Obama signs health bill for September 11 responders

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HONOLULU | Sun Jan 2, 2011 4:45pm EST

HONOLULU (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Sunday signed into law a bill that funds medical care for firefighters and other responders to the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The five-year, $4.3 billion measure will provide medical treatment for emergency responders sickened by toxic dust inhaled at the World Trade Center site in New York in the days following the hijacked plane attacks.

It also includes a health program for responders sickened by the toxic debris and establishes a victims' compensation fund. Victims have five years to file claims.

Thousands of firefighters, police and other rescue and cleanup workers contracted respiratory problems and other illnesses from working at the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the attacks.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York welcomed the signing.

"Our nation -- Democrats, Republicans, and Independents -- all came together to do what was right and provide health care to the brave men and women who served with such heroism in the days and weeks following 9/11," she said in a statement.

Obama is on vacation in Hawaii. He arrives back in Washington on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; editing by Todd Eastham)
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Barack Obama
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Comments (6)
ilaboo wrote:
when mt St Helena exploded i was 700 miles away for 3 days my town was full of dust the sun could not shine thru it was midnight, when forrest fires rage thru Montana my town has smoke from the firs for weeks on end–none of us cried please give us some money please–here is an example of throwing away our money for political purposes has nothing to do with their health–

Jan 02, 2011 5:19pm EST  --  Report as abuse
Sinbad1 wrote:
@ilaboo Are you saying you don’t have any health care so no body should have health care.

Jan 02, 2011 5:46pm EST  --  Report as abuse
triper57 wrote:
Hate to sound mean but are most these people not covered by their health plans at the departments where they work? Those not covered should receive help if they are sick but those covered through their jobs already have health coverage.

Jan 02, 2011 5:57pm EST  --  Report as abuse
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