On Wednesday, former host of The Daily Show Jon Stewart, along with a
group of 100 9/11 responders, begged Congress to ensure that the James Zadroga
9/11 Health and Compensation Act would continue to receive funding after the
bill’s subsidy ends in a few weeks. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and
Compensation Act funds 9/11 responders’ medical expenses, since many have had
lasting health impacts from their time saving countless lives at Ground Zero,
working amidst the smoke and debris. Mr. Stewart visited a few powerful GOP and
Democratic Senators, as well as appealing to Congress as a whole at a rally on
Capitol Hill.
Frustrated by Congress’ lack of
response thus far, Mr. Stewart said, “In a lot of ways, they view this as past- [that]this has passed. Unfortunately for these guys, it’s not only their present, buttheir future. So I’m- I don’t know. Personally, I can’t sit in a room withthese guys without feeling a responsibility.” Mr. Stewart received a
mixed response from Congressmen and women. Many representatives fear the cost
of the bill, but the number of representatives backing the bill is slowly on
the rise, with 44 senators and 162 house representatives having pledged their
support as of Thursday.
I was interested in this event as
it relates to the Two Congresses, mostly because I wanted to see what New
York’s senators and house representatives did in support of Jon Stewart’s
actions, regardless if they agree with him ideologically or not. 9/11 was a pivotal
moment for all of America, but the people of New York were especially impacted
by the traumatic events of the day. If a New York representative didn’t stand
with Jon Stewart and his plea, it could very easily affect their chances at reelection.
New York Senators Chuck Schumer and
Kirsten Gillibrand supported Mr. Stewart’s statements, both receiving positive
press coverage because of it. Senator Gillibrand stood with Mr. Stewart at the
rally, and Senator Schumer even made statements as bold as Mr. Stewart’s,
calling for Congress to take action and support the bill. New York House
Representatives Pete King, Lee Zeldin, Jerrold Nadler, and Carolyn Maloney
(most of whom represent different areas of Manhattan) also made appearances at Mr.Stewart’s rally in support. This means that 24 of New York’s house
representatives did not come to Mr. Stewart’s rally, many of whom represent
other areas in New York City. Of course, this may have been due to scheduling
conflicts, but it is hard to tell if they are one of the 162 house
representatives who backed the bill. I wonder how these representatives’
chances are reelection could be hurt if they do not show support for a bill that
deals with something so personal to New York, especially since House
representatives are the ones who are meant to be closer to the people.
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