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Ground Zero firefighter to attend State of the Union address

Former Firefighter Michael Weinstock, who suffers from a neurological condition, hopes to raise awareness of the healthcare needs of 9/11 emergency responders

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Rep. George Santos will attend the State of the Union address to Congress with former Firefighter Michael Weinstock, who responded to Ground Zero on 9/11, as his guest.

AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File

By Rachel Engel
FireRescue1

WASHINGTON — A former firefighter who responded to the terrorist attacks at Ground Zero on 9/11 will be in attendance at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night, Forbes reported.

Michael Weinstock, who suffers from a neurological condition due to inhaling pollutants after the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, accepted an invitation from Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) to attend the speech. He hopes to raise awareness about the continued healthcare needs of emergency responders to the 2001 attacks.

Meanwhile, Santos has been accused of fabricating a story about his mother, who he claims was “in her office in the South Tower on September 11” and survived, before dying of cancer a few years later. However, information obtained by the Washington Post reportedly indicates Santos’ mother has not been in the U.S. since 1999.


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