Updates on the Zadroga Bill

As you already know, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Bill is close to my heart. (Yesterday, I chose to read the Congressional Record in order to see what the stated opposition to the bill was. Other than the tax on foreign companies, there was concern that money would go to illegal immigrants. Of course, I took exception to that. The heroes of 9/11 didn't ask the people they saved if they were legal or not; we should not do the same to them.) That is why I was concerned yesterday when I heard that the President will be staying on vacation in Hawaii until January 2^nd.

Once a bill is passed by both Houses of Congress, the President has 10 days to sign, veto, or do nothing to the bill. If he does nothing, after 10 days, the bill automatically becomes a law. However, if a session of Congress expires before those 10 days expire and the President fails to take any action, the bill does not become law. This is called a "Pocket Veto."

The Zadroga Bill passed Congress on December 22. The 111^th Congress expires at the beginning of the new year. Thus, I was concerned when and where the President would sign the bill.

Thankfully, this morning, I read this tweet by White House New Media Director (and one of my idols, in full disclosure) Macon Phillips:

Have a ? for @whitehouse Spokesman Robert Gibbs? *** Reply to @PressSec ***, w/your Q & he'll answer what he can over the next half hourless than a minute ago via HootSuiteMacon Phillips (EOP)
macon44

So, I tweeted:

@PressSec When will President Obama sign the Zadroga Bill (because he only has 7 days to do so and he's in Hawaii until 1/2/11)?less than a minute ago via webSeamus Campbell
SeamusCampbell

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs responded:

On signing 9/11 bill, we haven't decided yet when it will be signed - President might do it from Hawaii @SeamusCampbellless than a minute ago via webRobert Gibbs (EOP)
PressSec

I was relieved to know that the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Bill will become law.

As a side note, this is our 100th post. Merry Christmas!

Jimmy McMillian Is Back!

Remember Jimmy McMillian (aka the "Rent Is Too DAMN High Guy")? Well, he's back.

Last night, he announced on Revolution Radio that he will announce in January or February that he will run for the Presidency of the United States. Furthermore, he has switched his party registration to Republican. (Interesting factoid: though he founded the Rent Is 2 Damn High Party and ran on it's line, he was a registered Democrat. The Rent Is 2 Damn High Party actually had only 3 registered party members.)

Below is the video of his announcement. McMillan begins his announcement at the 49-minute mark. Enjoy.

And for old time's sake:

I Cannot Find Words to Describe This

I literally had to pause the video several times in order to face-palm myself.

Why Is There Opposition to the Zadroga Bill?

The other day, on Facebook, friend of mine asked a mutual friend "How is it that the Daily Show is now beating out respectable news outlets in their investigative reporting?" This was in response to this video from Monday night that I posted on my Facebook on Tuesday morning:


I truly do not understand why anyone would oppose a bill that helps those who helped us on September 11^th. This bill is the least that we, as a country, can do to help those men and women who went down to Ground Zero and worked day and night to save lives and bring closure to the friends and families of the men and women who died that day. Oh, and guess how much this will cost you and me? Nothing. The bill will be paid for by increasing taxes on foreign companies. Yet, some fiscal watchdogs in Congress think $0 is too high a price for the American People.

On October 17, 2008, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, "I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out are they pro-America, or anti-America. I think people would love to see an expose like that." While doing research for this post, I looked at the House vote for the Zadroga Bill. Guess who was in the "Nay" column? You guessed it: Rep. Michele Bachmann. I am not calling her "anti-American" and I understand that she is very fiscally conservative. But this is helping some of the most pro-American people that have ever lived in the country with funding from sources outside this nation's borders.
Last night, during dinner with my parents, we discussed the Zadroga Bill. My mother asked why the 9/11 first responders were not getting worker's compensation. I proceeded to go to my bedroom to get my laptop and load up an episode of The Daily Show.
This past Thursday night, Jon Stewart continued his crusade for the passage of the Zadroga Bill.

Part 1

Part 2

Like Stewart, I, for no certain reason, want to apologize to those first responders for how this bill has not yet passed.

As a side note, Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) also agreed with Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) that it is wrong to have to consider so many bills just around the Holidays. "You can't jam a major arms control treaty right before Christmas. What's going on here is just wrong. This is the most sacred holiday for Christians. They did the same thing last year - they kept everybody here until [Christmas Eve] to force something down everybody's throat. I think Americans are sick of this." Notice how he called Christmas "the most sacred holiday for Christians." I'm guessing, then, Easter and that whole Jesus resurrecting from the dead thing has no importance to Christians. Oh wait. It is the foundation of the whole belief structure for Christians.

I do have good news. Two pieces of it, actually. The media is starting to pick the story (as I am typing, ABC's World News Tonight is reporting on the story). Also, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Zadroga bill will come to a vote next week. Still, there is some opposition. Senator John McCain said on the Senate floor, while debating the New START Treaty (my emphasis added), "This is one of the really seminal aspects of whether the United States Senate is going to ratify this treaty or not. To have a time agreement after all of the fooling around that we've been doing on DREAM Act, on New York City, on all of these other issues that's taken up our time." I guess time will tell.

Food Safety Is An Issue?

It's 5:42 AM as I begin writing this post. I'm watching last night's Daily Show. Jon Stewart just went over the criticism over a new food safety bill that just passed the Senate. I cannot help but literally shake my head. I just do not understand why there is so much objection to us having safe food to eat.

In September Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) objected to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that said Americans were not eating enough fruits and vegetables. He said

Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta said people in America are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. They want all the power of the federal government to force you to eat more fruits and vegetables. This is what the federal, CDC, they going to be calling people and finding out how many fruits and vegetables you eat (sic) today. This is socialism of the highest order! (source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvpCIjFuwXE)

I guess the Congressman does not understand the need for a healthy diet and how it directly correlates to disease control. The saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" is not for mere amusement. The CDC's role is to find the sources of viruses and prevent them (look at the name!).

Last week, Sarah Palin attacked First Lady Michelle Obama for her anti-obesity campaign on Laura Ingraham's radio show:

I think she has got a different worldview and she is not hesitant at all to share what her worldview is. And I will take heat again for saying it on your show Laura but she encapsulated what her view of America is, I believe, unless she has evolved and things have changed in the last two years, but she said it on the campaign trail twice that it was the first time that she had been proud of her country when finally people were paying attention to Barack Obama. I think that's appalling. We can think of this infinite number of reasons to be proud of American exceptionalism and it baffles me that anybody would have that view and then allow that view to bleed over into policy.

Take her anti-obesity thing that she is on. She is on this kick, right. What she is telling us is she cannot trust parents to make decisions for their own children, for their own families in what we should eat. And I know I'm going to be again criticized for bringing this up, but instead of a government thinking that they need to take over and make decisions for us according to some politician or politician's wife priorities, just leave us alone, get off our back, and allow us as individuals to exercise our own God-given rights to make our own decisions and then our country gets back on the right track.

Now there is this food safety bill. All it is saying is that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has more power to inspect our food and force recalls when necessary.

I realize that Rep. Gohmert and Gov. Palin are talking about telling us what foods we can and cannot eat. My question is how do they feel about the banning of Four Loko in many states? Actually, let's take it up a notch. Do they still want mercury to be present in our medicine? We have the FDA and the CDC in order to make sure that we stay healthy and the treatments for any illness (whether it be an aspirin or chicken broth) is safe to ingest.

I understand the belief that inspecting our food is big government. However, how many parents are going to actually trace the entire history of every piece the food they eat? Unless that food is home grown or made in-house, I will guess not many parents will.

First Lady Obama's campaign regarding anti-obesity is related to other pieces of health. Obese people are more susceptible to heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure to name a few. It is not her saying that the average American is dumb. It is her trying to prevent a health crisis!

If Gov. Palin and Rep. Gohmert are so strung up on this anti-big-government-that-is-taking-over-our-food-supply mantra, why did they not protest New York City's ban on trans fats in foods? Actually, I will go one further: why have they not called for the dissimulation of the Food and Drug Administration? It makes one wonder.

I realize this post has been all over the place. But it all ties in together. If you eat healthy and exercise, you will be in better shape and be more able to ward off a plethora of diseases.

Remember kids: eat your fruits and vegetables! I leave you with Mr. Jon Stewart's take on this:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Food, the Bad and the Ugly
www.thedailyshow.com