Don't Know if Your Representative Supports 9/11 Responders and Survivors? There's an App for That!

“Remember 9/11” should be more than a bumper sticker!

A 9/11 advocacy group, Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act, rolled out a website that lets people look up any member of Congress and find out where they stand on the new Zadroga Act as well as what they've said about 9/11 in the past. The tool also gives you the phone number for your representatives, so you can call to thank them for their support or call to tell them it's time to let actions speak louder than words.

"This tool will allow 9/11 responders, survivors, their families and supporters to see where each member of Congress stands on renewing and extending the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and whether 'Never Forgetting 9/11' is just a hollow political statement or something that members of Congress are in fact committed to doing," said Richie Alles, deputy chief of the New York City Fire Department and a board member of the 9/11 advocacy group, Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act.

So, what are you waiting for?! Go to the website now and see if your representative supports the bill.

Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act, Inc explains why it matters that you contact your Members of Congress:

• There are over 33,000 9/11 responders and survivors that have at least one injury from 9/11, including thousands who have multiple, chronic and disabling illnesses from their exposures to the toxins at Ground Zero.
• So far, over 3,700 have been diagnosed with cancer from their 9/11 exposures. Sadly, thousands more cases are expected.
• In 2010, after years of delays, Washington finally took action to provide medical treatment and monitoring as well as economic compensation to those injured at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and the Shanksville crash site.
• The programs created by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act are now helping responders and survivors in every state and in 429 of 435 Congressional Districts. But, these programs are set to expire, leaving 9/11 heroes and heroines without the help that they need

Here's how the website works:

• Type in your address or zip code in the website and the site will tell you who represents you in Congress.
• Then, click on those names to find out whether they are sponsoring the bill and how they voted on the Zadroga Act in 2010.
• The website tells you the number of 9/11 responders and survivors they represent (who will lose their medical care if the law expires).
• Most importantly, if they are not supporting the legislation to reauthorize the law (HR. 1786/ S 928) the site will tell you what they have said about 9/11 in the past, and you can match their words against their lack of action.
• The site also gives you their direct phone number to their office in Washington.
• If they already sponsor the bill, you can call them and thank them and tell them how much you appreciate their support for injured 9/11 responders and survivors.
• If they have not signed on to co-sponsor the bill yet, ask them to join.
• The site also gives you their twitter handles, so you can tweet at them until you get a response! 
• Then share your results in the comments section below this blog post. 

Keep us updated on your progress in the comments section below this blog post. 

Let us know if your representative gets back to you. 

Let us know if you need more people to call your Congressmen. 

Let's work together to get these brave men and women the medical care they deserve!