Jim Demint and Jon Kyl, No Christmas Vacation Until You Support 9/11 Responders

Jim Demint and Jon Kyl don't think much of first responders. That's clear. They think even less, apparently of Americans who work not only Christmas, but the entire Christmas week.

You would think that we would elect intelligent men and women to our government, people who can balance business with compassion with a budget. Never an easy thing to do, but at no time should it be easier than when it comes to the Zadroga bill, helping our 9/11 responders with their extraordinary health issues from those days and weeks. A $7.4 billion dollar bill, paid for by closing a tax loophole to foreign corporations. A bill that gives back to the people that the Republicans are so often telling us to support and respect.

Jim Demint and Jon Kyl, helped vote down this bill again. Despite adding nothing to our budget, despite providing that support they always talk about, despite the fact these men and women ultimately will have given their lives in many, many cases before it's over, these men stood against it.

Then, to add insult to injury, when the bill was to be brought up again after Christmas, but before New Years, these two honorable gentlemen appeared to have donned Marie Antoinette's personality and threw in the faces of American that doing the governments work the week after Christmas was disrespecting one of the two most Christian holidays.

I don' t know about my audience, but I for one have worked many a week after Christmas, and we have some member of my family who will work Christmas this year as they have in the past. I don't feel my family has ever disrespected a Christian holiday, even if some of us aren't all that celebratory during the season.

Our government shuts down for the holidays? Are the Republicans going to bring our troops home for that week so they can spend them with their families? Paid of course. Are the Republicans going to make our country magically safe so the police, firefighters, EMTs, nurses and doctors can all go home and enjoy an entire week with their families?

Mr. Demint and Mr. Kyl should be wholly ashamed of what they've said. I'm sure they've said it in the heat of a political moment, believing they had leverage to call into question the good faith of Americans across the country, insult those who don't celebrate Christian holidays and kick those who work those times, by choice or not. We could ask them to publicly humiliate themselves and grovel at the public trough for forgiveness.

But Mr. Demint and Mr. Kyl, if you truly regret the taste of your shoe leather, vote for the Zadroga bill. Take care of those who took care of us on that day we watch tragedy strike our country. Make sure that if they can be cured, they have that opportunity and if they can't, they pass knowing that our country was there for them like they where there for us.

Mr. Kyl and Mr. Demint, our first responders went to those towers as people with a goal to do the right thing. It didn't matter what religion they were or what political party they supported. They didn't question if it would cost too much to help people, they didn't question if it would risk their future, political or literal. They went and did their job and did the right thing. Now, all we ask as Americans and families of first responders everywhere, you do the same thing these men and women did on 9/11, your job.