SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND DEMAND HHS IMMEDIATELY REVERSE BRUTAL CUTS TO 9/11 SURVIVOR HEALTH PROGRAM

Last Week Trump Admin Announced CDC-Wide Layoffs, Impacting Over 20% Of World Trade Center Health Program Staff Advocates Say Along With Recent Buyouts, On Top Of Other Cuts To 9/11 Funding Like $$ For FDNY To Provide Treatment To Members

In Letter To New HHS Secretary RFK, Senators Say Referring To Funding For Our 9/11 Heroes As Government Waste Is Outrageous And Call To Immediately Reverse Firings & Cuts Which Will Lead To Delayed Treatment & Care For Our First Responders

Schumer, Gillibrand: ‘Never Forget’ Is Not Just A Slogan, It Is A Sacred Promise We Must Uphold To Care For Our 9/11 First Responders

After the Trump administration brutally slashed the workforce for the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today demanded U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy JR. immediately reverse these cuts that directly impact care for our 9/11 first responders and survivors.

“‘Never forget’ is not just a slogan. It is a sacred promise to always stand by 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,” said Senator Schumer. “To say funding for 9/11 first responders is government waste is outrageous and insulting. These brutal cuts mean layoffs for staff who have dedicated their careers to caring for our 9/11 survivors. It means delayed care for our sick first responders. It is telling 9/11 survivors that after they risked everything to protect us, we can’t support their healthcare needs. I’m demanding HHS Secretary Kennedy immediately reverse these cuts and terminations of the people who provide the healthcare to those who answered the call of duty on 9/11 and now suffer from cancer, respiratory illness and more.”

“The World Trade Center Health Program provides essential care for our 9/11 first responders and survivors who suffer from serious illnesses related to that fateful day,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Slashing funding and laying off workers who run this vital program will have a devastating impact on its ability to provide sick responders and survivors with the care they need. This is 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.”

A copy of Schumer & Gillibrand’s joint letter to Secretary Kennedy can be found here.

Schumer and Gillibrand said that cuts to the WTCHP have already led to the termination of at least 16 program staff according to advocates, with others taking the Administration’s “buy out” reducing those who work on or supervise the WTCHP by approximately 20% of total staff. This is on top of additional CDC announced cuts to research grants that reportedly will prevent the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) from providing members with treatment coverage for new, 9/11-related health conditions, and other research cuts set to negatively impact lifesaving research on 9/11 conditions and treatments.  

The WTCHP helps pay for first responders diagnosed with conditions related to their service on 9/11. WTCHP program covers the medical expenses for 9/11-related health conditions, including many types of cancers, respiratory illnesses, and more.

The senators explained the cuts will limit the program’s ability to support approximately 132,000+ 9/11 first responders and survivors and delay care and other services. According to advocates, this will impact 9/11 responders and survivors from the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the Shanksville Crash site, who are in all 50 States and in 434 out of 435 Congressional Districts. Advocates say it will delay certifications for treatment of cancers and other conditions, delay pending petitions for expanded healthcare coverage, and overall increase wait times and negatively impact healthcare coverage as fewer staff will be available to respond to complaints by patients and intervene when there are issues with prescriptions and treatment.

Anthony Gardner, whose brother was tragically killed in the 9/11 attack and who worked in the WTC Health Program in his honor until he was fired last week, said: “For the past 3 years, I was privileged to be a member of the dedicated WTC Health Program team who takes great pride in ensuring the brave community of responders and survivors receive vital medical care and treatment for their 9/11-related health conditions.  The recent staffing cuts are particularly detrimental to those who receive care or are applying to receive care through the Program because they cross all of its critical service areas including medical health benefits, health condition certifications, enrollment, member communications, and research. I urge Secretary Kennedy to reverse these Program staffing cuts and to please refrain from making further staff reductions so this vital Program can fulfill its Congressionally-mandated mission to help this resilient community of 9/11 responders and survivors heal as they live with the ongoing consequences of that tragic day.”

Jim Brosi President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association Local  854 IAFF said, “On behalf of the 7500 active and retired members of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, I urge Secretary Kennedy and the Trump administration to restore all funding to the 9/11  health program. More members of the FDNY have succumbed to 9/11 illness than were killed on the day of the attack. Survivors and 1st responders suffering from life threatening illness are dependent the treatment and medication this program provides. Program cuts will reduce staffing and access to care that will negatively impact the likelihood of survival and the ability to maintain some quality of life during treatment. Please do not turn your back on those who sacrificed their health and safety on behalf of countless victims.”

Benjamin Chevat, Executive Director of Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act said, “This cut of 20% of the staff of the World Trade Center Health Program means that services to over 137,000 9/11 responders and survivors from the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the Shanksville Crash site, who are in all 50 States and in 434 out of 435 Congressional Districts will be impacted. I cannot believe that denying care to 911 responders and survivors is what the Trump Administration or the new HHS Secretary, Robert Kennedy Jr. intended.”

John Feal, 9/11 advocate said, “The Trump administration’s decision to terminate 20 percent of the CDC is nothing short of reckless and inhumane and will cause more harm to the 9/11 community that’s already suffering. The lack of humanity and empathy is evident in their actions.”

Mario Cilento, President of the New York State AFL-CIO said, “On behalf of the New York State AFL-CIO’s 3000 local union affiliates and their 2.5 million members, retirees, and families, we are calling for the immediate reversal of the extreme and troublesome staffing cuts to the CDC World Trade Center Health Program, which provides lifesaving care to thousands of 9/11 responders, survivors, and their families. These cuts threaten the program's ability to deliver critical health services and research, putting vulnerable Americans at risk. We urge the administration to honor its commitment to those who answered the call on 9/11 by ensuring continued access to the care they need. We stood together as a nation on that horrific day and vowed to never forget. The federal government is morally obligated to ensure care for these individuals and must reverse these cuts now."

This latest chaos for the 9/11 health program is especially frustrating as it follows the senators two months ago securing permanent support for the WTCHP, but the federal funding was dropped at the last minute when President Trump & Elon Musk sunk the bipartisan spending agreement. The senators said they are worried about the future of the program with DOGE and the Trump Administration's indiscriminate cutting and called on the HHS to immediately restore funding.

Schumer and Gillibrand’s letter to newly appointed HHS Secretary Kennedy can be found below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

We write to express deep concern about and demand reversal of the reckless staffing cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). This program has provided lifesaving health monitoring and treatment to thousands of 9/11 first responders, impacted area residents and workers and survivors all across the country in every State and in 434 of 435 Congressional Districts for nearly 15 years. It is extremely worrisome that the Trump administration’s proposals to indiscriminately cut federal employees will have a direct impact on the quality and accessibility of care provided to those who answered the call on 9/11 and are now sick with respiratory ailments, cancer and other conditions.

As you know, the WTCHP has provided critical screenings, services, research and medications to thousands of Americans at zero cost for 9/11-related health conditions and diseases. Since the establishment of the WTCHP in 2011, the number of program enrollees has more than doubled from 61,000 to 132,000.^[1] This growing population of first responders and survivors, which was just expanded by bipartisan legislation to cover additional 9/11 Military and Civilian responders to the Pentagon and Shanksville PA crash site, highlights the need for elevated staffing and funding levels, rather than a nonsensical and dangerous 20 percent staffing reduction which puts the effective functioning of this vital program at risk. It is critical that the Trump administration uphold the funding and structure of the WTCHP that has been strengthened over the years through bipartisan agreements.

In our meetings with you prior to your confirmation as Secretary, you committed to working with Congress to ensure that 9/11 first responders and survivors continue to get the care they need. We ask that you uphold your commitment by reversing the rash and counterproductive termination of WTCHP staff and provide answers to how you will ensure continuity of quality care for WTCHP enrollees.

We also request a briefing by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CDC detailing the changes that have been made to the WTCHP and how these changes will directly impact the program’s capacity to provide lifesaving care to current and future enrollees. In addition, we ask for you to provide detailed plans you will take as Secretary to strengthen the services provided to 9/11 first responders and survivors, as you committed to doing in our meetings with you.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

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