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The Health Issue That Jon Stewart Wants To Help Solve

CREDIT: AP PHOTO/LAURA RAUCH
CREDIT: AP PHOTO/LAURA RAUCH

On Wednesday morning, beloved comedian Jon Stewart will join forces with hundreds of firefighters from across the country to rally on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Their request: the extension of medical benefits and compensation for injuries and sicknesses acquired on Ground Zero during 9/11.

The issue is one that Stewart has been invested in for quite some time. Five years ago, he first called attention to the plight of 9/11 first responders when he interviewed four firefighters — each grappling with chronic illnesses caused by their exposure to toxic fumes, dust, and smoke — on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. His efforts, in part, compelled lawmakers to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, legislation to cover the cost of medical care for affected firefighters and their families.

Now, as the landmark legislation is set to expire at the end of the year, Stewart is relying on his national profile again. He is lobbying members of Congress to extend and make permanent the medical benefits and compensation for 33,000 first responders and family members still reeling from the physical and psychological effects of what’s considered the worst terrorist attack on American soil.

“The gravitas of a man like Jon Stewart brings a larger focus to the issue and puts it in the spotlight. Next month, first responders who are in the program and their doctors will receive letters telling them that their benefits are expiring,” Richard Alles, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association’s legislative director, told ThinkProgress.

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“The elected officials who haven’t signed on have nowhere to hide. These heroes have been knocking on the federal government’s door for benefits, and lawmakers have a deaf ear. Just days before, many of them wrapped the American flag around themselves and thanked these firefighters for their service,” Alles, also deputy chief of the Fire Department of New York, said.

Alles counted among nearly 50,000 first responders from across the country who touched down on Ground Zero wearing nothing more than their uniforms and paper masks. Such minuscule protection exposed their skin and lungs to pounds of asbestos, mercury, fluorescent light bulbs, and other toxins. The dust cloud that settled over lower Manhattan for months also exposed tens of thousands of residents, students, and employees in the area to deadly carcinogens.

More than a decade after the terror attacks, 85 New York police officers and more than 100 firefighters have succumbed to health complications, including cancer and gastrointestinal problems. More than 4,100 people have been diagnosed with 50 types of cancers caused by exposure to chemicals on the site of the World Trade Center. That number is expected to increase for years to come. Additionally, nearly 17 percent of emergency medical workers on the front lines that day show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, a medical study showed. Physical ailments include acid reflux disease, cancer, asthma, and intestinal problems.

Among those who lost their lives post-9/11 was James Zadroga, the New York City detective for whom the original legislation was named. Years after the terror attacks, he suffered breathing complications and died in 2006. The city’s medical examiner later concluded that his death had nothing to do with his exposure to debris on Ground Zero, a point of contention for first responders and advocates.

Since its passage, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act has allocated $4.3 billion in the monitoring the treatment of injuries of 60,000 people that stemmed from exposure to toxic dust and debris. The bill also opened up the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, which provides payment for firefighters, first responders, and clean up personnel no longer able to work, particularly those who receive a settlement from New York City. As of last week, more than half of the fund has been allocated for awards.

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The reauthorization bill, currently under consideration in Congress, has 125 co-sponsors in the House and 29 in the Senate. In addition to lobbying lawmakers, Alles has asked Democratic and Republican presidential candidates about their take on the bill. Those who vocalized their support include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), and former New York Gov. George Pataki.

But that hasn’t sufficed for Alles, who told NewsDay that he’s been waiting on a response from Republican candidates Sens. Lindsay Graham (SC), Ted Cruz (TX), and Marco Rubio (FL), and Rand Paul (KY). He reiterated that sentiment to ThinkProgress, noting the GOP opposition tempered the scope of the original legislation in 2010.

“We had a bill for 10 years and $7.3 million, so it was either go halfway or go low. But five years is a nonstarter. We have more than 4,000 first responders suffering from cancers. Some of these diseases take longer to metastasize,” Alles said.