SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE PERMANENT FED FUNDING FIX FOR WORLD TRADE CENTER HEALTH PROGRAM TO RESOLVE FUNDING SHORTFALL WHICH SUPPORTS 9/11 HEROES WITH ONGOING HEALTH ISSUES IN END OF YEAR BUDGET

Schumer And Gillibrand Have Long Fought For Continued Funds To Support First Responders And Others With Long-Term Health Issues Stemming From 9/11 Terror Attack

Senators Explain They Secured Funding In Upcoming Budget Bill That Congress Will Vote On This Week

Schumer, Gillibrand: This Funding Fix Ensures 9/11 Heroes Never Have To Worry About Getting The Health Care They Need

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced he has secured permanent federal funding to support 9/11 first responders and survivors as part of the end-of-year federal budget bill. The senators explained that even 23 years after the attack many New Yorkers are still being diagnosed with 9/11-related health problems. The program was likely to start running at a deficit in a few years unless more funds were added due to more people who have developed health issues related to the 2001 attack in New York and new responders and survivors who continue to become sick from 9/11-related conditions.

“We have seen the emotional toll the healthcare funding crisis has taken on our 9/11 heroes. I’m proud to share I’ve secured billions in federal funding to keep this program funded permanently so 9/11 first responders and survivors can continue receiving the care they deserve,” said Senator Schumer. “From the moment of the attack, brave first responders and everyday folks made a sacrifice on that day – and in the months that followed – that honored their country. I always said that I would not rest until the victims of 9/11 knew that whenever they needed care, that care would be there for them. Now, with the permanent funding of 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.”

"I'm thrilled that the end-of-year health extenders package includes a provision regarding funding for the World Trade Center Health Program that will help prevent a funding shortfall for years to come. This change solves our current projected funding deficit that would have forced cuts to program services in as little as 3 years and harmed 9/11 responders and survivors. 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," said Senator Gillibrand.

The senators said after years of securing short-term funding for the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) he has finally secured permanent funding. The WTCHP helps pay for first responders diagnosed with conditions related to their service on 9/11 but needs more funds to continue supporting first responders with rising health needs. The senators explained that the funding dilemma has been solved—before it became a crisis—by attaching the funds to this year’s end-of-year federal budget bill.

The WTCHP program covers the medical expenses for WTC-related health conditions, including many types of cancers. The fund was established in 2011 as part of the 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. In 2022, Schumer and Gillibrand delivered $1 billion for the WTCHP in the end-of-year spending bill, and in 2023, the senator secured an additional $676 million for the program. 

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