New York lawmakers admonish HHS for cuts to 9/11 survivors program
New York lawmakers,including senators Chuck schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand,have expressed strong opposition to cuts made to the World Trade Center Health Program,which provides medical support for 9/11 survivors and first responders. The cuts were a result of funding halts initiated by former President Trump’s management, impacting the program’s staffing by roughly 20%. Schumer and Gillibrand criticized the government for what they termed a betrayal of 9/11 heroes, stating that such reductions in health care support are unacceptable and violate the promise to never forget the sacrifices made during the attacks. Republican Representative Andrew Garbarino also voiced his support for the program, reaffirming its critical importance. The lawmakers are urging the immediate reversal of these staffing cuts and funding reductions to ensure that those affected by the attacks receive the necesary care they deserve.
New York lawmakers admonish HHS for cuts to 9/11 survivors program
New York lawmakers are advocating against staffing cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program, which helps those impacted by the 9/11 attacks.
President Donald Trump’s administration halted funding to the WTC program, a limited federal health care program that provides funding for medical monitoring and treatment for survivors and first responders impacted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
In a statement, Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York criticized the cuts.
“The Trump administration must come clean with whatever dirty deal they have planned for a health fund that should be about taking care of our 9/11 heroes—nothing more, nothing less,” the senators wrote.
The survivor program is housed in the Centers for Disease Control under the Department of Health and Human Services, now headed by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The CDC recently fired approximately 1,300 CDC employees in probationary positions.
Schumer and Gillibrand said the cuts to the survivor program have resulted in the termination of at least 16 program staff in addition to CDC employees who accepted the Trump administration’s “buyout,” reducing the total staff working on the program by about 20%.
In a separate letter to Kennedy, Schumer and Gillibrand called for an immediate reversal of these cuts.
“‘Never forget’ is not just a slogan. It is a sacred promise to always stand by our 9/11 heroes, a promise being broken by slashing funding and vital staffing for their healthcare in the World Trade Center Health Program. It’s unacceptable and un-American,” Schumer said. “To say funding for 9/11 first responders is government waste is outrageous and insulting.
This is a betrayal of our heroes who stepped up and risked their lives to put our community back together in one of our nation’s darkest hours, and we will not let it stand. HHS Secretary Kennedy must reverse these cuts and terminations immediately,” Gillibrand wrote.
Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino (NY) also advocates for the program’s future. In a statement, he said he has “emphasized to the White House how critical this program is and will continue advocating for the support it requires.”
The lawmakers’ concerns come just two months after then-President-elect Donald Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk pushed back against the bipartisan bill to continue funding the government through March. They successfully tanked that legislation, and the provision that secured long-term funding for the World Trade Center Health Program was stripped from the legislation that ultimately passed.
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