Senate to Vote on 9/11 First Responders' Bill Soon

Dec. 20, 2010— -- The Senate could vote today on a bill that will guarantee medical care to rescue workers who became sick after 9/11, pushing forward legislation once rejected by Republicans and which proponents say was long ignored by the White House.

New York lawmakers have made a strong push in recent days to get the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act passed this week, giving the law its last best hope of success in the waning days of the lame-duck session of Congress.

A previous version of the bill passed the House but failed to get a vote in the Senate earlier this month. The new bill is expected to be voted on today or Wednesday. Supporters say it is likely to pass.

The bill aims to provide medical care to the emergency workers who first responded to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Many of the workers, after exposure to toxins following the towers' collapse, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., told "Good Morning America" on Monday.

"The people who rushed to the towers after 9/11, they are our heroes just like veterans, they volunteered and risked their lives for us in a time of war," he said. "American tradition is we don't turn our backs on them no matter what state you're from and no matter what party you're from. And I see in these last moments the Congress coming together along those lines."

Republicans killed the original bill because they said it paid for itself by closing tax loopholes, which some said was akin to raising taxes.

The new bill trims the cost to $6.2 billion from $7.4 billion.

Supporting the bill is a host of New York politicians from both sides of the aisle, including Schumer and his junior colleague Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Republican Rep. Peter King and Democrats Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Rep. Anthony Weiner.