Port Authority Reaches Settlement With 9/11 First Responders
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The Port Authority announced Thursday it has reached a deal to settle lawsuits filed by September 11th first responders.
Over 9,000 plaintiffs have filed claims against the agency, saying they got sick while working on the pile in the days and weeks following the attacks.
Under the tentative agreement, the Port Authority will pay $47.5 million to settle the suits.
That money would be added to the $712 million settlement reached by the city earlier this year.
The deal still needs the approval of the Port Authority Board, which meets next week.
Much like the city's settlement, a majority of the plaintiffs would have to sign off on the deal.
Meanwhile, Senator Kristen Gillibrand is pushing to bring the September 11th workers' compensation bill to a vote in December.
Joined by Congressman Michael McMahon -- a co-sponsor of the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act -- and Staten Island first responders, Gillibrand announced Thursday that the bill is likely to go straight to a full vote when lawmakers reconvene.
She says Democratic leaders have agreed to "fast track" the bill -- bypassing a lengthy committee process.
Gillibrand, a Democrat, is running for a full term in November and McMahon, who is also a Democrat, is seeking re-election.