Senate To Ground Zero Heroes: 'No Compensation For You!'

They answered their city's, and their country's, call after 9/11 to do what they could at Ground Zero, inhaling a lung-full of Trade Center dust in the process, but their current cries of sickness have been falling on mostly deaf ears. Some upsetting, but not surprising, news from the NY Daily News on Friday-

Senate Republicans killed a bid for nearly $2 billion to help sick 9/11 responders yesterday - blocking the measure without letting it come up for a vote...

...Clinton's amendment would have provided $5,800 a year for five years for each person sickened from Ground Zero exposure. She vowed to resubmit the measure or propose other legislation to help responders and nearby residents. "Their country should answer their calls for help," Clinton said...

I don't understand why this was rejected- and I'm a generally cynical guy. This Congress has thrown money down the drain on every pork project that's come along, so they can't claim a fiscal high road. These people are sick because the government lied to them about the air at Ground Zero; just give them their due compensation for it. Compared to other things in the budget, like say, Iraq, it's mere pennies. And it's literally the least we can do. It also further confirms that the GOP will use that tragedy to justify all manner of monstrosities... but not the commonsense stuff actually warranted by it. Pretty sad.