[ElcinBoris]

9/11 Responders To Be Warned They Will Be Screened By FBI's Terrorism Watch List (EXCLUSIVE)

Last year amid many battles in the Congress, a fight raged on practically the entire year about renewing and funding of the James Zadroga 9/11 Healthcare Compensation Law that pays for health care of the 9/11 first responders who worked at Ground Zero that goes beyond the basic things that normal insurance policies cover.

After much wrangling in the House about the dollar figure (Republicans wanted significant cuts; Democrats wanted no cuts, therefore meeting Republicans halfway on the right as usual and ad nauseum by accepting some cuts).

Many amendments attached to that bill were fought off by Democrats, but one amendment has just come to light this week since first responders at 9/11 will begin to receive in the mail a letter that informs them of the information they must provide the gov't in order to clear the Terrorism Watch List in order to not get barred from receiving health care benefits contained in the law.

"When the cops and firefighters get this, they're going to hit the roof", was a statement made by a labor rep.

Why are they getting these letters? Because someone in the gov't was stupid enough to require 9/11 first responders to qualify for their benefit in such an underhanded way, and because the leadership who signed off on the bill weren't grown-up enough to make light of it at the time it was included in the bill; to stand up and say something about how ridiculous that really is.

I hope this becomes a national story because the politician who stuck this thing in there should lose their job over it. It's too bad, because I've even agreed with them on a few things in the past, but in the end, the amendment is unpatriotic and a slap in the face to the many heroes of 9/11 who put their lives at risk to go back there everyday and clean the whole mess up.

I don't care to mention the representative's name, because no matter the party, it's just one of the most embarrassing things I've read in awhile and goes beyond politics into something else.

[GogaMegaPis]

It's a stupid provision, to be sure. But if you read the article you linked, you find that this provision does not apply to just the first responders, as anyone who was in the vicinity (or claims to have been) can apply for benefits.

Matt

[ElcinBoris]

It's a stupid provision, to be sure. But if you read the article you linked, you find that this provision does not apply to just the first responders, as anyone who was in the vicinity (or claims to have been) can apply for benefits.

Matt

True, but not just anyone is going to get mail pretty soon telling them about it.

[GogaMegaPis]

True, but not just anyone is going to get mail pretty soon telling them about it.

It stand to reason that those who have applied for benefits will.

[Old-old-Ivy]

Sigh. Anything to not give away the money.

What a crock of shit.

[urbalatte]

It stand to reason that those who have applied for benefits will.

Well look at the link. The source...and reason are mutually exclusive terms.

[beloveds]

Far too much of this from the far-right GOP and Tea Party extremists. "I've got mine, fuck you", seems to be their only stance these days.

[Bejemoelemymn]

Far too much of this from the far-right GOP and Tea Party extremists. "I've got mine, fuck you", seems to be their only stance these days.

Btw, just so you understand democrats controlled both chambers of the congress, and the Whitehorse when this rule was put into place, so CONLIB you should be blaming them...

[wpFWNoIt]

So... What kind of questions?

Have you been to Pakistan in the last 15 years?

[Bejemoelemymn]

anyway, I think anyone that is getting a penny from teh federal government contactors, welfare recipiants, workers, should pass a back ground check, and be drug tested.

[Old-old-Ivy]

Why stop there? Let's just go ahead and force everybody to take an RFID chip. That way, the government won't have to worry about the people anymore.

[wpFWNoIt]

anyway, I think anyone that is getting a penny from teh federal government contactors, welfare recipiants, workers, should pass a back ground check, and be drug tested.

I had to pass a background check for my job.

[hiedeemom]

9/11 Responders To Be Warned They Will Be Screened By FBI's Terrorism Watch List (EXCLUSIVE)

Last year amid many battles in the Congress, a fight raged on practically the entire year about renewing and funding of the James Zadroga 9/11 Healthcare Compensation Law that pays for health care of the 9/11 first responders who worked at Ground Zero that goes beyond the basic things that normal insurance policies cover.

After much wrangling in the House about the dollar figure (Republicans wanted significant cuts; Democrats wanted no cuts, therefore meeting Republicans halfway on the right as usual and ad nauseum by accepting some cuts).

Many amendments attached to that bill were fought off by Democrats, but one amendment has just come to light this week since first responders at 9/11 will begin to receive in the mail a letter that informs them of the information they must provide the gov't in order to clear the Terrorism Watch List in order to not get barred from receiving health care benefits contained in the law.

"When the cops and firefighters get this, they're going to hit the roof", was a statement made by a labor rep.

Why are they getting these letters? Because someone in the gov't was stupid enough to require 9/11 first responders to qualify for their benefit in such an underhanded way, and because the leadership who signed off on the bill weren't grown-up enough to make light of it at the time it was included in the bill; to stand up and say something about how ridiculous that really is.

I hope this becomes a national story because the politician who stuck this thing in there should lose their job over it. It's too bad, because I've even agreed with them on a few things in the past, but in the end, the amendment is unpatriotic and a slap in the face to the many heroes of 9/11 who put their lives at risk to go back there everyday and clean the whole mess up.

I don't care to mention the representative's name, because no matter the party, it's just one of the most embarrassing things I've read in awhile and goes beyond politics into something else.

Not all first responders became an organization, You would need to breath asbestos dust for 20 years to have a chance for a problem.
It's history shows only a slight increase of risk after lifetime exposure (At least it did.).

[ElcinBoris]

Why stop there? Let's just go ahead and force everybody to take an RFID chip. That way, the government won't have to worry about the people anymore.

That's what some of these big "C" conservative Republicans would love.

This provision stayed in the bill since Democrats only took the better part of last year trying to get abortion and a whole other host of big "C" conservative, big gov't intrusion bullshit Republican crap out of the bill.

It's ironic, the Republicans stalled all last year on giving their support to the bill because they said the gov't couldn't afford it, yet they say the gov't can afford a 10% reduction in taxes by top earning corporations now. Can't afford an extra couple billion for 9/11 first responders, but hundreds of billions in tax cuts to the wealthy? Of course we can find the money for that!

Go figure.

[ElcinBoris]

I had to pass a background check for my job.

Did you have to pass the Terror Watch List for it though and submit a whole bunch of information about yourself to the FBI for it?

Just wondering.

[incizarry]

Yeah, it's not actually a first responders bill, so this makes sense. Why would we want to give terrorists free health care?

[ElcinBoris]

Yeah, it's not actually a first responders bill, so this makes sense. Why would we want to give terrorists free health care?

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/arch...010510-act.pdf

FBI to investigate 9/11 responders for terrorism — RT

Yeah, it actually is a first responders bill, primarily anyway, since they take up the majority of the cases thus far and because it's been mostly designed around them.

Look at the bill. The first people it goes into detail about in Section 1 are WTC Responders.

The bill already has very careful stipulations on what you need to do to qualify, but apparently that's not enough for one big gov't Republican from Florida whose provision in the bill forces the FBI to concentrate attention and resources where it doesn't belong.

Are there not better ways to use the FBI?

Why is this overreach okay with Republicans on this forum? Is it just more hypocrisy from people who claim to want less gov't but really are itching for as much gov't as possible?

Because of one Republican douchebag, somebody out there had to actually type a letter to be sent to thousands of people warning them they would be screened under the Terror Watch List but that they weren't being "accused".

If only Democrats had a street fighting mentality, they could hang this around the Republicans and shine a light on what they're actually like once they have any kind of power.

[incizarry]

If it was a first responder bill, it would be limited to responders. Instead, it allows anyone to make a claim. Despite little in the way of scientific evidence. So much for Democrats putting science back in its proper place.

I am perfectly happy to have Democrats shine a light on Republicans and portray them as defenders of the taxpayers first.

[ElcinBoris]

If it was a first responder bill, it would be limited to responders. Instead, it allows anyone to make a claim. Despite little in the way of scientific evidence. So much for Democrats putting science back in its proper place.

I am perfectly happy to have Democrats shine a light on Republicans and portray them as defenders of the taxpayers first.

It's pointless discussing it with you, since if you actually took the time to read the bill, you'd see all the requirements it takes to make a claim, and although it is open to "anyone", it really isn't.

Again, not just "anyone" has got mail coming to them saying that the FBI is going to check them out; only a bunch of mostly white guys laying around their houses now with congenital lung and heart problems procured in the days when Republicans claimed they were "heroes".

Republicans stalled for 10 years on health care for these people, and when they finally give in they get the amount chopped and then equate police and firefighter guys with being terrorists.

Lovely.

The criteria you have to meet within the bill is clear and it is enough; the provision by the Republican from Florida is a slap in the face.

[incizarry]

The criteria Republicans put in the bill was to protect taxpayers from a boondoggle. I'm sure they'll be glad to stand by that record.