After months of GOP obstruction, a bill to help 9/11 first responders cover their mounting health care costs is expected to zip through Congress. In addition to being a feather in the cap of New York and New Jersey Democrats — who have been pushing the bill for months — it will likely enjoy the distinction of being the last legislative item to pass the unusually productive 111th Congress lame duck session.
Republicans have blocked the bill in both the House and Senate over objections to its cost and financing mechanisms, but with a combination of tweaks and public pressure, Democrats say they’ve rounded up the 60 votes they’ll need to break the filibuster. And with members eager to skip town for the holidays, the House and Senate have lined up to expedite final passage.
Full story: Congress Poised To Expedite 9/11 Responders Bill Over GOP Objections | TPMDC