WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 22, 2010) After the U.S. House and Senate today passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which will provide $4.3 billion over five years for health care benefits and compensation for 9/11 first responders, the BlueGreen Alliance released the following statement from Executive Director David Foster:

“We commend the U.S. House and Senate today for passing this critical measure to provide aid to first responders after their heroic efforts on September 11. The men and women who answered the call on that tragic day now know that a grateful nation has ensured that the health problems resulting from their heroism will not go uncompensated.

“This is a particularly important recognition of the sacrifice that workers make every day on the job – whether responding to disasters, producing our nation’s energy, or making our nation run smoothly.

“Following a year of workplace disasters – from the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico to the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion in West Virginia to the oil refinery fire in Anacortes, Washington – Congress must move forward with measures to modernize and strengthen our workplace safety laws. It’s clear from the events of this last year that we can’t afford to wait.”