rushed to the site after the attack and spent days in the rubble. Five weeks later, the previously healthy 41-year old suffered a stroke, and he later developed asthma and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"At least this will guarantee us some health care," Bethea says. "Every six months we have to go to Washington begging to get money for the Mount Sinai [hospital medical monitoring] program. At least if the Zadroga bill passes we know we'll have money for the next 10 years."

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told CNN that the fund will provide "coverage of last resort" to responders whose medical insurance and workers comp run out. "This is to be there so that when they're suffering from these grave diseases they will have the help they desperately need just to survive."

Opponents of the bill, however, say that the measure is unnecessary and will create an expensive new entitlement program.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., has been one of the most outspoken opponents. In a statement on his website, he said that the bill "creates an expansive new health care entitlement program, despite multiple existing federally-supported health care programs for 9/11 first responders and victims" and "re-opens the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund (VCF), despite the fund's original intent to be temporary in nature and a recent $815 million settlement that addressed gaps in compensation funding."

The bill has had an up-and-down ride. It passed the House earlier this month, but failed in the Senate in the face of Republican opposition. New York Sens. Gillibrand and Charles Schumer reintroduced a streamlined version that cut the total cost from $7.4 billion to $6.2 billion.

Since last week, some prominent Republicans -- such as former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee -- and conservative-leaning talk show hosts such as Joe Scarborough have come out in favor of the bill.

Bill supporters say they're confident they'll have the votes necessary to avoid a filibuster.

But as of Wednesday morning, Coburn still indicated he plans to try to block passage of the bill until the Senate's session ends.

If the bill does pass the Senate, it would have to be approved by the House as well before the House's session ends.

[Darth Yan]

To all the republican assholes May your balls be chopped off with a rusty carving knife and may a pole be stuck up your ass zulu style. YOU ARE FUCKING SCUM!!!!!!!!!! Of course, now that DADT has been repealed the republicans are going to go even more apeshit.

[Dalton]

To all the republican assholes May your balls be chopped off with a rusty carving knife and may a pole be stuck up your ass zulu style. YOU ARE FUCKING SCUM!!!!!!!!!! Of course, now that DADT has been repealed the republicans are going to go even more apeshit.

You really need to calm the fuck down.

[Stargate Nerd]

Good thing it passed. Although I came pretty close to saying "fuck the 9/11 first responders" when I saw them on TV blaming "both sides" in Congress or even better the president for the Republican Filibuster. Those assholes will vote Republican without an ounce of irony next time anyway.

But I guess it doesn't help to behave like an ass myself.

[Phantasee]

Why does it matter who they vote for? Or do you support the passage of a bill providing healthcare and support for people who need it as long as they vote for your side?

[Simon_Jester]

Why does it matter who they vote for? Or do you support the passage of a bill providing healthcare and support for people who need it as long as they vote for your side?

I think it matters because it's frustrating watching people continue to support someone who you know perfectly well will turn around and sell them out in a heartbeat if it's convenient to do so... because they just did so.

I can understand that. In an ideal democracy, voter groups that have been betrayed should abandon the politicians who abandon them; it keeps the politicians honest.

[Stargate Nerd]

Why does it matter who they vote for? Or do you support the passage of a bill providing healthcare and support for people who need it as long as they vote for your side?

Yes it does matter. If they're voting Republican and the Republicans betray them then they shouldn't cry about it.

But I already said that it was a good thing it passed because everyone deserves help. The behavior of some just made me angry for a moment.

[open_sketchbook]

Really? That's rather hypocritical, seeing the amount of whining going on about Obama by folks on the board who voted for him that's been going on over the last few days.

[Simon_Jester]

I think Stargate Nerd has it backward: it's not that people who vote Republican should expect Republicans to betray them- that's exactly backward. What's frustrating is watching Republicans sell out people whose courage and virtues they've spent years capitalizing on... and then seeing those same people vote for more Republicans.

If people vote Republican they have a right to expect the Republicans to look out for their interests. If that isn't done, the Republicans are unworthy of the votes they receive, and should be punished at the polls.

Which becomes something of a headbanger situation when they aren't.

[Stargate Nerd]

Really? That's rather hypocritical, seeing the amount of whining going on about Obama by folks on the board who voted for him that's been going on over the last few days.

I don't see it that way. Obama did a complete 180 on a number of positions he held before he became president.

Republicans always appeal to the greed and selfishness or bigotry of people to keep a specific benefit from a specific group of people. Can be gays, minorities etc. This time it happened to be 9/11 first responders and their need for healthcare.

edit: but Simon_Jester also makes a good point that I agree with. They won't necessarily learn from this experience and continue being Republicans.