Ahead of Secretary Kennedy’s Testimony Before Senate HELP Committee, Senators Say 9/11 First Responders Deserve Clear Answers On Safety Of Their Health Care After Recurring Firings Of Medical Staff & Lack Of Transparency
Gillibrand, Schumer: “Secretary Kennedy Must Honor America’s Promise To Never Forget Our 9/11 Heroes”
*** Watch The Full Press Conference HERE ***
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer held a press conference demanding answers from Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on ongoing chaos, recurring cuts, sudden reversals, and lack of transparency at the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). They were joined by 9/11 advocate John Feal; President of Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act and President of Local 94 International Union of Operating Engineers Thomas Hart; President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association Local 94 IAFF AFL-CIO Andrew Ansbro; and 9/11 survivor and advocate Mariama James.
The press conference comes ahead of Secretary Kennedy’s appearance in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), where he is expected to be asked about his plan to honor our promise to 9/11 first responders and survivors and ensure they get the health care they are owed.
Since Trump has taken office, there has been constant upheaval at the WTCHP — including the firing of critical staff and release of inaccurate information about rehiring and program operation – which has disrupted continuity of care for 9/11 survivors and first responders with 9/11-related health issues, including cancer and lung ailments. In February 2025, the Trump administration slashed the workforce of the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) as part of DOGE’s senseless cuts to the federal health system. In response, Schumer and Gillibrand, together with a bipartisan group of House members, called on the administration to reverse the cuts. The Trump administration relented and re-hired WTCHP staff. Most recently, last month, nearly all staff at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) including Dr. John Howard, the administrator of the WTCHP, were fired. On April 5th HHS and NY House Republicans said Dr. Howard was rehired, but it later came out that was not true and for nearly a month his position was stuck in limbo, delaying the treatment of care for 9/11 first responders.
While some staff have been rehired, the disruptions have led to cancer treatment being denied; enrollments for as many as 800 9/11 responders and survivors halted; and processing of nearly 1,200 written treatment approvals stopped. Access to treatment has been hindered for those impacted by the toxic chemicals at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and the Shanksville crash site.
Senators Gillibrand and Schumer have reached out to Secretary Kennedy directly demanding clear answers on the status of operations at the WTCHP, including whether or not WTCHP Administrator John Howard is being reinstated; whether or not there was a month-long pause in enrolling new members; whether CDC and NIOSH staff that support the WTCHP will be reinstated; and whether the administration will support the senators’ legislation to address the WTCHP’s impending funding deficit.
“We are tremendously concerned about the conflicting reports that the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) has stopped providing services to injured and ill 9/11 responders and survivors. We have worked for years alongside first responders and community leaders to get Congress to recognize the health effects of toxic exposure and ensure that our nation’s heroes get the care they deserve,” wrote the senators in a letter to Secretary Kennedy. “That is why we are truly dismayed at what staff at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the DOGE staffers have done in just one hundred days. We write to get clear information on what has happened with staff of the World Trade Center Health Program and the ability for survivors of 9/11 to get necessary care. To support the function of the World Trade Center Health Program, Dr. Howard must be fully restored to his position, including past June 2, and the WTCHP staff must be brought to full strength, permanently reinstating the medical, epidemiological, contract, grant, and support staff. This needs to be done immediately. The CDC and NIOSH staff that support and work on behalf of 9/11 responders and survivors must be restored and HHS’ external “communications pause” must be lifted so Members of Congress are able to receive up to date information on WTCHP operations.”
The full text of the senators’ letter to the WTCHP is available here.
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