The Failure to Vote on the James Zadroga 9/11 Health Bill

By Zach Foster

Despite the many petty conflicts being bitterly fought through partisan bickering in Congress, important things periodically get accomplished.  The U.S. Senate had the golden opportunity to accomplish a great and heroic piece of legislation that would honor those American heroes whose greatness and heroism will be the stuff of legends: the first responders at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001.  However, this vital piece of legislation was not voted on.  Why is this?  There is only one cause: Republican filibuster.

Despite the political motive for the filibuster and all the “logical” reasons behind not voting on the Zadroga Bill—named after New York City police officer James Zadroga who died from overexposure to toxic substances while providing emergency relief efforts at Ground Zero—there is absolutely no moral justification for the filibustering and blockage of this bill. The bill was ignored because the Senate Republicans succeeded in silencing the matter and turning the legislation into a non-issue.

This action is perplexing to many.  After all, Congressional Republicans have an excellent track record when it comes to voting in favor of providing funding for the Iraq and Afghanistan war efforts, funding for veterans, and other general funding for the Department of Defense.  Defense spending can be a good thing, especially in peace time, as it ensures that the military can be a good career option without any war going on, and the economy is stimulated by the profits made by many industries—weapons, clothing, food, electronics—that provide basic necessities for soldiers to perform their duties.

Congressional Republicans understand the dual importance of defense spending, those being the moral importance of ensuring that the military had adequate resources to win victory against insurgents and terrorists and to establish strong armies in Iraq and Afghanistan which can keep the peace, and the economic importance of defense spending, which stimulates industry and creates jobs (though we must certainly hope that companies contracted by the Department of Defense are creating jobs IN THE UNITED STATES!).

Therefore, if Congressional Republicans can succeed in that patriotic legislative capacity, then WHY WOULD SENATE REPUBLICANS CHEAT THE HEROES OF SEPTEMBER 11TH?! After all, the benefits of the legislation are economic and strategic in the long run (as if the sheer moral clarity of the matter wasn’t enough).  This funding could provide a boom to the health care industry, as well as kick off valuable medical research to treat and cure the unique ailments suffered by the first responders.  So why the failure?  The reason is tax cuts, and complaint about the bill being too expensive.

Tax cuts!  The bill was kept from being voted on because of a concern for the preservation of the George W. Bush-era tax cuts, with a minority complaining about the possibility of wasteful spending!  Republican-turned-Independent New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg declared this action “a tragic example of partisan politics trumping patriotism.”  It’s difficult to argue with him.  After all, the bill was already passed in the House of Representatives, which means that more than a few Republicans were on board with providing for the Heroes of September 11th.

From a fiscally conservative point of view, it ALMOST makes sense that 7.4 billion dollars is too expensive.  However, most could agree that blood is thicker than dollars, and the blood of well over three thousand unknowing martyrs is a far more painful price than seven billion dollars.  Furthermore, President Obama already agreed to support the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts.  Do the Republicans need a signed memorandum of understanding?  The President not only shows his willingness to transcend partisan politics (at least in a limited capacity), but his agreement also gives Americans the good news that these tax cuts will continue to bring in higher tax revenues to the nation’s coffers.  Some would ask exactly how this could be.

Walter E. Williams, distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University and syndicated columnist, explains how tax cuts on big business benefits the middle class.  “If a tax is levied on a corporation, and if it is to survive, it will have one of three responses, or some combination thereof. One response is to raise the price of its product, so who bears the burden? Another response is to lower dividends; again, who bears the burden? Yet another response is to lay off workers. In each case, it is people, not some legal fiction called a corporation, who bear the burden of the tax.”  What this also means is that when big businesses are taxed less, profits are higher and more disposable, therefore jobs are created, prices don’t rise, and wealth is spread more liberally and plentifully than it would be in Marxism.

Therefore, if many billionaires and multi-millionaires as well as their multi-billion and multi-million dollar businesses are making more money, they will actually be able to pay higher tax revenues to the government through lower tax rates.  This means that the billions and the millions of dollars of tax revenue going to the government will more than make up for the money spent in the James Zadroga bill.  Let this statement go out to all the Senate Republicans: You are receiving the good news that shows your party’s agenda of lower taxes is being fulfilled.  This is a great political victory for you.  Therefore, PAY THE HEROES OF SEPTEMBER 11TH THEIR DUE!