Updated 07/28/2010 11:52 AM
House To Consider 9/11 Health Bill Thursday
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U.S. lawmakers are nearing a vote that would provide health care coverage for thousands of September 11th first responders.
The House of Representatives is expected to take up the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act on Thursday; however, it's not yet clear if supporters have enough votes to get it passed.
The measure seeks to provide health care for first responders and survivors exposed to toxins released by the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.
The bill would also reopen the federal Victim Compensation Fund to provide economic relief to those harmed by the attacks.
The law is named after a New York City Police Department detective whose death was attributed to a respiratory disease he contracted at the World Trade Center site.
According to published reports, the bill would need a two-thirds majority to pass, because supporters plan to take the bill to a vote using a procedural maneuver that would avoid having unrelated legislation tacked on.
Critics are concerned about the cost of the bill, and how it would be paid for.