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HILL’S MED-CHECK PUSH

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and other lawmakers rallied with rescue workers yesterday in support of a bipartisan bill to expand medical monitoring and treatment for New Yorkers exposed to the filthy Ground Zero air after the 9/11 attacks.

The bill would force the feds to include Ground Zero health costs in its budget every year, instead of doling out cash on a piecemeal basis.

“From the first moment that I came to Ground Zero on the day of the evil attacks . . . I knew we were going to have problems,” Clinton told more than 1,000 uniformed workers, union activists and Ground Zero laborers, “that people were going to get sick and people were going to die from what they were exposed to.

“We’re going to rescue the rescuers,” she promised. “And it will be my highest priority whether I am your senator or your president. I will stay with this until you get the health care, the treatment and the compensation that you deserve to have.”

New York officials plan to introduce a bill calling for potentially hundreds of thousands office workers, students and residents of lower Manhattan to be monitored and treated for Ground Zero-related illnesses.

“It’s almost like triage,” said Rep. Vito Fossella (R-S.I.). “We have to make sure all people involved in this tragedy get the health care we need. This legislation ensures that funding is there and with no interruption.”

Union officials and environmental groups are also on board with the legislation.

“We couldn’t be more happy about it,” said Kimberly Flynn of 9/11 Environmental Action. “It ensures that every sick resident, office worker and student is going to be provided for.”