The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives have passed a scaled-down version of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act which will provide $4.2 billion over five years to first responders who were sickened at the World Trade Center site following the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Following a last-minute deal brokered by New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, the Senate unanimously approved the $4.2 billion, five-year compensation package.

“Democrats and Republicans came together to make sure that we could fulfill our undeniable moral obligation to our men and women, our first responders, our heroes and all the survivors at Ground Zero,” said Gillibrand.

“Remember days like today,” said Schumer, “where America, not Democrats, not Republicans, not New Yorkers, not Wyomingites, rose to the occasion.”

The House of Representatives then passed the revised bill this evening.

The bill is named after James Zadroga, a New York City Police Department detective who died from an illness he developed after spending 450 hours working at the WTC site following the attacks.

The passed measure will provide $1.8 billion for first responders’ health care and $2.5 billion to reopen the Victims Compensation Fund.

The initial James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act called for a 10-year, $7.4 billion package. Recently, it was reduced to $6.2 billion.

Funding for the bill would come from, in part, a new tax on foreign companies that have contracts with the United States government.

The bill will now head to President Barack Obama, who said previously that he will sign it.

(Source: NY1)