Look, I feel for those 9/11 responders. I want their care to be fully funded, as long as they need.

But don't blame "Congress." This isn't a "both sides" issue. It's Republicans who don't want to help them, and I suspect they won't say it because, well, most NY-area first responders, professional and civilian, are Republicans.

Which party loves to invoke the memory of 9/11 for political reasons? The same party that claimed the bill to fund first responder care was too expensive. Yes, the same party that passed a trillion-dollar package cutting taxes for the wealthy.

Meanwhile, the claims are costing so much more than anyone thought.

Here's H.R. 1327, a bill to permanently fund their care. There are 232 Democratic co-sponsors and 81 Republicans. (There are 199 Republicans in the House. Where are the rest of them?)

It seems like a no-brainer of a vote, and it's true that it will probably pass -- eventually. But Mitch McConnell will once again use it to try to force some horrible Democratic concessions.

It's what he does.

So when you hear people on TV talking about this bill, remember who's standing in its way.