"The United States Senate embarrassed itself today. It made a mockery of the political system that we believe in - and they failed us," said John Feal, a Ground Zero construction worker.
"I'm gonna buy 42 red noses, 84 big red shoes, and 42 tri-colored wigs for all the Republicans," said Feal, the founder of the Fealgood Foundation.
Mayor Bloomberg called the vote "a devastating indictment of Washington politics, a tragic example of partisan politics trumping patriotism.
"The attacks of 9/11 were attacks on America, and we have a collective responsibility to care for the heroes - from all 50 states - who answered the call of duty, saved lives, and helped our nation recover," Bloomberg said.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) immediately lashed out at the idea that the GOP would wait on the tax deal while 9/11 responders are sick and dying.
"The idea that tax cuts for millionaires would derail this legislation is simply outrageous and offensive," she said. "The men and women who rushed to the burning towers and worked for hundreds of hours on the pile did not delay and the Senate should not have delayed either."
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said before the Republicans keep raising new, phony objections - with the tax issue being the latest.
"This should not be a moment of politics," Schumer said. "One can come up with reason after reason after reason why not to vote for this bill, and we've heard many, and the reasons keep changing.
"But one fact doesn't change. There are those who need help, who deserve our help, from New York and New Jersey and Connecticut and from every other state of the union, and to them, a parliamentary decision that we can't vote on this because there's another bill we want to vote on first, because we would change this or that are going to ring very, very hollow."
Reid can bring the measure back at any time, but bill backers in the House are trying a different tack, attempting to attach the Zadroga bill to the tax package.
If they can't, at least one Republican has expressed support for passing the Zadroga bill, and others have suggested they'll think about it once the tax deal is done.
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