View full sizeIn this photo provided by the New York mayor's office, Joseph Zadroga speaks during a news conference with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, right, at New York City Hall Monday, Dec. 20, 2010, urging Congress to approve a scaled-back version of a bill that would help sick World Trade Center workers. The legislation is named for Zadroga's son James, a police detective who worked hundreds of hours at ground zero after 9/11 and died at age 34. At left is U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, a Democrat from New York. ANDREW MIGA, Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Republican and Democratic senators have reached a deal on a scaled-down bill to help 9/11 first responders who became sick from having worked in the dust of the World Trade Center.
Congressional aides close to the negotiations tell The Associated Press that the deal calls for providing up to $4 billion in health care and economic aid over five years to first responders and survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism attacks.
The aides -- three Democratic and one Republican -- verified the deal Wednesday but said they couldn't talk about it openly.
The measure is about $2 billion less than the bill proposed earlier this week by Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.
Both the Senate and the House were expected to vote on the measure later Wednesday.
The Senate had been headed toward a key test vote on a bill that would provide up $6.2 billion.
Bill supporters had said they were confident they have the 60 Senate votes needed to prevail on the vote expected Wednesday. But they were worried that Republicans who oppose the measure could try to stall a final vote as the holidays near and Congress' lame duck session winds down.
The bill also would have to be approved by the House. New York lawmakers are pressing the House to remain in session for the vote.