NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2007

NY Delegation: 9/11 Workers Getting Sicker

Lawmakers Urge Bush, Congress To Fund Treatment For Sick First Responders

  • Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., right, and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., center, listen as Marvin Bethea of the Unsung Heroes Foundation speaks to members of the media during a news conference at ground zero in New York on Jan. 22, 2007. Photo

    Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., right, and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., center, listen as Marvin Bethea of the Unsung Heroes Foundation speaks to members of the media during a news conference at ground zero in New York on Jan. 22, 2007.  (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

  • Interactive Sept. 11 And Since

    Reflecting on the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the day that changed America.

(CBS/AP)  Sen. Hillary Clinton and other lawmakers joined ailing Sept. 11 recovery workers at ground zero on Monday to demand more federal funding to treat those workers with chronic breathing problems.

"We have to provide treatment for all of the victims of 9/11," Clinton said outside the World Trade Center site, two days after announcing her presidential candidacy. "Without the president's budget commitment, the program that is treating many of these victims will end."

After the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the government spent $90 million on health monitoring programs, and this year it spent another $75 million — the first federal dollars specifically for treatment for workers and lower Manhattan residents sickened by their exposure to World Trade Center dust.

Clinton said Monday that money will run out by this summer.

Read about Bonnie Giebfried, an ailing 9/11 EMT.
Read the story of NYPD Detective James Zadroga, the first confirmed casualty of ground zero exposure.
She was joined by the father of a retired police detective who died a year ago and several workers who said they were sickened by the toxic dust that enveloped lower Manhattan after the twin towers collapsed. Several of those workers said they planned to attend President George W. Bush's State of the Union address on Tuesday.

"We have been given a slow, slow death sentence, and that's simply not right," said Marvin Bethea, a paramedic who said he has suffered everything from asthma to post-traumatic stress disorder after his work at ground zero. "It's all about the money. They don't want to pay the money."

A White House spokeswoman did not immediately return a message seeking comment Monday.

Clinton and others called for the president to include money for treatment in his budget, and she said she would introduce legislation securing an additional $1.9 billion for further treatment.

"I believe this is a moral responsibility of our nation," she said.



© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Add a Comment See all 26 Comments
by antoniof123 January 22, 2007 3:15 PM PST
Our government is just now starting to take care of the Viet Nam vet. Oh wait I think they are still avoiding that one too. So what makes the people think that this will be any different.
Reply to this comment
by jimibear January 22, 2007 3:28 PM PST
Absolutely nothing. To paraphrase Kennedy, "Ask what your country can do to you, and also what they can fail to do for you."

The answer will be lengthy.
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by pdun1 January 22, 2007 3:35 PM PST
9/11 Was an Inside Job! This dust was created by contolled demolitions of all three buildings. WTC 1, WTC 2, and WTC 7! The firefighters and police know its an inside job! the gag orders prevent them from going public on the issue! why the gag orders? WAKE UP AMERICA
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by Syndicate January 22, 2007 3:36 PM PST
Now she comes out to help them? I knew when the EPA said the air was safe they were full of it, but I also understand why they had to say that. You have 200 acres of office space with monitors that contain lead and floresant lights that contain mercury. Not to mention the pulverized concrete and glass and all the fumes from the combustion of whatever. Very very nasty stuff. But if you tell people the air is posinous you cause a panic and kill more people. Damned if you do damed if you don't.
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by pdun1 January 22, 2007 3:41 PM PST
9/11 Was an Inside Job! This dust was created by contolled demolitions of all three buildings. WTC 1, WTC 2, and WTC 7! The firefighters and police know its an inside job! the gag orders prevent them from going public on the issue! why the gag orders? WAKE UP AMERICA
Reply to this comment
by Syndicate January 22, 2007 3:41 PM PST
pdun1: You really beleive that? You know I won't be able to beleive anything you say again?
Reply to this comment
by pdun1 January 22, 2007 3:54 PM PST
The buildings fell at free fall speed
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by pdun1 January 22, 2007 3:55 PM PST
The gag order is there. Why cant the firefighter and police speek freely?
Reply to this comment
by pdun1 January 22, 2007 3:57 PM PST
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.%u2014On the morning of Sept. 11, 2005, New York City auxiliary fire lieutenant Paul Isaac Jr. asserted, yet again, that 9-11 was an inside job. "I know 9-11 was an inside job. The police know it's an inside job; and the firemen know it too," said Isaac.
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by pdun1 January 22, 2007 3:59 PM PST
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.%u2014On the morning of Sept. 11, 2005, New York City auxiliary fire lieutenant Paul Isaac Jr. asserted, yet again, that 9-11 was an inside job. "I know 9-11 was an inside job. The police know it's an inside job; and the firemen know it too," said Isaac.

"It's amazing how many people are afraid to talk for fear of retaliation or losing their jobs," said Isaac, regarding the FBI gag order placed on law enforcement and fire department officials, preventing them from openly talking about any inside knowledge of 9-11
Reply to this comment
by inventagod January 22, 2007 3:59 PM PST
"But if you tell people the air is posinous you cause a panic and kill more people. Damned if you do damed if you don't."

No. If the air is poisoned, you DON'T tell people it's safe. Unless, of course, like Bu$hCo, you are hiding something. I too, believe the demolition of the WTC had a lot to do with controlled, hidden explosives. It was too neat, too in-your-face. Especially WTC7.

The ONLY HEROS on 9/11 were those who rushed in to help, NOT the military, NOT NORAD, NOT the president and his accomplices.

Reply to this comment
by usawatchman January 22, 2007 5:03 PM PST
They should make the people who said the air was safe
PAY FOR IT
(these INSIDE people made MONEY EVERYWHERE)

I wrote several time those first days

GET THOSE PEOPLE SOME RESPIRATORS
and NOT THOSE CHEAP SURGICAL MASKS


Also, As far as I am concerned
THE BUREAUCRATS KILLED THOSE PEOPLE
and
THEY SHOULD ALL BE CHARGED WITH CRIMES TOO...!
Reply to this comment
by frankbowers January 22, 2007 5:39 PM PST
The problem is the word free what happen to all the millions donated when this occured i guess it has found deep pockets else where and now we will have to pay. the best of good byes frank bowers in austin, tx
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by vaughnbauer January 22, 2007 5:49 PM PST
Perhaps we could take part of the 2 Billion dollars used to counter the effects of the {theory} of "Global Warming" to pay for these people's treatment.

Moving money from something that is only a theory (Global Warming) to something that is very real (9/11 victim's health) would be the right thing to do; one could argue it could perhaps be the honorable thing to do.

Pelosi would gain a little bit of my respect if she did that.
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by inventagod January 22, 2007 6:06 PM PST

Bu$hCo sold the steel in the WTC towers to off-shore smelters. Where did those proceeds go? How much did that net? Or is that a secret too?

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by nyckate January 22, 2007 6:17 PM PST
vaughnbaue - Good Lord but aren'yt you really not all that bright. Global warning is not a theory - melting ice in antartica - recent storms in europe - heightened hurricans here in US -- first real cold snap not till middle of Jan - HEL-LO -- knowck-knock - anyone home?? thought not.

How about the money wasted in iraq or stolen in Iraq - the billions that went 'missing' could surely haev been put to better use here in NY to aide sick workers.
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by nyckate January 22, 2007 6:19 PM PST
Cbscrash07 - actually she's been trying to help them for quite a while - I don't plan on voting her for President unless of course GOP puts up another Bush -- but she's done a good job as senator for NY.
Reply to this comment
by migrainegram January 22, 2007 6:25 PM PST
Think of the possibilities -- if King George focused more on home instead of Iraq and Osama-Been-Forgotten -- priceless. Unfortunately, it isn't going to happen and all the money is poured into one giant sand box. Why? Because failure is not an option. Go figure.

It is appalling, embarrassing, and disheartening!
Reply to this comment
by nyckate January 22, 2007 6:36 PM PST
migrainegram - Bush, the neocons and the religious right would must rather throw the money away than pay for those 'malingering' cops and firemen and other workers who spent months on teh rubble of WTC - they have always lacked those christian qualities such as compassion, caring and generosity.
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by t_barr January 22, 2007 8:01 PM PST
Actually, I find it appalling, embarrassing, and disheartening that the US Senator for NY is not demanding a REAL investigation of the events of 911. Even Board Members of the only investigation conducted to date claim that the 911 Omission Report was a sham. Almost 6 years later, and Bin Laden is still not wanted by the FBI for 911. Check it out, you'll find;

"Usama Bin Laden is wanted in connection with the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. These attacks killed over 200 people. In addition, Bin Laden is a suspect in other terrorist attacks throughout the world."

Note they don't mention 911. Call them. They will say, "We have no evidence that links Bin Laden to the events on 9/11". Do it. The 'Confession tape' you cry? It was a fake. Just like a lot of other 'Evidence' surrounding 911. Bin Laden didn't do it, Saddam didn't do it, so who did? You would think our Congress would be interested in that, especially the US Senator for NY. Unbelievable....
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by feelfree1 January 22, 2007 11:51 PM PST
For those who have some lingering questions about the events on 9/11/01, I would like to reccomend 2 short films:

Improbable Collapse

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUMKP4WaMgM

& 9/11 Press For Truth

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5589099104255077250&q=google+paul 9%2F11&hl=en
Reply to this comment
by inventagod January 23, 2007 10:40 AM PST
"For those who have some lingering questions about the events on 9/11/01"
The art of understatement! Great post!
About those questions:
1 Controlled Demolition, Inc.
2 Five 'Hijackers' alive and well
3 CIA insider trading
4 Five 'War Games' running on 9/11
5 Bu$h waited 444 days before investigating
......
Reply to this comment
by pakaal January 23, 2007 12:16 PM PST
T-Barr wrote: "Note they don't mention 911. Call them. They will say, "We have no evidence that links Bin Laden to the events on 9/11"."

Bin-Laden admitted his connection with the attacks way back in 2004, the Bin-Laden "fake tape" you mention was further back in 2001. And if you doubt my word, there's always Fox news as backup. ;-)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,137095,00.html
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by thesecret2 January 24, 2007 1:15 AM PST
See This Movie Today ! Find Out What Is Happening To Your Country!

Send to your friends, family and co-workers - Everyone must see this film!

America: Freedom To Fascism Please keep this upward pressure going by sharing the AFTF Google Video viewing link with as many of your family and friends as possible:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4312730277175242198

Reply to this comment
by jimibear January 24, 2007 5:18 PM PST
"Bu$hCo sold the steel in the WTC towers to off-shore smelters. Where did those proceeds go? How much did that net? Or is that a secret too?


Posted by inventagod at 06:06 PM : Jan 22, 2007"

Furthermore, they sold it off before it could be looked at by investigators. I would call that "tampering with evidence".

I wonder if they got a higher or lower price for that amazing steel that "melts" at 1000C - 500 degrees cooler than steel usually melts, but the highest temperature attainable by burning jet fuel?

Or could it possibly have been disposed of to hide things like traces of explosives and accelerants?

And NYCKate - I have the highest regard for your posts, but even the strongest proponents of global warming still call it a "theory". I happen to agree with you that it's legit, but in fact none of the items you listed have been linked exclusively to global warming caused by pollution. We simply don't know enough about general weather cycles, etc. The warming may be part of a natural cycle.

That being said, there is no reason at all not to minimize our contribution to it. So all in all I agree, but it's one of those issues where inflammatory language doesn't strengthen your point, I'm afraid.
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by jimibear January 24, 2007 5:28 PM PST
"pdun1: You really beleive that? You know I won't be able to beleive anything you say again?
Posted by Cbscrash07 at 03:41 PM : Jan 22, 2007
+ report this comment"

CBScrash, I'd keep an open mind on this if I were you. The precedent is there in our own country's history (Gulf of Tonkin, sinking of the Maine, proposed fake attack on Guantanemo in 1961 to start war with Cuba) and in others (burning of Rome, burning of the Reichstag Building in Berlin). Governments have shown over and over that they are more than willing to sacrifice the property and lives of their citizens, or take advantage of a convenient incident, to pursue a particular agenda.

I don't say I 100% believe 9/11 was an inside job, but I have read and seen way too much to think it really went down the way the government says. I think they were either involved actively (planting explosives, setting up the hijackings and pinning blame on Bin Laden) or passively (allowing it to happen through either opportunism or negligence, then taking part in a massive coverup).

I encourage you to look around the net at sites like www.prisonplanet.com. Even after you get past all the hype and hysteria (and there's plenty) there is an abundance of hard evidence and statements from credible sources to indicate that something about the 9/11 "official story" stinks to high heaven.

I think it's a great mistake to ever think "it can't happen here" or "they wouldn't do that" when it comes to politicians.
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