Grimm on 9/11 Health bill

Congressman-elect Michael Grimm said all the right things on the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, the famously stalled bill that would help first responders who came down with illnesses after helping on the World Trade Center pile.

But in his statement, Grimm completely ignores the fact that it was Republican Senators who blocked the bill in a procedural move — the same thing they did earlier this year. In his statement, Grimm did the classic Washington thing — he blamed "Washington," not his own party colleagues (the ones who just awarded him a plum job on the Financial Services Committee that he sought.

Think Grimm will stand up to these bozos in the future? Decide for yourself from his statement, which does not take a single Republican to task for the GOP debacle.

(The actual statement from Grimm's office follows unedited.)

Grimm Condemns Senate Vote on 9/11 Health Bill as “Washington at its’ Worst”

STATEN ISLAND/BROOKLYN – Congressman-elect Michael Grimm (R-NY13), a former FBI Special Agent and a 9/11 first responder, released the following statement today on the U.S. Senate’s vote not bring up the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act for debate:

“This is an example of Washington at its’ worst. It is unconscionable that the United States Senate voted to oppose protecting the health of our 9/11 heroes. Washington has failed to live up to the moral obligation this country has to the 9/11 first responders, who risked their lives to save others. The 9/11 first responders were exposed to deadly toxins at Ground Zero and are getting sick in extraordinary numbers and are dying. To have the 9/11 Health Bill fall victim to a political standoff is a disgrace and breaks all of the promises that were made to the heroes of 9/11 in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Washington is sending a clear message to our future heroes that before they risk their lives for our country, they should first get something in writing if they want the government to take care of them after. The 9/11 first responders fought for us on that day and we need to fight for them.”