A bill that would provide health care coverage for thousands of September 11th first responders was defeated Thursday by members of the House.

The $7.4 billion James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act failed to gain a two-thirds majority vote.

The move was a way of preventing Republicans from attaching other amendments to it. However, some say the decision made passage of the measure more difficult.

The bill would have provided health care monitoring for those effected by toxic dust and debris of the World Trade Center site.

The bill is named after a New York City Police Department detective whose death was attributed to a respiratory disease he contracted at the World Trade Center site.

Local lawmakers say they will continue to push the bill after Congress returns from its August recess.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is calling the bill’s failure “outrageous.”

In a statement, the mayor said, “It is truly a sad statement that legislation to help WTC responders and other survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks became a victim of partisan election-year politics.”

(Source: NY1)