Bush May Meet With Borja To Discuss Aid For 9/11 Responders
BY JOHN TOSCANO

Ceasar Borja of Bayside, attended President George W. Bush's State of the Union address last week although his father had died moments earlier from the deadly effects of his labors at the Ground Zero cleanup following 9/11.

Although Borja was in the same gallery as others who were introduced by the president no mention was made of him. He had previously asked to meet with the president to plead the case of 9/11 responders, but had been refused an appointment.

Democratic lawmakers had been harshly critical of the administration's failure to do anything about aiding ailing 9/11 first responders and had hoped Borja's presence at the State of the Union address might spark some much needed action.

It now appears that the president may be ready to grant Borja's hopes for a face-to-face meeting, according to a story in Newsday of January 29.

The story reported that a White House spokesman had said the president was hopeful a meeting with Borja could be arranged. Borja indicated he would be ready for it because he had one class at Hunter College, where he's studying journalism, which wouldn't start until 7 p.m.

As the Gazette went to press yesterday, there was no word of any meeting having been arranged.

Borja, 21, and his family had buried Ceasar Borja Sr. over the weekend. The 52-year-old former police officer had died last week of a fatal lung disease which the family believed could be traced back to his work at Ground Zero.

Among the mourners at the wake was Congressmember Carolyn Maloney (D- Queens/Manhattan), who has been in the forefront of the battle to get more aid for ailing 9/11 responders.

Together with United States Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton, she had arranged for Borja to be at the president's speech as part of the efforts of all three for the 9/11 workers.

Several days before the State of the Union address, Clinton and other Democrats from the city's delegation had called on the president to budget $1.9 billion to treat the World Trade Center cleanup workers.

"Our message to the president is clear. Include funding in this year's budget to monitor and treat those who survived the attacks of 9/11 who breathed that toxic air," Clinton declared.

Schumer stated, "The administration must do the right thing for those who have given so much."

Maloney pointed out that the first and only "dose of federal funds for 9/11 health treatment" is running out this summer and must be continued for the rest of 2007 and all of 2008.

"The president must act now or 9/11 health clinics are going to get foreclosure notices," Maloney said. "We cannot let that happen. More responders should not have to die before we finally do right by the heroes of 9/11."

Also appealing to the president was Congressmember Vito Fossella, a Republican from Staten Island.