9/11 Victims, Heroes Dying As Congress Drags Heels

NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 26, 2009 — The latest failure of Congress to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act is raising serious concerns among 9/11 victims and their families.

Named after the first World Trade Center (WTC) rescuer to die from toxic exposure at Ground Zero, the act was intended to create a much-needed $10-billion fund for the long-term monitoring and health care of those affected by the terrorist blast, including survivors, area residents, first responders, rescue workers and cleanup crews.

One group, 9/11 Health Now, estimates that the number of people physically injured by WTC toxins at Ground Zero (asbestos, heavy metals, etc.) and the number psychologically impacted by the destruction (post traumatic stress disorder, etc.) is in the tens of thousands.

“It’s a shame that the James Zadroga bill didn’t go through,” says Steven M. Centore, author of One of Them: A First Responder’s Story. “It seems like the government is abandoning thousands of sickened 9/11 heroes and heroines who put their own health and lives on the line when the nation needed them.”

Centore, who is a first 9/11 responder, a federal employee and a Navy veteran, details his own battles with medical insurance companies and the federal government in his book—battles that have made his many 9/11-related health problems all the more painful to deal with.

The latest report from the World Trade Center Medical Working Group shows that the 9/11 victims’ long-term medical and mental health problems continue to rise. The report also indicates an urgent need for increased special federal funding for medical services and additional research.

The issue of providing aid to these stricken Americans has divided politicians along party and regional lines. Whereas New York Congressmen Jerrold Nadler and Anthony Weiner are pushing for federal intervention, California Republican representative Darrell Issa believes that this is now a state issue.

“The James Zadroga bill was one of the US government’s key opportunities to provide some much-deserved relief and health care to thousands of sick, suffering and dying 9/11 victims,” adds Centore. “Yet, the politicians showed callous indifference to these people and their families.”

To learn more about how you can help or to buy the nationally acclaimed book One of Them: A First Responder’s Story, visit www.SteveCentore.com or www.wadv-oneofthem.com. The book is also available on Borders.com, Target.com, Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
For more information about One of Them: A First Responder’s Story, contact Steven M. Centore directly at Scentore@yahoo.com.

WORLDWIDE ASSOCIATION OF DISABLED VETERANS, INC. and author Steven M. Centore chose Arbor Books, Inc. (www.ArborBooks.com) to design and promote One of Them: A First Responder’s Story. Arbor Books is an internationally renowned, full-service book-design, ghostwriting and marketing firm.

(One of Them: A First Responder’s Story by Steven M. Centore; ISBN: 0-9801274-0-8; $16.95; 208 pages; 5½” x 8½”; softcover; Worldwide Association of Disabled Veterans, Inc.)

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