Larson, Blumenthal, Hayes Join Bipartisan Push for President Trump to Reverse Cuts to World Trade Center Health Program

Hartford, CT- Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01), Senator Richard Blumenthal, and Rep. Jahana Hayes (CT-05) joined a bipartisan group of Members of Congress who are urging President Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reverse cuts to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) staff that provide critical support for the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP).

"We were appalled at the recent announcement that the Department of Health and Human Services cut two-thirds of the staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), under which the WTCHP operates," wrote the lawmakers. "We understand that your plan is to ultimately eliminate all NIOSH staff in the next few days. The WTCHP relies on NIOSH staff to fulfill many of its obligations under the law, and eliminating staff that implement it, especially as more and more responders and survivors fall ill with 9/11-related conditions, will directly interfere with program operations and undermine access to the treatment these heroes have earned and deserve. Congress has continually reaffirmed its bipartisan commitment to the responders and survivors of September 11th. We stand ready to work with you to reverse these cuts to ensure that current and future participants receive the coverage and care that Congress has continuously provided."

In February 2025, the Trump administration drastically reduced the workforce of the World Trade Center Health Program. In response, a group of bipartisan Members of Congress called on the administration to reverse the cuts, and the program's staffing levels were ultimately restored.

The WTCHP offers medical monitoring and treatment for first responders and survivors diagnosed with 9/11-related health conditions, including many types of cancers, respiratory illnesses, and more. The cuts include the dismissal of Dr. John Howard, the Administrator of the WTCHP, who makes critical decisions regarding covered conditions and ensures the WTCHP complies with statutes enacted by Congress. The WTCHP also currently uses NIOSH staff to determine the awards of research grants in the amount of nearly $20 million a year, an annual requirement of the program to fund research on 9/11 conditions and care.

After years of efforts and calls on the federal government, Congress established the WTCHP on a bipartisan basis in 2011 with a five-year authorization to provide medical treatment and monitoring for 9/11 responders and survivors suffering from the effects of the toxins at Ground Zero. The program covers the lifespans of all exposed, including responders and survivors of the attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the Shanksville crash site, children who were in schools in downtown Manhattan on 9/11 and during clean-up, and those who have since experienced, or are expected to experience, adverse health effects that are linked to the attacks in the coming years. The program was reauthorized in 2015 and extended through 2090 with bipartisan support. In 2022, lawmakers delivered $1 billion for the WTCHP in the end-of-year spending bill, and in 2023, they secured an additional $676 million for the program.

They were joined on the letter by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Reps. Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Grace Meng (NY-06), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), George Latimer (NY-16), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Josh Riley (NY-19), Joseph Morelle (NY-25), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), and Nellie Pou (NJ-09).

The full text of the members' letter to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy is available hereor below:

Dear President Trump and Secretary Kennedy,

The World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) provides critical medical treatment, research, and monitoring to over 137,000 responders and survivors of the September 11^th terrorist attacks, living in every state and nearly every Congressional district. The WTCHP serves first responders and survivors from the World Trade Center and lower Manhattan, the Pentagon, and the crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. This vital program provides life-saving care to the heroes who answered the call to serve in one of our nation's darkest hours and the survivors who are forced to live with the health consequences from the attacks every single day.

We were appalled at the recent announcement that the Department of Health and Human Services cut two-thirds of the staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), under which the WTCHP operates. We understand that your plan is to ultimately eliminate all NIOSH staff in the next few days.

Since the establishment of the WTCHP in 2011, the number of program enrollees has more than doubled from 61,000 to 137,000. The WTCHP relies on NIOSH staff to fulfill many of its obligations under the law, and eliminating staff that implement it, especially as more and more responders and survivors fall ill with 9/11-related conditions, will directly interfere with program operations and undermine access to the treatment these heroes have earned and deserve.

For example, the WTCHP does not employ any staff physicians or individuals with medical degrees. Under the statute medical doctors need to approve certifications of members coming forward with new conditions that meet the requirements of the law for them to receive treatment. The WTCHP has always used NIOSH doctors to perform this work.

Additionally, the WTCHP does not have a staff epidemiologist and has always used NIOSH epidemiologists to review pending petitions for considering whether to add new conditions to the list of covered conditions. The WTCHP also currently uses NIOSH staff to determine the awards of research grants in the amount of nearly $20 million dollars a year, an annual requirement of the program to fund research on 9/11 conditions and care.

We are extremely concerned regarding the dismissal of Dr. John Howard, the Program Administrator of WTCHP. Since the program's inception, Dr. Howard has faithfully served as the Administrator, playing a critical role as the final decision-maker on determining which petitioned conditions should be covered and ensuring the WTCHP is adhering to the explicit statutes enacted by Congress. His institutional knowledge is unmatched and allows the program to operate effectively and efficiently. It is estimated that over 400,000 individuals were exposed to toxins or other hazards on 9/11, and we are gravely concerned that his termination will undermine the essential work the WTCHP does.

Finally, we are concerned about the termination of the staff at the Office of Acquisition Services at NIOSH. The Office of Acquisition Services oversees all contracts for the WTCHP's Nationwide Provider Network (NPN), which is a vast network of contracted health providers throughout the country that provide the medical monitoring and treatment for program enrollees who live outside the New York metropolitan area. This office ensures these contracts and providers meet the needs of enrollees and provides oversight and quality assurance for the NPN. Without this coordinating mechanism, current contracts could receive little oversight and that future contracts could lapse, undermining access to enrollee care.

We are asking that the Administration provide answers on how the WTCHP will be impacted by these massive layoffs. Please respond to the below list of questions by April 9^th, 2025.

1. Is the Administration planning to terminate all NIOSH staff?

1. What was the justification for the termination of Dr. Howard?

1. Since there are no doctors on the staff of the WTCHP, and the statue requires doctors to sign off on certifications that allow for treatment of members, what is the administration's plan to rectify this as all of the NIOSH medical staff that performed this function have been terminated?

1. Since the WTCHP used the staff of NIOSH, especially epidemiologists to review pending petitions under the law to consider covering new conditions, what provisions has HHS made to supply the necessary staff to fulfill that role for the WTCHP?

1. What is the status of pending petitions to add autoimmune disease and cardiac conditions to the program? The program announced in December 2024 that eligible individuals can expect an answer by March 2025.

1. WTCHP utilized NIOSH staff to determine the approximately $20 million of annual research awards required under the statute that are normally announced in March. What staff will be assisting WTCHP in making these decisions and when will the awards for 2025 be announced?

1. Has the administration consulted with advocates or career staff on the impacts these cuts may have on WTCHP service delivery?

1. If you have not, please explain why.

1. What office will oversee the contracts and contracting process if there is no staff at the Office of Acquisition Services?

Congress has continually reaffirmed its bipartisan commitment to the responders and survivors of the September 11^th attacks. We stand ready to work with you to reverse these cuts to ensure that current and future participants receive the coverage and care that Congress has continuously provided.