I am somewhat perplexed at the editorial taking the recent lame-duck session to task for being “busier” than it needed to be (Dec. 27).

The idea was for a session which allowed for “careful consideration” and “meaningful compromise” with some bills put aside for another day. My thought is that Congress did exactly what they were elected to do, and that is to consider, debate, negotiate and pass legislation.

One bill mentioned was the 9/11 James Zadroga Health and Compensation Act, which was passed on the final day of the session. It has been more than nine years since the attacks.

The bill was first introduced in 2006. It had received more than 22 hearings in Congress. It was passed by the House this past September, supported by Reps. Chellie Pingree and Michael Michaud. It then sat in the Senate.

Since November, firefighters from Maine and New York City were in Washington on three different occasions meeting with Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins about the bill. Firefighters also met with numerous other senators and staff to find a workable solution that would allow passage of the bill.

From the outset, both Maine senators supported the merits but expressed legitimate concerns about the offsets. However, instead of standing idly by, they and their staffs gave “careful consideration” and worked tirelessly behind the scenes for “meaningful compromise” with the bill’s chief Senate sponsor, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

In the end, Collins and Snowe helped push the bill to its rightful conclusion with statements of support, the only Republicans to do so prior to the vote.

The 9/11 Act received unanimous consent in the Senate, a testament to the hard work needed for a bill that both sides could agree upon. It then passed in the House with the support of Maine’s delegation.

Maine is fortunate to have senators and representatives who will work to find common ground, who will not put aside issues that are ready to move forward and who will honorably legislate right up until the last day they are in office.