On the final day of the 111th Congress, the Senate adopted an arms reduction treaty involving the U.S. and Russia and approved a $4.3 billion package to help the 9/11 rescue workers who were sickened by the toxins at Ground Zero. President Obama said the last-minute votes proved that Democratic and Republican lawmakers can work together.

President Obama: “A lot of folks in this town predicted that after the midterm elections Washington would be headed for more partisanship and more gridlock, and instead this has been a season of progress for the American people.”

The 9/11 health bill only passed after Republicans demanded that the size of the compensation plan be reduced from $7.4 billion over eight years to $4.3 billion over five years.
New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer described passage of the bill as a Christmas miracle.

Sen. Charles Schumer: “And so here we are. Those people who did rush to help us and who thought they were being abandoned are now in the bosom of America, and this is a proud day — a proud day for everyone who has been involved in this effort and for everyone who bears the title 'citizen of the U.S.A.'”