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  80º

02/25/2008 10:10 AM

WTC First Responders To Rally In Washington D.C.

By: NY1 News

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World Trade Center first responders and their families are heading to D.C. to continue fighting for health care.

Nearly 200 first responders are heading to Capitol Hill to hold a rally Tuesday protesting major cuts to their health care.

They say the government slashed the budget for 9/11 health care from $108 million to $25 million for the next fiscal year. The workers say they deserve better care after exposing themselves to toxic air.

"We're not going to stand for being cut out of the budget by 77 percent,” said John Feal, founder of the Fealgood Foundation. “It's not adequate and it’s an insult.”

“If I got hurt in Afghanistan, my family and I would be covered, but since I got hurt in Manhattan we're not,” said WTC construction worker Thomas Magee.

Many first responders are also pushing congress to pass the James Zadroga bill which would ensure that everyone exposed to toxins at Ground Zero has proper medical care.