[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 125 (Tuesday, September 8, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H9303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    9/11 HEALTH AND COMPENSATION ACT

  (Mr. BISHOP of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. This Friday, we remember the Americans whose 
lives were taken 8 years ago as well as those sickened by the ensuing 
rescue and recovery efforts.
  In the wake of that horrific crime, America's first responders did 
not back down or turn away. However, we as a Nation have not honored 
them with the same care and commitment and have yet to repay their 
sacrifices.
  I wish to call to the attention of my colleagues and the entire 
Nation the services of firefighter and 9/11 first responder, John 
McNamara. A 10-year veteran of the New York Fire Department, John was a 
first responder who assisted the rescue efforts following September 11 
and answered the call again for the citizens of Louisiana during the 
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
  For years John fought for the passage of legislation to help his 
fellow sick first responders even as he himself was dying from colon 
cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2006. John was 44 when he passed 
away earlier this year, leaving behind his wife, Jennifer, and 2-year-
old son, Jack.
  Like John McNamara, many of the brave first responders who served at 
Ground Zero are struggling with debilitating diseases as a result of 
their courageous efforts. Too many people have moved on from 9/11, but 
the first responders and their families whose health is suffering 
cannot move on, and neither should we until we have kept our promise. 
We must pass the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act this year and take 
care of these heroes.
  In the words of one of John McNamara's fellow first responders, 
``Until his last day, John made us promise that we would carry on what 
he started. John's work is not done, and neither is ours.''

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