Although it has been more than two decades since the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed thousands, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said some of the heroes from that time period are still suffering.
"We are approaching a very grim milestone,” Gillibrand said. “Nearly 50,000 people have been diagnosed with 9/11 related cancers, and that's not to mention the thousands more with other serious non-cancer conditions."
The World Trade Center Health Program was created in 2011 to help provide medical care and monitoring to those who were exposed to toxins. It includes those affected by the terror attacks in New York, the Pentagon, and the Shanksville, PA, crash site. It also includes children who were in schools in downtown Manhattan during that time who have developed adverse health effects.
But now, Gillibrand said Congress needs to secure additional funding for the program, or by Oct. 2028, enrollees will face cuts to their care, and enrollment will be closed.
"9/11 heroes are not political pawns,” said Gillibrand. “Ultimately, Congress must pass a bill that includes funding for the World Trade Center Health Program, and this should be full funding."
Gillibrand said the program has helped more than 140,000 Americans.
