Congress locks in 9/11 World Trade Center Health Program funding
Congress in its end-of-year budget bill secured permanent funding to meet the growing health needs of 9/11 first responders and survivors. A change to a funding formula was aimed at solving ongoing shortfalls faced by the World Trade Center Health Program.
“I’m thrilled to say we are eliminating funding cliffs for this program once and for all to ensure survivors will always receive the care they need,” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said.
The program was established to address the growing health problems that were linked to the toxic swirl that enveloped Lower Manhattan during and after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The program also supports people exposed at the Pentagon and Camp Shanks, Pennsylvania.
An estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants, risk of physical injury, and physically and emotionally stressful conditions in the days, weeks, and months following the attacks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“This new formula, which will begin in 2026, provides substantially more funding and peace of mind for responders and survivors currently participating in the vital services the World Trade Center Health Program provides,” U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, said in a statement.
Constant fight to fund WTC Health Program
Perpetual funding shortages plagued the program and strained advocates.
Time and again, 9/11 responders, including those wracked with disease, would have to trundle down to Washington, D.C., and walk the halls of Congress to push for a funding boost.
“We have seen the emotional toll the healthcare funding crisis has taken on our 9/11 heroes,” Schumer said in a statement.
Health impact continues, 23 years on, for those exposed to 9/11 toxins
More than twice as many people have died from illnesses linked to 9/11 exposures than perished during the terrorist attacks, WTC Health Program data show.
Some 69 cancers and other medical conditions have been linked to 9/11 toxins.
The health program was established as part of the 2011 James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and was originally funded for five years for $1.6 billion.
The program was reauthorized in 2015 and extended through 2090 with bipartisan support.
Funding has had to be reupped several times — often with a fight in Congress.
What WTC Health Program provides
The World Trade Center Health Program provides health monitoring and treatment for 9/11-related health conditions.
Responders, including police, firefighters, clean-up workers and others who worked in rescue and recovery efforts, can qualify for the health program.
The program also supports survivors of the attacks, including those who lived, worked or went to school in the NYC Disaster Area on 9/11 or in the days, weeks, or months after.
The program has people from all 50 states enrolled.
Are you eligible for the WTC Health Program?
More information about the WTC Health Program is available at cdc.gov/wtc.
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