SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND DELIVER FULL FUNDING FOR WORLD TRADE CENTER HEALTH PROGRAM

Washington, D.C. - Today, following years of advocacy, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, celebrated the passage to fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), which is now on its way to the President's desk to be signed into law.

Twenty-five years after the September 11th attacks, first responders and survivors continue to be diagnosed with serious and often life-threatening 9/11-related health conditions, underscoring the ongoing need for stable federal support for the program. The WTCHP faces increasing demand as enrollment continues to grow and new illnesses are identified, putting pressure on the program's resources.

"Today, after years of work, we finally deliver on the sacred promise to 'Never Forget' by fully funding the World Trade Center Health Program to ensure the brave first responders and survivors always get the care they deserve. I have seen firsthand the toll that uncertainty and funding gaps take on our 9/11heroes, standing with them as more and more got sick with cancers and other illnesses from rushing to danger and working on the pile," said Senator Schumer. "Families will no longer have to worry whether funding will be there for their loved ones to afford life-saving treatment. From the moment of the attacks, brave first responders and everyday New Yorkers made extraordinary sacrifices for our country. I promised I would not rest and never stop fighting until every 9/11 hero knows that when they need care, that care will be there for them. And today, a promise made becomes a promise kept. Now, with the World Trade Center Health Program fully funded, 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."

"The World Trade Center Health Program honors our promise to never forget our 9/11 survivors and the first responders who protected our nation in its darkest hour," said Senator Gillibrand. "I was proud to work across the aisle to finally secure full funding for the World Trade Center Health Program, and I am relieved that the funding has been passed and will soon be signed into law. Ensuring our 9/11first responders and survivors have the resources they need to cope with the long-term health effects from toxic exposure has been one of my top priorities for my entire tenure in Congress. I am so proud of the work that our tireless advocates have done to fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program."

"They say a victory has 1000 fathers. In all actuality, this victory, the passage of the WTCHP Correction Act (H.R.1410) has 145,000 plus fathers, in which over 48,000 plus have a certified 9/11 relate cancer," said John Feal, 9/11 Responder and Advocate. "Responders & Survivors will continue to receive treatment and those who will get sick in the future from their toxic exposure will be able to join them. This short lived victor,y which took over 2 years was only achieved by the commitment & leadership of the NY Delegation and a selective few across the Country who worked closely as partners with a team of Advocates (Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act & the FealGood Foundation) who refused to give up and take no for an answer. Everyone's resolve & testament while tested, never wavered, and for that I am humbled to be part of this victory."

"Tonight's action by the United States Senate is a critical step forward for the heroes of September 11th and their families. The continued funding of the World Trade Center Health Program is not a political issue - it is a moral obligation," said Uniformed Firefighters Association President Andrew Ansbro. "Thousands of firefighters and first responders answered the call on the worst day in our nation's history, and many are still paying the price with their health. This funding ensures they will continue to receive the care they were promised and deserve. We are deeply grateful to Senator Gillibrand and her colleagues for standing with the men and women who ran toward danger, and for honoring our nation's commitment to never forget those who sacrificed so much. The Uniformed Firefighters Association will never stop fighting to protect our members and all 9/11 responders, today and for generations to come."

"Fully funding the World Trade Center Health Program is a major victory for all the 9/11responders and survivors suffering from long-term health challenges because of exposure to toxins at Ground Zero," said New York State ADL-CIO President Mario Cilento. "The union movement has proudly led the fight to create the health program. Still, its full funding would not have been possible without the relentless leadership and advocacy of Senator Gillibrand, who ensured these brave Americans receive the care they deserve. We are deeply grateful for her unwavering commitment, alongside Senator Schumer, and the support of the entire New York delegation for getting this done and fulfilling a promise, as a country, that we would never forget."

"The New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations appreciates the steadfast efforts of Senator Gillibrand and the New York Congressional Delegation to extend the 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act," said New York State Police Investigators Association President Kurt Labuda. "While more than 24 years have passed since 9/11, the effects of that terrible day are still being felt by the police, firefighters and others who worked and lived in and around ground zero in the days and months following the attack. Tragically, the New York State Police continue to lose members each year of 9/11 related health issues. While this bill and funding will not bring them back, it will help countless others with screening, health care, and medical treatment. It is our duty to honor those who worked at great personal risk to themselves on and after that tragic day, and this is part of that responsibility."

"Responders and survivors must always receive the care they were promised without delay or disruption. More than two decades after the September 11 attacks, hundreds of retired and active Troopers continue to live with the long-term health consequences of their service," said Charlie Murphy, President of New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association. "Fully funding the World Trade Center Health Program as part of this year's federal appropriations process ensures our members will not fall through the cracks and will continue to receive lifesaving medical monitoring and treatment. We are grateful to Senator Gillibrand for her steadfast leadership and for securing the stability that our responders have earned."

"On September 11, 2001 we may have seen the worst of humanity, but the days, months, and years that followed were defined by the best of humanity as heroic first responders from the NYPD, FDNY, and the New York City Building Trades, stood side-by-side leading recovery efforts in the direct aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center. These selfless men and women deserve access to medical treatment and services for their September 11-related health conditions, and now that has been made possible through the passage of the 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act," said Gary LaBarbera, President of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. "We thank Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Nadler, and Congressman Garbarino for their continued and exceptional leadership on behalf of September 11 responders and survivors. This critical funding for the World Trade Center Health Program will improve the lives of countless patriots and their families by providing them the care they have long-deserved."

"Since her election to Congress, Sen. Gillibrand has been a fierce advocate for 9/11 responders in New York and across the nation. Thanks to her leadership, Congress has once again provided the funding necessary for the World Trade Center Health Program and honored its commitment to those who answered the call on September 11, 2001," said NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA) President Vincent Vallelong. "In the nearly 25 years since 9/11, we have seen daily reminders of the heavy price paid by our members and others who selflessly placed themselves in harm's way for their neighbors and their country. The SBA is grateful for the efforts of Sen. Gillibrand to fulfill the promise of the original Zadroga Act, and we are proud to have worked alongside her to ensure that 9/11 responders and survivors receive the ongoing care that they deserve."

"I would like to personally thank you for your tireless efforts on the passing of the budget. which included the Funding for the WTCHP. Your efforts will ensure that my members of Local 94, and all the other first responders, will get the proper health care they deserve. I would like to thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with us in this battle. Without your commitment to these important issues, our heroes would go unrecognized in their times of need. Together we remain united in our vow to, NEVER FORGET," said Thomas Hart, President International, Union Of Operating Engineers Local 94.

The WTCHP was established in 2011 as part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and was originally funded for five years at $1.6 billion. The program was reauthorized in 2015 and extended through 2090 with bipartisan support. In 2022, Senators Gillibrand and Schumer led lawmakers in passing $1 billion for the WTCHP in the end-of-year spending bill, and in 2023, Senator Gillibrand helped secure an additional $676 million for the program. The updated funding secured this year continues that commitment to ensuring 9/11responders and survivors receive the care they need, now and in the years ahead.

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