NYDIS
Announces Closure of City’s Last
Remaining 9/11 Recovery Program
The New York City 9/11 Unmet
Needs Roundtable will close in October
July 27, 2008, New York, NY… The New
York Disaster Interfaith Services
(NYDIS) 9/11 Recovery Program will close
down on October 31st due to termination
of major program funding. The 9/11
Recovery Program administers the New
York City 9/11 Unmet Needs Roundtable
(Roundtable) and the 9/11 Coordinated
Case Management Program, the sole
remaining financial assistance and case
management programs for World Trade
Center (WTC) responders and other
9/11-impacted persons, both locally and
nationally.
Since its inception in 2002, the
Roundtable has distributed more than
$7.5 million in cash assistance to meet
the basic needs of more than 4500
9/11-impacted persons and their
families, from 28 states and Canada.
Over 80 city human service agencies and
18 major donor partners have
participated in the Roundtable to date.
Without immediate new sources of
charitable, city or federal funding to
continue the Roundtable and 9/11
Coordinated Case Management programs,
many WTC responders and other
9/11-impacted persons with disabling
WTC-related physical and mental
illnesses will be at risk of eviction or
foreclosure and utilities shut-off.
Since 2005, NYDIS has funded and managed
the 9/11 Coordinated Case Management
Program, a community-based, intensive
case management services program. The
program serves both 9/11 survivors and
health-impacted WTC responders and
recovery workers. This program currently
funds seven of only eight remaining 9/11
case managers in New York City.
Thousands of 9/11 survivors, responders,
community residents, and area workers
now suffer from disabling physical and
mental health conditions related to a
host of physical exposures and
psychological stressors at the WTC site.
Due to disabilities resulting from these
9/11 health impacts, many Roundtable
clients struggle to meet very basic
expenses, such as rent, mortgage,
utilities, food, and transportation
while awaiting the receipt of long-term
benefits, such as Workers’ Compensation.
As a result, hundreds of clients
annually lapse into mortgage or rental
arrears, and some have suffered
eviction, foreclosure, utilities
shut-off, or the humiliation of being
unable to afford food for their
families. In order to access benefits,
secure financial assistance while
awaiting the resolution of these
benefits, and create a sustainable,
long-term recovery plan for themselves
and their families, thousands of 9/11
health-impacted persons will continue to
require the assistance of a
community-based, culturally competent
and language-specific, 9/11-trained case
manager.
NYDIS’s 9/11 Recovery Program currently
coordinates and provides community-based
case management services for survivors
and hundreds of other 9/11
health-impacted persons. In
addition, NYDIS is receiving an average
of 53 new clients requesting services
per month. More than 70 percent of
NYDIS clients are WTC responders.
Ninety-six percent of NYDIS clients
currently suffer from 9/11 health
impacts, and of those clients, 75
percent suffer from both physical and
mental illnesses related to 9/11.
Absent philanthropic or governmental
funding to continue the vital services
offered at NYDIS, however, these ill
clients will not receive the assistance
necessary to prevent eviction or
utilities shut-off, leaving them
homeless or without essential services,
such as electricity, heat, and gas.
“NYDIS is committed to the long-term
administration of the NYC 9/11 Unmet
Needs Roundtable as well as case
management coordination and the recovery
assistance tool supporting the
sustainable long-term recovery needs of
direct victims and injured recovery
workers,” said Peter Gudaitis, Executive
Director and CEO. “We must now look
toward our government to meet this
increasing need to ensure the health and
well-being of those who put themselves
in harm’s way when New York City and
this nation needed them most.”
Contact:
Peter B. Gudaitis
Executive Director & CEO
Office: 212-669-6100
Email:
pgudaitis@nydis.org
About NYDIS
Founded in 2003, New York
Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS) is
a 501(c)(3) faith-based federation
of faith communities as well as disaster
service organizations and philanthropies
that work in partnership to provide
disaster readiness, response, and
recovery services for New York City. Our
mission is to inspire, connect and share
resources with New York City faith
communities serving in disaster to
create an urban environment that ensures
social justice for all peoples. NYDIS
and its members provide secular disaster
human services to faith communities and
individuals alike, regardless of
membership or religious affiliation. In
times of crisis, NYDIS convenes its
leadership with government agencies and
local, state, and national disaster
management organizations. These
partnerships facilitate the delivery of
services, resources, and information to
religious communities, under-served
victims, and impacted communities
NIOSH Awards $9 Million to SBU 9/11 First
Responder Program, Occupational Health and Safety,
8/11/08
Stony Brook University
Medical Center's Long Island World Trade Center
Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program was awarded
$9 million from the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health for its medical
programs during the next year, ending in mid-July
2009. The program has cared for thousands of 9/11
first responders, including firefighters, police,
and other workers, many of whom continue to suffer
from health issues related to their work at Ground
Zero.
"We continue to see the
need to care for and monitor these patients, as
conditions such as respiratory and gastrointestinal
diseases and post-traumatic stress disorder are
common, sometimes chronic, and require long-term
monitoring by healthcare professionals," said
Benjamin J. Luft, M.D., Director of the SBUMC
Program. "Furthermore, we are concerned about the
development of new illnesses such as cancer and
autoimmune disease, which may have resulted from the
intense exposure to dust and toxins."
Luft added that the new
funding will help the mission of the program, which
is to treat the many conditions and diseases
experienced by first responders and prevent other
health problems. The program is equipped to help
patients with specialists in areas such as
pulmonology, psychiatry, radiology, orthopedics,
neurology, gastroenterology, radiology, and
neurology. "We offer a unique program that addresses
the medical and psychosocial needs of our patients
in an integrative manner," Luft said. "All of our
healthcare providers receive special training to
meet the myriad of problems that these patients are
confronting."
The program will build on
its various treatment programs, such as medical,
psychiatric care and social work, as well as
research analyzing data on the types of physical and
mental difficulties experienced by first responders
in the seven years since the attacks. In addition,
new clinical locations are planned for other areas
in Suffolk
and Nassau
County.
http://www.ohsonline.com/articles/66213/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kimberly Flynn 917-647-7074
July 31, 2008
Robert Spencer 212-686-1229
The World Trade Center
Community-Labor Coalition Applauds
H.R. 6594, the James Zadroga 9/11
Health and Compensation Act of 2008
Urges Congress to Hold the Line on
Further Cuts in Coverage
Today, the World Trade Center
Community-Labor Coalition, a broad
network representing hundreds of
thousands of Lower Manhattan
stakeholders, including community
groups, labor unions, tenants
associations and environmental and
health advocacy organizations
welcomed the introduction of the
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and
Compensation Act of 2008, a bill
that guarantees federally funded
health care for residents, students,
area and cleanup workers, and first
responders suffering the negative
health effects of the attacks on the
World Trade Center.
On 9/11, when the World Trade Center
was destroyed, more than 1.2 million
tons of toxic dust, contaminated
with asbestos, lead, PAHs, PCBs,
mercury, fiberglass, silica and
more, were released into the air. A
massive collapse cloud engulfed
Lower Manhattan and penetrated into
buildings of all sorts – residences,
workplaces, schools. The cloud was
carried by the wind over western
Brooklyn. Over the succeeding weeks
and months, an acrid plume of smoke
rose from fires that continued to
burn at the site, hanging over
neighborhoods near Ground Zero and
well beyond.
The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), which had responsibility for
protecting the public from the toxic
air, and for conducting indoor
cleanup of buildings contaminated in
the collapse, chose instead to lie
about the dangers in the dust and
smoke, announcing, within days of
9/11, that the air was safe to
breathe. Downtown residents were
told by EPA to follow the dangerous
advice of the New York City Health
Department to clean up the toxic WTC
dust themselves "with a wet rag or
mop." In separate reports, both the
EPA Inspector General (in 2003) and
the Government Accountability Office
(in 2007) documented the serious
flaws and gross inadequacies of the
EPA's first and second test and
clean programs.
9/11 was an attack on our nation. In
a time of extraordinary need, first
responders selflessly committed
themselves to toiling for weeks and
months at Ground Zero, doing what
was necessary to rescue, recover and
restore. Residents, area workers and
students trusted government
reassurances and returned to their
workplaces, homes and schools,
playing their part in quickly
returning Lower Manhattan to a
semblance of normalcy. The federal
government has yet to return that
commitment with a commitment of its
own to funding the monitoring and
treatment of their health needs.
We fully endorse the bill's approach
of funding Centers of Excellence
that will track and treat all
patients, providing specialized care
from the most knowledgeable doctors,
and centralizing all patient data to
gain a growing understanding of the
nature and scope of WTC illness.
However, a number of aspects of the
bill are cause for concern:
– The bill provides only for
respiratory conditions and GERD as
covered illnesses. Though we are
pleased to see a mechanism within
the bill for expanding this list of
covered conditions, we believe that
other conditions are already
appearing and should receive
treatment. Notably, the bill lacks
any list of conditions specifically
affecting children, a population
especially vulnerable to
environmental hazards. US Census
data show that approximately 40,000
children 18 years old and younger,
lived within a 2 mile radius of the
WTC site on 9/11.
– The bill caps the number of
treatment slots for residents,
students and area workers at 35,000,
less than one-tenth of the City's
own estimate of the most heavily
exposed population.
– The bill shrinks the geographic
area for eligibility for an
entitlement to 9/11-related health
care from a 2-mile radius around the
WTC site to Houston Street to the
north and a half a mile into
Brooklyn. We know that WTC dust and
smoke permeated a wide geographic
area and that the plume remained
over neighborhoods for weeks on end.
Massive numbers of New Yorkers and
many others from around the country
were exposed in a variety of ways to
a witches' brew of toxic chemicals
at levels high enough to cause
health effects. Some were caught in
the initial collapse cloud; some
were exposed and may continue to be
exposed on an everyday basis to
toxic WTC dust the EPA left behind
in their homes, schools and offices.
It is imperative that, whatever
illnesses may befall some or all of
them, the Centers of Excellence will
be there to provide the care they
need and are entitled to.
We expect that some in Congress will
want to see the present bill
weakened with the number of
treatment slots for residents,
students and office workers reduced
further or the geographic
eligibility area for non-responders
limited even more. We urge Congress
to stand firm against these efforts
to chip away at the bill's coverage.
It is a disgrace that nearly seven
years after the 9/11 attacks, the
federal government has yet to make a
firm ongoing commitment to the
long-term health needs of those
injured by 9/11. It is long past
time for the Congress and the Bush
Administration to do the right
thing.
==========================================================================
CONGRESSMAN
JERROLD
NADLER
8th
Congressional District of New York
Rep.
Nadler Urges Swift Action on
9/11 Health and Compensation
Act
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, July 31, 2008
CONTACT:
Shin Inouye, 202-225-5635
WASHINGTON,
D.C. – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-08),
whose district includes Ground Zero, today
appeared before the House Energy and
Commerce Subcommittee on Health to urge
lawmakers to adopt H.R. 6594, the James
Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of
2008.
“This is the
beginning of the end of a collective
seven-year struggle in advancing this
important issue,” said Rep. Nadler.
“This bill will ensure that the living
victims of the 9/11 attacks have a right to
health care for their World Trade
Center-related illnesses and a route to
compensation for their economic losses.
It will provide critical support for those
affected by the attacks – be they our heroic
first responders, area workers, resident,
students or others – through a stable,
long-term approach that builds on
successful, existing programs. I urge
my colleagues to act quickly and adopt this
measure.”
That bill
was authored by Reps. Carolyn Maloney
(NY-14), Nadler, Vito Fossella (NY-13) and
Peter King (NY-3) and will provide medical
monitoring to those exposed to the toxic
aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks
and treatment and compensation to those who
are sick or injured as a result.
Rep.
Nadler’s full statement before the
Subcommittee follows:
I want to
extend my thanks to Chairman Pallone,
Ranking Member Deal, and the members of the
Subcommittee for convening this hearing and
inviting my colleagues and me to testify
before you today. I also want to thank
Speaker Pelosi, the Chairmen of the
Committees of jurisdiction, the bi-partisan
members of the New York, New Jersey, and
Connecticut Congressional delegations, the
Mayor of the City of New York, and the
Governor of New York, the AFL-CIO, and
numerous local community groups for working
with us intensively over the past several
weeks to sharpen the focus of the
legislation before you today.
As you know,
Congresswoman Maloney and I, along with
Congressman Fossella and Congressman King
have introduced H.R. 6594, the James
Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of
2008, to ensure that the living victims
of the September 11th terrorist
attacks have a right to health care for
their World Trade Center-related illnesses
and a route to compensation for their
economic losses. We believe that the
current version of this bill represents our
collective best efforts to provide that
critical support for those affected by the
attacks – regardless of whether they are our
heroic first responders, area workers,
resident, students or others – through a
stable, long-term approach that builds on
successful, existing programs. And it
does all of this in a fiscally responsible
manner.
We are
hopeful that today’s hearing marks the
beginning of the end of our collective
seven-year struggle in pressing this case.
Those of us sitting on these panels have
held so many press conferences, testified at
so many hearings and released so many memos
and reports about the environmental impacts
and health effects of 9/11, that we can
hardly keep track anymore.
We warned
that the air wasn’t safe and that our
courageous first responders were not
properly protected from dangerous toxins as
they were toiling on the pile to rebuild. We
spent years working to try to convince
public officials that the asbestos,
fiberglass and other toxins had travelled
far and settled into the interiors of
residences, workplaces and schools, and that
a proper testing and cleanup program would
be required to eliminate the health risks to
area residents, workers and students.
We demanded that the government acknowledge
the fact, supported by a mountain of
peer-reviewed research, that thousands of
our nation’s citizens are today sick from
9/11 and that many, many more could become
sick in the future. We explained to
whomever would listen that our 9/11 heroes
were struggling to pay health care costs
because they could no longer work and no
longer had health insurance, or because they
have had their worker's compensation claims
controverted, and we have argued vigorously
that the federal response to date has been
dangerously limited, piecemeal and unstable
– both in terms of preventing further health
impacts from potentially persistent indoor
contamination and, most notably, in terms of
a lack of comprehensive, long-term approach
to providing health care and compensation
for those already affected.
Thankfully,
we believe that we have now finally achieved
a much more widespread recognition of many
of these problems, and nearly seven years
after the attacks, we believe that Congress
will do what is right for our heroes and
our living victims, and pass H.R. 6594.
Though the
devastating 9/11 attacks on the World Trade
Center occurred within the bounds of my
Congressional district, we know that these
were really attacks on our nation as a whole
– figuratively and literally. The
President has repeatedly referred to them as
such. The victims can be found
throughout the country. Every member
in New York’s downstate delegation
represents hundreds, if not thousands, of
people who live, work, attend school, or
were otherwise present in Lower Manhattan
and the affected parts of Brooklyn, and were
exposed to a toxic brew of contamination.
Indeed, every member in this room represents
a state that has people suffering from the
negative health effects of 9/11.
And as this
is unquestionably a national problem, it has
always required a national response.
But despite our sustained efforts to get the
Administration to develop a comprehensive
plan to deal with this growing public health
problem that they themselves now finally
acknowledge, the New York delegation has
instead found itself, year after year,
coming to Congress with its “hat in hand” to
test its luck at the annual appropriations
process. Thankfully, with growing
bi-partisan support for that funding, we
have had some key successes. And with
those monies we have seen some critical
first steps in federally-funded health care
programming, thanks to dedicated public
servants like Dr. John Howard. But
this is simply no a longer a tenable course
of action. Neither our heroes nor the
excellent health care programs that
currently serve them should have to rely on
such an unpredictable funding process.
Passage of
the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and
Compensation Act would mark an end to
this entire problematic approach and ensure
that a consistent source of funding is
available to monitor and/or treat the
thousands of responders and community
members and others already affected by
WTC-related illnesses as well as those who
are most likely to become sick in the
future. And it would make sure that no
matter where an affected individual were to
live in the future, he or she could get
care. Building on the expertise of the
Centers of Excellence, the bill would fill
key gaps in how we are currently providing
treatment and monitoring. The bill
would also require substantial data
collection regarding the nature and extent
of WTC-related illnesses. This is a
particularly critical provision as there is
still so much we have to learn about these
illnesses and how they may have affected
different exposure populations. And
finally, as you know, this legislation would
provide an opportunity for compensation for
economic damages and losses by reopening the
9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.
The needs
here are abundantly clear. We already
have 16,000 first responders currently being
treated for WTC-related illnesses and
another 40,000 being monitored through a
Consortium of providers, led by Mt. Sinai
Hospital, and by the FDNY. And we have
nearly 3,000 sick community members being
treated in an entirely City-funded program –
the World Trade Center Environmental Health
Program at Bellevue Hospital – with
countless others being treated elsewhere
either because they don’t know about the
Bellevue program or for a host of other
reasons. Indeed, without a single
federal dollar going to the Bellevue program
thus far, it hasn’t even had the means to do
any real outreach and marketing as of yet.
But
unfortunately, these are just today’s
numbers. In a February 2007 report to
Mayor Bloomberg, entitled “Addressing the
Health Impacts of 9/11,” The City of New
York estimated, conservatively in my
opinion, that there were nearly 90,000 first
responders (who were by definition heavily
exposed to WTC toxins) and about 318,000
“heavily exposed” community members, who
were living or working within an even more
narrowly drawn radius than is used in this
bill, who could ultimately become sick as a
result of the effects of the 9/11 attacks.
As you may
know, the preliminary cost estimates of the
original version of the bill were far higher
than our expectation of what would be needed
to treat everyone who might be affected.
As such, it was required that we redesign
the bill in order to bring those costs down
dramatically, by many billions. We
made many different kinds of cuts, and some
of these were tremendously difficult to
swallow.
With respect
to the community program, a variety of cuts
were required. First, this new bill
fundamentally shrinks the radius within
which individuals who reside, go to school
or work (including commuters from throughout
the Tri-state area) would be eligible for
services. Second, it caps the total
number of new treatment slots to 35,000
(which, incidentally, is the same level as
the responder program). It also
creates contingency funds with strict dollar
limits, and caps other kinds of spending.
With this
necessity of cost cutting, concerns have
been raised about the fact that we may have
already mistakenly excluded some individuals
who may have been or are still being exposed
to 9/11 toxins and who may become sick.
This is because although we do have a good
deal of data about toxicity levels of the
plume at certain distances from the WTC
site, there has never been a systematic
testing program to determine the geographic
extent of indoor contamination, in
concentric circles out from the site, as was
prescribed by the EPA Inspector General.
The concern arises as well because
individual cap levels in the bill were
determined in part by looking to the current
number of people being treated in each of
the existing programs. And as has been
previously stated, we know that the
population in the community program at
Bellevue underrepresents the total
population that is currently sick.
Nevertheless, I am hopeful that these fears
are unfounded. Beyond the obvious goal
in making sure we could provide this
Committee with a bill whose price tag
allowed for a real chance a passage, our aim
was to use our best data and knowledge to
date to estimate the actual numbers of
people we believe are currently or will
likely get sick. Our goal was not to
deny any deserving individual care or
compensation. Though it was a
very difficult challenge, I believe the City
of New York, using its World Trade Center
Registry and other available data, has done
a very good job at advising us regarding the
community cap level. We are all
obviously hopeful that there will be far
fewer people who ultimately become sick than
are eligible for care under this bill.
And if we are wrong in the other direction,
it will be for future Congresses to
consider.
But today,
you must decide if you are going to be a
part of the beginning of an effort to honor
the heroes and victims of 9/11 and to
provide for their health and compensation
for losses in a reasonable and responsible
manner. Your decision is to begin a program
that will benefit thousands of people who
are now struggling to pay their medical
bills and keep their families together.
Your decision is about how you will respond
to the September 11th attacks.
I urge you to come to the aid of those who
helped our country in its most desperate
hour by supporting this legislation.
You would
not be alone. The broader, original
version of this bill had more than 100
bi-partisan co-sponsors. It stands to
reason that we will see even more support
for this new bill. This legislation is
also strongly supported by Governor
Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg, the national
AFL-CIO, Building and Construction Trades
Council, the Contractors’ Association of
Greater New York, the Building Trades
Employers’ Association, and numerous
environmental and community advocacy groups.
Please join
us in finally doing the right thing before
the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Support the
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation
Act.
I thank you
for holding this hearing and look forward to
the testimony of my colleagues and other
witnesses today. Thank you.
###
Jerrold
Nadler has served in Congress since 1992.
He represents New York’s 8th Congressional
District, which includes parts of Manhattan
and Brooklyn.
For Immediate
Release: July 3, 2008
Contact: Joe Soldevere,
(646) 831-1649
Bush Admin.
Sacks 9/11 Health Czar
Rep. Maloney:
Dr. Howard Fired Just For Doing His Job
New York, NY –
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) released the
following statement in response to reports that Dr.
John Howard will not be reappointed as Director of
the National Institutes for Occupational Safety and
Health, the agency responsible for overseeing
federally-funded health care for 9/11 first
responders and others exposed to Ground Zero toxins:
“It appears that the
Bush Administration fired Dr. Howard just for doing
his job caring for Americans who are suffering as a
result of 9/11. It’s outrageous that the
administration would treat the heroes of 9/11 so
poorly on the day before our nation celebrates its
independence.”
Background
In February 2006,
Reps. Maloney and Vito Fossella (R-NY) successfully
urged the Bush Administration to appoint Dr. Howard
to serve as the federal government's coordinator to
oversee the response to Ground Zero health impacts (Click
here for a copy of HHS' letter to Rep. Maloney
announcing Dr. Howard's appointment).
Joe Soldevere
Press Secretary
Congresswoman Carolyn
B. Maloney (NY-14)
Office: (212)
860-0606
Mobile: (646) 831-1649
For Immediate
Release: June 2, 2008
Contact:
Joe Soldevere (Maloney), 212-860-0606
Dave Natonski (Shays),
202-225-5541
Craig Donner
(Fossella), 718-356-8400
Shin Inouye (Nadler),
202-225-5635
GAO: Feds
Still Lack Coordinated Plan
to Protect
Disaster Responders
- 6+ Years After
Attacks, Lessons of 9/11 Not Learned by Bush Admin.
-
Washington, D.C. - Today, Reps.
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Christopher Shays (R-CT),
Vito Fossella (R-NY), and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
released a new report from the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) revealing that the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lacks
a coordinated, department-wide plan to protect the
health and safety of Americans who respond to public
health disasters. In its report (click
here for a full copy),
the GAO identified five key lessons from the federal
response to the 9/11 attacks that should help guide
future disaster response efforts. A summary of
the GAO's five lessons can be found below.
Maloney, Nadler, and Fossella
authored and Shays co-sponsored the
9/11 Health and
Compensation Act,
which would provide health care to the thousands of
Americans who were sickened or injured by the toxic
aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
"If the federal government had a
coordinated plan on 9/11 to protect disaster
responders thousands of people wouldn't be sick
today," said Rep. Maloney. "With seventh
anniversary of the attacks fast approaching, it's
totally unacceptable that we don't have plans to
take care of ailing 9/11 responders and to protect
the health of responders to future disasters."
"The response to September
11th-related health concerns has lacked coordination
and a sense of urgency, and I believe federal, state
and local health systems have to more accurately
diagnose and treat these illnesses," said Rep.
Shays. "Much work needs to be done to ensure
those affected receive the care they deserve, and I
hope the administration will fulfill its commitment
to those exposed to the toxins from September 11,
2001, and in the resulting cleanup."
Rep. Fossella said, "These
recommendations provide a guide for the federal
government to follow in the future to protect the
health and well-being of first responders. But these
recommendations also highlight the lack of adequate
services that are available right now for sick and
injured 9/11 responders. While it is important for
the government to use the lessons of 9/11 to be
better prepared to manage potential health issues of
responders in the future, federal officials must
stop delaying efforts to help the unsung heroes of
9/11."
"Yet again, the Bush
Administration has failed to learn from its
mistakes," said Rep. Nadler. "In the aftermath
of 9/11, it became clear that the government lacked
a comprehensive public health plan to protect the
brave responders who came to the World Trade Center
to help. This lapse in leadership led to
thousands of people from all over the nation
becoming sick. Not only has the White House
failed to fully provide for their needs, its ongoing
failure to develop plans for future disaster
response efforts is outrageous and extremely
dangerous."
Responding to a request from Reps.
Maloney, Shays, and Fossella, the GAO identified the
following five lessons from the experience of
current World Trade Center health programs that
could help in the event of a future disaster:
1) Registering all
responders during a response to a disaster could
improve implementation of screening and monitoring
services;
2) Designing and
implementing screening and monitoring programs that
foster the ability to conduct epidemiologic research
could improve the understanding of health effects
experienced by responders and help determine the
need for ongoing monitoring;
3) Providing timely
mental health screening and monitoring that is
integrated with physical health screening and
monitoring could improve the ability to accurately
diagnose physical and mental health conditions and
prevent more serious mental health conditions from
developing;
4) Including a
treatment referral process in screening and
monitoring programs could improve the ability of
responders to gain access to needed treatment; and
5) Making comparable
services available to all responders, regardless of
their employer or geographic location, could ensure
that more equitable access to services for
responders and help ensure that data collected about
responders' health is consistent and comprehensive.
Previous GAO Reports on 9/11
Health
03/11/08 -
September 11:
Fiscal Year 2008 Cost Estimation Process for World
Trade Center Health Programs
01/22/08 -
September 11:
Improvements Still Needed in Availability of Health
Screening and Monitoring Services for Responders
outside the New York City Area
09/20/07 -
September 11:
Problems Remain in Planning for and Providing Health
Screening and Monitoring Services for Responders
07/24/07 -
September 11:
HHS Needs to Ensure Availability of Health Screening
and Monitoring for all Responders
02/28/06 -
September 11:
Monitoring of World Trade Center Health Effects Has
Progressed, but Program for Federal Responders Lags
Behind
09/08/04 -
September 11:
Health Effects in the Aftermath of the World Trade
Center Attack
Joe Soldevere
Press Secretary
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-14)
Office: (212) 860-0606
Mobile: (646) 831-1649
For Immediate
Release: May 20, 2008
Contact:
Joe Soldevere (Maloney), 212-860-0606
Nina Blackwell
(Clinton), 212-688-9559
Shin Inouye (Nadler),
202-225-5635
Craig Donner
(Fossella), 718-356-8400
Shrita Sterlin (Towns),
202-225-5936
Mount Sinai:
9/11 Heroes Have PTSD
at Rates Much
Higher than the General Population
-Senator
Clinton, Reps. Maloney, Nadler, Fossella & Towns Say
New Study
Shows Continued Need
for Strong
Federal Response to WTC Health Crisis-
New York, NY -
Today, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Reps.
Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Vito Fossella, and
Edolphus Towns said that a new study by Mount Sinai
School of Medicine showing high rates of
psychological distress among World Trade Center
responders underscores the need for a strong federal
response to the health impacts of the 9/11 attacks.
Of the more than 10,000 workers who participated in
the Mount Sinai study (click
here for a full copy of the report),
11% met criteria for probable Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD); 8.8% had probable depression; 5.0%
had probable panic disorder; and 62% had substantial
stress reaction. According to Mount Sinai, the
rate of PTSD among 9/11 responders is significantly
greater than in the general population and is on par
with the rate experienced by veterans of the war in
Afghanistan.
"Mount Sinai's
report once again proves what we have known for a
long time - that our heroes from 9/11 continue to
have ongoing mental and physical health needs that
need to be addressed. While the physical toll on our
first responders is easy to recognize, the mental
stress that many of them are suffering can hide
easily in plain sight. Our first responders and
their families continue to suffer and it is our
moral obligation to help them. I will continue to
work with my colleagues in Congress to ensure that
those impacted by 9/11 have the care and treatment
they need," Senator Clinton said.
"9/11 responders
were the first veterans of the war on terror and the
psychological trauma they experienced is real and
ongoing," said Rep. Maloney. "Mount Sinai's
report is even more evidence that administration
needs to finally deliver a plan to ensure that 9/11
responders can get the mental and physical health
care they need. It's been more than six years
since the attacks and while it can never be too late
to help the heroes of 9/11, the time for this
president to take action is now."
"We now have the
science to back up what we have long known - much
more needs to be done to help those brave first
responders who are still suffering the physical and
psychological consequences of 9/11," said Rep.
Nadler. "They put their lives in danger to
help us in our time of need. The federal
government has a moral imperative to provide the
living victims of 9/11 with the care they need and
deserve."
"We know the
enormous physical toll of 9/11 on our first
responders, but this report provides insight into
the mental stress the terrorist attacks had on our
unsung heroes," said Rep. Fossella. "This report
serves as a wake up call that the federal government
must stop delaying and finally provide the 9/11
responders with the care they need."
"This study confirms
what New Yorkers already know -- the effects of 9/11
persist more than six years later," said Rep. Towns.
"The heroes of 9/11 need treatment for mental health
symptoms as well as physical health issues. We'll
continue the fight to provide the quality health
care these heroes deserve."
###
Joe Soldevere
Press Secretary
Congresswoman Carolyn
B. Maloney (NY-14)
Office: (212)
860-0606
Mobile: (646) 831-1649
For Immediate
Release: May 9, 2008
Contacts:
Joe Soldevere (Maloney), 212-860-0606
Shin Inouye (Nadler),
202-225-5635
Craig Donner
(Fossella), 718-356-8400
Shrita Sterlin (Towns),
202-225-5936
Joseph O'Brien (Engel),
718-796-9700
Elbert Garcia (Rangel),
212-663-3900
Jordan Goldes
(Ackerman), 718-423-2154
Chic Smith (Clarke),
202-225-6231
Gail O'Connor
(Velázquez), 202-226-3636
Meghan Dubyak (Israel),
202-225-3335
John Collins (Weiner),
718-520-9001
Bush Admin.
Flouts Congressional Directives
to Help
Americans Sick From 9/11
Washington, D.C. - Today, 10 bipartisan New York
Members of Congress sharply rebuked a new report by
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) on the status of the federal government's
response to the health impacts of the 9/11 attacks.
HHS's report (click
here for a full copy), which was
requested by Congress in the FY 2008 federal
Labor-HHS appropriations bill, revealed that the
Bush Administration has no plans to spend
congressionally-approved funding to treat and
monitor lower Manhattan residents, area workers,
students and others who were exposed to the toxic
aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. In addition,
HHS failed to provide, again as requested by
Congress, a "long-term, comprehensive federal plan
for monitoring, screening, analysis and medical
treatment for all individuals who were exposed to
the toxins at the World Trade Center site."
Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Vito
Fossella, Edolphus Towns, Eliot Engel, Charles
Rangel, Gary Ackerman, Yvette Clarke, Nydia
Velázquez, Steve Israel, and Anthony Weiner issued
the following joint statement in response to HHS's
report:
"We have a moral responsibility to help those
whose lives were shattered by the terrorist attacks
on our country. It was bad enough that the
Administration fought our efforts to care for
Americans who are sick from 9/11. Now they're
ignoring Congressional orders to provide a
comprehensive, long-term plan.
"Last year, Congress approved funding to treat
and monitor area residents, workers, students and
others who were exposed to Ground Zero toxins.
All the administration needs to do is start spending
this money, but as usual they're dragging their
feet. Today, we're calling on the
administration to get this money flowing and finally
come up with a serious plan to address the 9/11
health crisis."
The lawmakers also expressed their
concerns in a letter dated today to HHS Secretary
Michael Leavitt, the text of which follows:
May 9, 2008
The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt
Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Dear Secretary Leavitt,
We write to express our extreme dissatisfaction
with your April 2008 report to Congress entitled
"Providing Monitoring and Treatment Services for
those Experiencing Injuries or Illness as a Result
of the World Trade Center Exposures." As you know,
this report is in response to the House
Appropriations committee's request for a "long-term,
comprehensive Federal plan for monitoring,
screening, analysis and medical treatment for all
individuals who were exposed to the toxins at the
World Trade Center site," contained in the
Committee's report on the FY 2008 budget for the
Department on Health and Human Services.
This report is simply not acceptable.
It ignores both Congress' directions and the needs
of those who are sick as a result of the WTC
attacks.
First, the report takes credit for a list of
accomplishments that the Department undertook only
at the direction of Congress, even though the
Administration opposed each step along the way.
None of the advances in screening, monitoring, or
treating responders were the initiatives of HHS, but
rather showed HHS implementing these programs only
in response to Congressional actions. Despite
repeated requests by Congress, HHS has never
produced a long term plan to address the medical
needs of the responders, community residents, and
students. The current report is only a one
year plan, not the long term plan that we requested
and need. Testimony at the most recent
Appropriations Committee Hearing on the WTC medical
programs documented the need for a long term plan
and stable long term funding if these programs are
going to adequately serve the medical needs of the
responders and other groups.
Second, HHS continues what we believe are
unconscionable stall tactics regarding care for
residents, area workers, students, and others who
have become sick from the attacks. On page 8
of this report under the heading "WTC Screening and
Treatment Costs for Non-Responders," you state "At
the time of this report to Congress, ... HHS
is engaged in discussions and information-gathering
to determine the extent of the need. As data
becomes available, HHS will consider options for
providing assistance and estimating costs.
Within the resources appropriated in FY 2008, funds
will be expended to support data gathering and
further analysis." Public Law No. 110-161
specifically says that this funding shall be for
"screening and treatment."
In the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008,
Congress, for the first time, provided funding for
the monitoring and treatment of residents, area
workers, students, and others who were exposed to
the toxins of 9/11. Published, peer-reviewed
studies have already reported adverse respiratory
and mental health effects in this population, and
the City of New York is currently spending millions
of dollars to serve these individuals at a community
program already in place at NYC Health and Hospitals
Corporation's WTC Environmental Health Center.
To date, no federal funding for these populations
has been released, and this report appears to
indicate that no funding will be released in FY
2008. This is unacceptable. We ask that
you immediately release funding for non-responders,
as required by Congress.
Third, this report is not a plan to move forward
but rather a wait-and-see account of what HHS has
done in the past. If the heroes and heroines
of 9/11 had taken a similar wait-and-see approach to
their rescue, recovery and clean-up work at Ground
Zero, we would have been in dire straits. More
than six years later, our brave responders are
suffering as a result of their heroism, while HHS
says they need no more funding and no legislation to
care for their health and compensation needs.
Sick residents, area workers, students, and others
have simply been ignored.
Finally, we are disappointed that you have not
been available to discuss these WTC health issues
with the New York delegation. You declined an
invitation to appear at a January 2008 hearing of
the Oversight Subcommittee on Government Management,
and did not even send a representative from HHS to
appear on your behalf. You agreed to meet with
the New York delegation at a February 2008 budget
hearing before the Energy and Commerce Committee.
However, after multiple attempts by Congressman
Engel's office to schedule the meeting, we still
find ourselves left without a time and date to meet
with you, as you promised. We hope this will
be the last time we must follow up on scheduling
this meeting. We expect to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
CAROLYN B. MALONEY
JERROLD NADLER
VITO FOSSELLA
EDOLPHUS TOWNS
ELIOT ENGEL
CHARLES B. RANGEL
GARY ACKERMAN
YVETTE CLARKE
NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ
STEVE ISRAEL
ANTHONY WEINER
Joe Soldevere
Press Secretary
Congresswoman Carolyn
B. Maloney (NY-14)
Office: (212)
860-0606
Mobile: (646) 831-1649
For Immediate
Release: May 6, 2008
Contact:
Joe Soldevere (Maloney), (212) 860-0606
Shin Inouye (Nadler),
202-225-5635
Craig Donner
(Fossella), 718-356-8400
100 Members of
Congress and Counting
Are Standing
Up for the Heroes of 9/11
Washington, D.C. -
Today, Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Jerrold Nadler
(D-NY) and Vito Fossella (R-NY) issued the following
joint statement announcing the
100th cosponsor
of their bipartisan legislation to provide health
care, medical monitoring, and compensation for
Americans who are sick or injured as a result of the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks:
"Today, we are
pleased to announce the 100th cosponsor of the 9/11
Health and Compensation Act. We believe that
it is a moral imperative to provide care for the
first responders, area residents, schoolchildren and
others who are sick as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
We are grateful that Members of Congress from every
corner of our nation have signed on to this
bipartisan and truly patriotic legislation."
This week, Rep.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) became the 100th
cosponsor of H.R. 3543, the
9/11
Health and Compensation Act,
which would ensure medical monitoring for everyone
who was exposed to toxins released by the collapse
of the World Trade Center towers, treatment for
anyone who is sick as a result, and would provide
compensation for economic losses by reopening the
9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Under this
bill, proper care would be guaranteed to the
thousands of people who came from across the country
to respond to the 9/11 attacks.
According to the
federally-funded World Trade Center Health Registry,
people from all 50 states and nearly every
Congressional district in the country were in lower
Manhattan on or after 9/11 and now have serious
concerns about their health. In all, more than
10,000 people enrolled in the Registry live outside
the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and
Connecticut. (Click
here for a map of Registry enrollments nationwide
and
here
for a list of enrollments in each Congressional
district.)
Background
The collapse of the
Twin Towers on September 11, 2001 released a massive
dust cloud containing thousands of tons of coarse
and fine particulate matter, cement dust, glass
fibers, asbestos, lead, hydrochloric acid, and other
toxic pollutants. Hundreds of thousands of
people were exposed to the toxins of Ground Zero,
including first responders; rescue, recovery, and
clean-up workers; volunteers from all 50 states; and
area residents, office workers, and schoolchildren.
Thousands of people are now sick as a result of
their exposure.
Summary of the
9/11 Health and Compensation Act
In general, the
bill would:
*
Ensure that everyone exposed to the Ground Zero
toxins has a right to be medically monitored and all
who are sick as a result have a right to treatment;
*
Expand care to the entire exposed community, which
includes residents, area workers and school children
as well as the thousands of people from across the
country who assisted with the recovery and clean-up
effort; and
*
Provide compensation for economic damages by
reopening the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.
Specifically, the
bill would:
Establish the
World Trade Center Health Program
within the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) to provide medical
monitoring and treatment for WTC-related conditions
to WTC Responders and WTC-area residents and other
non-responders, with no cost sharing. The
program will be administered by the Director of
NIOSH or his designee. The bill would also
establish the WTC Health Program Steering Committee
and the WTC Health Program Scientific/Technical
Advisory Committee.
Provide
Monitoring and Treatment for WTC Responders.
If a responder is determined to be eligible for
monitoring based on the criteria provided for in the
bill, then that responder has a right to medical
monitoring that is paid for by the program.
Once a responder is in monitoring, if an approved
physician diagnoses a condition that is on the list
of presumed WTC-related health conditions in the
bill, then that responder has a right to treatment
for that condition that is paid for by the program.
Provide
Monitoring and Treatment for WTC Responders outside
of NY area.
The program administrator will establish a
nationwide network of providers so that eligible
responders who live outside of the New York area can
reasonable access monitoring and treatment benefits
near where they live.
Provide for
Research into Conditions.
In consultation with the Program Steering Committee
and under all applicable privacy protections, HHS
will conduct or support research about conditions
that may be WTC-related, and about diagnosing and
treating WTC-related conditions.
Extend support
for NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
programs:
NIOSH would extend and expand support for the World
Trade Center Health Registry and provide grants for
the mental health needs of individuals who are not
otherwise eligible for services under this bill.
Reopen the
September 11 Victim Compensation Fund
to provide compensation for economic damages and
loss for individuals who did not file before or
became ill after the original December 22, 2003
deadline. The bill would allow for adjustment
of previous awards if the Special Master of the fund
determines the medical conditions of the claimant
warrants an adjustment, and amend eligibility rules
so that responders to the 9/11 attacks who arrived
later than the first 96 hours after the attacks
could be eligible if they experienced illness or
injury from their work at the site.
###
Joe Soldevere
Press Secretary
Congresswoman Carolyn
B. Maloney (NY-14)
Office: (212)
860-0606
Mobile: (646) 831-1649
For Immediate
Release: March 18, 2008
Contacts:
Joe Soldevere (Maloney), 212-860-0606
Joshua Vlasto
(Schumer), 202-380-5990
Clinton Press Office,
212-688-9559
Shin Inouye (Nadler),
202-225-5635
Craig Donner
(Fossella), 718-356-8400
CDC Takes
Measures to Address 9/11 Health Concerns
-Sens. Schumer
and Clinton, Reps. Maloney, Nadler, Fossella Applaud
Decision
To Begin
Process to Provide Thousands of Responders
Outside Metro
NY With Proper Care-
New York, NY - Yesterday, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced
that it will issue a solicitation for sources to
provide federally-funded medical monitoring and
treatment to thousands of 9/11 responders who live
outside metropolitan New York City. (Click
here for a copy of the
CDC's announcement.) In December, the
Administration suddenly announced that it had
abandoned plans to
create such a program.
At the time, the CDC expressed concerns over the
availability of continued funding, even though
Congress was in the process of approving another
$108 million for 9/11 health care.
According to the federally-funded
World Trade Center Health Registry,
people from all 50
states and 431 of 435
Congressional districts nationwide were in lower
Manhattan on or after 9/11 and now have serious
concerns about their health. In all, more than
10,000 of the 71,000 people enrolled in the Registry
live outside the tri-state area of New York, New
Jersey and Connecticut.
Senators Charles Schumer and
Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Reps. Carolyn Maloney,
Jerrold Nadler, and Vito Fossella, who for months
have urged the Administration to restart the
program, hailed today's announcement.
"Though the scars of September
11th are still visible in lower Manhattan, the reach
of that attack extends across the country, where
thousands of first responders who live outside of
the New York metropolitan area need medical
assistance for conditions stemming from their
service," Schumer said. "From Buffalo to Birmingham,
and Syracuse to San Diego, we must ensure that these
brave men and women receive the care they need and
deserve."
"Today's announcement is long
overdue, and represents the first step in the
process of working to secure federally funded
treatment and monitoring for those responders
outside of the New York City area," said Senator
Clinton. "We welcomed the assistance of thousands
from around the country in our hour of need, and it
is imperative that the federal government now assist
those who are experiencing adverse health outcomes
in their hour of need."
"It's good news that the
Administration is finally taking action to help
thousands of ailing 9/11 responders who live outside
the tri-state area," said Rep. Maloney. "The
national 9/11 health program should never have been
interrupted in the first place, but it can never be
too late to help the heroes of 9/11. In the
months ahead, we will be working to make sure that
the national program and the clinics here in the New
York area get the funding they need to provide care
for everyone whose health was compromised by the
9/11 attacks."
"In the immediate aftermath of
9/11, America stood with New York, and many came and
put their own lives and health at risk by aiding in
the rescue and recovery efforts," said Rep. Nadler.
"Now, many of those brave responders are sick, and
they need our help. The Bush Administration
has already lost valuable time by delaying the start
of the nationwide program. I am encouraged
that they have restarted the process, and I hope
they will award a contract soon. While we can
never repay the debt we owe to the brave 9/11 first
responders - wherever they are from - we must do all
that we can to help them."
Fossella said, "This is good news
for the thousands of men and women who relied on
these programs for monitoring and treatment. It made
no sense to eliminate these programs and leave our
unsung heroes without access to the care they need.
We worked across party lines to make a compelling
case for the continuation of these programs, and I
am pleased that the Administration agreed to
continue funding them."
In its announcement, the CDC noted
that its request "represents an unusual and
compelling urgency from the Government."
Indeed, existing funding for treatment programs
outside metro New York, primarily provide by
charitable donations from the American Red Cross,
are expected to end in the next few months.
The CDC is encouraging interested
firms to respond to today's announcement by April 2nd.
The CDC's announcement states that
"there is currently a program in place to provide
periodic health assessment examinations, diagnosis,
and treatment to the responders in the New York City
(NYC) area. CDC intends to award a one year contract
to provide comparable services to those responders
outside of the NYC area. As the program grows in the
next year, the number of responders outside of the
NYC area could increase to 6,000 members from its
current level of approximately 4,000 members."
Background
President Bush's budget proposal
for this year (FY 2009) includes a 77% funding cut
for 9/11 health care programs, from $108 million
appropriated for FY '08 to $25 million for FY '09.
On January 23rd, NY and NJ delegation
members sent
a letter to
President Bush asking
him to ensure that 9/11 health clinics, with
programs that are estimated to cost more than $200
million this year alone, are fully funded in his FY
'09 budget.
The president's budget last year
(FY 2008) had also included only $25 million for
9/11 health programs. Members of Congress from
New York and New Jersey fought to exceed the
president's FY '08 request and
ultimately
delivered $108 million
in the regular federal budget for sick and injured
9/11 responders and area residents, workers and
students, plus
another $50
million for 9/11 health
in an emergency spending bill.
For Immediate Release: March 12, 2008
Contacts: Joe
Soldevere (Maloney), 212-860-0606
Joshua Vlasto (Schumer), 202-380-5990
Clinton Press Office, 212-688-9559
Scott Mulhauser (Lautenberg), 202-224-3224
Afshin Mohamadi (Menendez), 202-224-4744
Shin Inouye (Nadler), 202-225-5635
Craig
Donner (Fossella), 718-356-8400
GAO: NIOSH's 9/11-Health Cost Estimates "Improved" Since
Last Year
-NIOSH Says that
9/11 Health Progs. Will Cost $218.5 Million in FY 2008,
But Admin.
Provides Only $25 Million in Budget-
Washington, D.C. - Today, Senators Charles Schumer,
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Frank Lautenberg and Robert
Menendez and Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney, Jerrold Nadler,
and Vito Fossella released a new Government
Accountability Office (GAO) report concluding that the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) had improved the cost estimation process for
World Trade Center health programs over the last year.
NIOSH estimates that the total cost for 9/11-related
health care and medical monitoring programs in FY 2008
will be $218.5 million, compared with the agency's cost
estimate for FY 2007 of $230 to $283 million. The
GAO report (click
here for a full copy) says that NIOSH's
cost estimates for this fiscal year are improved because
they are based in large part on the average actual costs
of screening and monitoring exams conducted in FY 2007.
The Senators and Representatives issued the following
joint statement on the report:
"NIOSH appears to have solid cost estimates for
9/11 health care, but the Administration is still
falling far short when it comes to delivering care to
everyone exposed to Ground Zero toxins, in New York, New
Jersey, and nationwide. We learned last month that
the President is proposing only $25 million for 9/11
health programs this year. It's time for the
Administration to finally take the steps necessary to
provide treatment and monitoring to everyone whose
health was compromised by the 9/11 attacks."
Background
President Bush's budget proposal for this year (FY
2009) includes a 77% funding cut for 9/11 health care
programs, from $108 million appropriated for FY '08 to
$25 million for FY '09. On January 23rd,
NY and NJ delegation members sent
a letter to President Bush
asking him to ensure that 9/11 health clinics, with
programs that are estimated to cost more than $200
million this year alone, are fully funded in his FY '09
budget. On January 27th, a White House
spokesman told the AP that the president's budget "will
reflect his continued commitment to World Trade Center
workers."
The president's budget last year (FY 2008) had also
included only $25 million for 9/11 health programs
--even though the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimated that the programs
would need more than $200 million to cover their
operating costs for that year, as well. At the
time the President's FY '08 budget was released, the
Office of Management and Budget told Members of Congress
that, if needed, additional 9/11 health funding would be
added to the FY '08 budget. However, the President
made no further funding requests that year.
Members of Congress from New York and New Jersey
fought to exceed the president's FY '08 request and
ultimately delivered $108
million in the regular federal budget for
sick and injured 9/11 responders and area residents,
workers and students, plus
another $50 million for 9/11
health in an emergency spending bill, for
a total of $158 million.
Weeks before Christmas,
the administration suddenly
announced that it had abandoned plans to create the
World Trade Center Business Processing Center,
the first federally-funded national program to provide
treatment for sick 9/11 responders and others who reside
outside the New York metropolitan area. At the
time, the administration claimed that the proposed
Business Processing Center wasn't properly funded, but
within days of the administration's announcement,
Congress appropriated another $108 million for 9/11
health care.
###
Joe Soldevere
Press Secretary
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-14)
Office: (212) 860-0606
Mobile: (646) 831-1649
NYers Blast Admin. Foot-Dragging on 9/11 Health
-Senators,
Representatives Decry Delays as Health Care
for Thousands of
9/11 Heroes Nationwide Set to Run Out-
New York, NY – Today,
Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Hillary Rodham
Clinton (D-NY) and Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Jerrold
Nadler (D-NY), Vito Fossella (R-NY) and Edolphus Towns
(D-NY) demanded that the Administration provide answers
within seven days about how it plans to provide care to
thousands of Americans who are sick as a result of the
9/11 attacks.
In a
letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary
Michael Leavitt,
the Senators and Reps. said that HHS officials have not
adequately responded to growing concerns that health
programs for 9/11 responders and others outside the NYC
metro area could be halted within weeks. Limited
9/11 health treatment programs outside the NYC area are
currently funded by the American Red Cross, which has
said that its funding for such programs is running out.
The New Yorkers noted
that nearly two months have passed since the
Administration
canceled
a request for proposals
(RFP) to start the World Trade Center Business
Processing Center, which would have been the hub of a
national 9/11 health program. The letter states
that if the Administration “does not take some action...
in the next few weeks, there will not be time to
announce and process a new RFP in time to keep the
program running. Failure to fund treatment - even
for a few weeks - is likely to deprive thousands of
responders living outside of the New York City
metropolitan area of badly needed medical care.”
HHS
refused to send a representative
to a House field hearing last month on the
Administration’s cancellation of the RFP.
“The Administration
continues to turn its back on the heroes who helped
rebuild a country following 9/11. When the attack
happened in New York, people from every corner of
America spontaneously answered the call. It is simply
tragic to think that HHS would cancel the World Trade
Center Business Processing Center, designed to give aid
to those same individuals, who are beyond the reach of
our area clinics. The heroes who toiled on the
pile now suffer debilitating illnesses that are only
exacerbated by this Administration’s stubborn failure to
provide the testing and care they so urgently need,”
said Senator Schumer.
“Some of the brave
people who came from across our nation to aid New York
following the terrorist attacks of September 11th became
victims themselves after being exposed to the toxic
substances at Ground Zero and Fresh Kills. Instead of
acting quickly to provide a means to treat those who are
suffering, the Administration has responded by canceling
solicitations for contracts that would establish a
critical program to manage the care of those responders
who live outside of New York, and throughout the
country. As a Senator from New York, I am grateful for
the compassion and dedication these heroes showed our
city and its people, and we cannot afford any delay in
providing the care and attention they so urgently need,”
said Senator Clinton.
“The clock is running
out on health care programs for thousands of 9/11
heroes,” said Rep. Maloney. “We want the
Administration to deliver a nationwide 9/11 health
program, not more empty promises. Our patience
with the Administration’s non-response responses ran out
a long time ago. Secretary Leavitt needs to
finally tell the thousands of Americans who are sick
from 9/11 exactly how he plans to meet their health care
needs.”
“When the smoke was
still rising at Ground Zero, concerned and dedicated
Americans from across the country came to aid in the
rescue and recovery effort,” said Rep. Nadler. “In
doing so, they selflessly put their own health at risk.
Now, the Bush Administration has the chance and
obligation to help provide for these compassionate
people. The World Trade Center Business Processing
Center is critical in efforts to provide health care to
the thousands of people across the country whose health
was affected by 9/11. This country must meet its
moral obligation to the living victims of 9/11 and we
must move forward with this program.”
Rep. Fossella said, “The
news that HHS pulled the plug on the World Trade Center
National Business Center marked a sad chapter in our
efforts to secure a full federal commitment to those
people who are sick as a result of their work on 9/11.
The federal government has still not told us what the
alternative will be or the level of its commitment to
these unsung heroes. It makes no sense that at a time
when more centralized data on sick 9/11 workers
nationwide is needed, HHS refuses to move forward with
this important initiative. My colleagues and I will
continue to fight for those who have become sick as a
direct result of working at ground zero, regardless of
where they live.”
“The refusal of HHS to
plan for health care for 9/11 heroes is inexcusable.
They seem to think that the issue will just go away.
If HHS had sent a representative to our hearing in
January, they would have heard from 9/11 responders
whose health and financial problems keep getting worse
and worse. The challenges these heroes are facing
aren't going away, and we in Congress won't go away
until they are taken care of,” said Rep. Towns.
Joe Soldevere
Press Secretary
Congresswoman Carolyn B.
Maloney (NY-14)
Office: (212)
860-0606
Mobile: (646) 831-1649
Statement of Deputy
Chief Jim Riches, FDNY
GIULIANI CAMPAIGN REFUSES TO
ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT 9/11
AND ATTACKS 9/11 FAMILIES WITH
SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS
Contact:
Dep.Chief Jim Riches 917-692-1199
The 9/11 families and firefighters
traveled to New Hampshire and Florida to set the
record straight on Rudy's failures before,during
and after 9/11. We were seen
in newspapers, local radio, and Television news
shows. At every turn, Rudy's paid
surrogates, under his direction attacked us with
vicious and hateful accusations. They made some
statements about 9/11 which were in direct
contrast to all investigations of 9/11,(the
9/11 Commission, NIST and McKinsey reports.)
Since 9/11/01, Giuliani and his cronies have
done nothing except politicize and profit
handsomely from the worst day in US history, a
national tragedy.
THE MUD SLINGING INSULTS:
1. Howard Safir said "Chief Riches
and his group denigrated the heroism of all the
heroic firefighters and police officers who died
on 9/11.- It is unconscionable that families
are politicizing 9/11."
2. It is a disgrace that the 9/11
families are politicizing 9/11!!! - Joe Lhota
UNTRUE STATEMENTS BY THE RUDY
GIULIANI CAMPAIGN:
1. The radios worked on 9/11.
2. Required respirators were
distributed.
3. We are a front group for the
Democratic unions. UFA and UFOA both had backed
Bush and Giuliani. I voted for Bush and three
times for Giuliani.
Rudy, your quest for the presidency
was rejected by America. You tried to stop the
9/11 commission from being formed. Now , lets's
set the record straight about 9/11 for all to
see. History deserves to be recorded correctly.
RUDY GIULIANI MUST ANSWER OUR
QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS FAILURES OF 9/11 !!!
Rudy, stop the name calling and
other excuses and answer our questions.
Don't tell us : the terrorists are
responsible- we are Democrats- we are angry- It
was greatest rescue effort ever- it is a union
conspiracy- or that we are unpatriotic to
question Rudy about 9/11 failures.
America and the 9/11 families deserve
answers to these questions:
1. Why did firefighters have precisely
the same radios in 2001 which had also failed in
1993?? Why weren't they interoperable
(agencies would be able to communicate with each
other). Ignored Chief of Dept FDNY, Anthony
Fusco's recommendations of 1993 WTC attacks
about communication failures.
**** " Preponderance of evidence indicates
emergency responders lives lost at WTC on
9/11 resulted from lack of timely
information sharing and inadequate
communication capabilities." National
Institute of Standards and Technology. Go to
the videotape of 9/11/01 of French
filmmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet and there
is no communication from units that proceed
up the stairs to the Lobby Command Post in
the North Tower. The chiefs receive no
response from units. Also you have said
technology for interoperable radios (PD-FD)
was impossible, yet 70% of 192 major cities
had interoperable radios.
2. Why did your administration buy
untested Digital Radios with no bid contract
with politically connected company,Motorola
which failed in 1 week of use in early 2001??
*** Someone decided to buy 3,818
individually higher priced, digital radios,
without any competitive bidding, radios
that had never been field tested. see
"Radio Silence FDNY" page 178
3. Why were there no COORDINATED,HANDS
ON and COMPREHENSIVE interagency drills at WTC
similar to 1993 attack as was recommended in
1993 recommendations of Chief Fusco,FDNY Chief
of Dept??
*** Pd and FD operated autonomously and were
not comprehensively prepared to coordinate
efforts. Information that was critical to
informed decision making was not shared
among agencies.- 9/11 commission
4. Why were 911 dispatchers telling
people in towers to Remain in Place ?
(FD command called for self evacuation of both
towers at 8:57 AM. Dispatchers also said to go
to roof (No roof Rescue would be attempted
) right up until the collapse of both towers?
Self evacuation also recommended in 1993 by
Chief Fusco
*** On 9/11 at 9:20 AM Giuliani arrived at
FDNY Command Post and spoke to Chief of
Dept. Pete Ganci.Ganci told Rudy ,"The
message has to be" Get in a stairway and
come down. DO NOT STAY there."the mayor
recalled Ganci saying, Of course, the
emergency operators NEVER stopped giving
precisely the opposite advice." Grand
Ilusion" pg 340- I guess Rudy forgot to
relay this critical information to 911
dispatchers.
5 What happened to Office of
Emergency Management,the hallmark of your
tenure, on 9/11?? Totally useless and
invisible on 9/11, with no hi rise plan????
***.It is a startling and undisputed fact
that OEM failed to fully establish the most
basic aspect of emergency
response:determining who was in charge. NY
Times by Al Baker.
6 Why did you have unqualified
commissioners in PD,FD, and OEM on 9/11??
***TomVon Essen,Firefighter, lowest rank in
Dept. ,never passed promotional exam
Bernard Kerik, Chauffeur/Detective, 8
years in PD, lacked college degree required
by PD Lieutenants, known criminal ties,never
passed promotional exam and then recommended
to Head of Homeland Security(very poor
judgement)
Richie Sheirer, ex Fire Dept dispatcher,
political crony who had dispatchers union
endorse Rudy Giuliani in his mayoral
campaign.
7 Why did you place Emergency Command
Center at 7WTC, "Walking distance from
City hall -next to prime terrorist target and
threat by terrorists of their return." ?????
*** Jerry Hauer, ex head of OEM, recommended
Brooklyn as Command Center location,but Rudy
insisted that it be within walking distance
of City Hall. Hauer has written
documentation and said it was Rudy's
decision. Aggainst the advice of CIA,FBI,PD
and FD
8 Why did you place inexperienced
city agency,Dept of Design and Construction, in
charge of WTC removal effort???
***Mike Burton,DDC employee,supervised the
cleanup and demolition at WTC,testified
that" ultimately the mayor gets the
responsibility for what happened down
there." also,"everything was coordinated
through Burton's boss,Holden,the deputy
mayors and the mayor himself." Grand
Illusion-p257
9) Why the lies about the quality of
air at WTC?? Dept of Environmental
Protection,city agency, in late Sept 2001 tests
showed high levels of asbestos??
*** City agencies,Dept of Health (test
interior of buildings) and dept of
Environmental Protectiontion (exterior) had
tests showing high levels of asbestos.Rudy
,you should have erred on the side of
caution and safety. Everyone behaved as if
eliminating tons of dust from office towers
that contained tons of asbestos,lead and
other toxic materials was just another
janitorial function. David Newman,
industrial hygienist called it the "Wild
West " out there. Congressman Nadler said
"The Giuliani administration did nothing but
put wrong information on their website and
welcomed people to take action that would
cause premature death."
The city's test results were concealed from
the public, according to the New York
Environmental Law and Justice Project,which
obtained the unreleased numbers from the
state and posted them in 2004. No warnings
were issued despite the hazardous levels of
asbestos up to 7 blocks away from Ground
Zero.
10 Why no proper face fitted
respirators until November 2001?
Mandatory proper respirators were in use at
the Pentagon.
*** "The failure to require proper
health and safety gear at the site was
inexcusable and the result will almost
certainly be unnecessary disease and
death," said Dr. Phillip Landrigan of
Mount Sinai Hospital. Better protective
gear for extended hazardous exposure
operations had been one of the 1993 WTC
recommendations of Chief
Fusco,FDNY.Giuliani administration
ignored those recommendations.
The Law Department said in memo to
Deputy Mayor Robert Harding that rescue
workers had been provided with faulty or
no equipment(ie.respirators) and that
Ground Zero was "UNSAFE WORKPLACE" under
various federal safety and labor laws.
Giuliani wrote Congress on Nov 1 ,2001
to include injured first responders in
Victim Comp. fund and limit city
liability to $350 million. Grand
Illusion p 259
11 Why no unified command at WTC as
was the case at the Pentagon?
***"Lack of unified command at WTC
dramatically impacted the loss of first
responders lives on 9/11" were the words of
Ed Plaugher, Chief of Arlington County FD
and incident Commander at Pentagon on 9/11
before the 9/11 Commission in testimony at
New York public hearings.
12. Why are there still human remains
of 9/11 heroes still in Staten Island Fresh
Kills GARBAGE dump?
*** The families presently have lawsuit to
remove the human remains from Garbage Dump
in Staten Island to a proper and decent
tomb.
13. Why did you say that you were at
WTC as much as First Responders when you were at
Yankee Stadium more in a three month period of
2001??
*** Rudy , The NY Times has documented your
time at Ground Zero (Tours around perimeter
of WTC site) and your front row seats at
Yankee Stadium baseball games. 33 hours at
Yankee Stadium and 29 hours at WTC. Are you
delusional? First responders worked 12 hour
days and 7 days a week.
14. Rudy, why did you and all your
future millionaire,incompetent commissioners
run from WTC 30 minutes BEFORE any Tower had
fallen to the safety of 75 Barkley
St. which suffered no structural damage to
the interior or exterior of building?? Did
you hear that another plane was in the air
and left??
Rudy, the 9/11 families and all of
America are waiting for you to step up to the
plate and answer the questions. We will
not go away as we are the voices of our sons and
loved ones. Stop the mudslinging and excuses and
ANSWER the QUESTIONS !!!! Let history be
recorded correctly. The heroes stayed and died
on 9/11.
Deputy Chief Jim
Riches FDNY 917-692-1199
For Immediate Release
February 4, 2008
September 11th Advocates
Comment on the Impending Release of Philip Shenons Book
The Commission: The
Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation
February 4, 2008
Philip Shenons new book, The Commission: The
Uncensored History of the 9/11Investigation, serves
to justify our suspicions and the concerns of the Family
Steering Committee, that we attempted to publicly air
during the course of the 9/11 Commissions tenure.
One of the most egregious revelations put forth by Mr.
Shenon is the fact that Philip Zelikow was hired as the
Executive Director of the 9/11 Commission, despite his
direct ties to the Bush Administration. In 2000-2001 he
served as a member of Condoleezza Rices National
Security Council (NSC) transition team, where he was
allegedly the architect of the decision to demote
Richard Clarke and his counter terrorism team within the
NSC. Furthermore he was a member of the Presidents
Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB) from
2001-2003, where Zelikow drafted most of the 2002
National Security Strategy of the United States,
creating the pre-emptive Iraq war strategy. These areas
were within the scope of the Commissions mandate and as
such were of critical importance to determine what, if
any, impact they had on the governments ability to
prevent the 9/11 attacks.
As the Executive Director of the 9/11 Commission, Philip
Zelikow was given the responsibility for choosing the
entire direction of the Commissions investigation.
Essentially, Mr. Zelikow determined who was or was not
interviewed as a witness, and which information was or
was not looked at. He also influenced which documents
would be requested from the various agencies. It seemed
to us, that allowing an individual with this much
involvement in the Bush administration to run the
investigation, might give the appearance of impropriety
and could ultimately taint the Commissions findings.
In a statement issued by the Family Steering Committee
of March 20, 2004 we wrote:
It is apparent that Dr. Zelikow should
never have been permitted to be Executive Staff
Director of the Commission. As Executive Staff
Director, his job has been to steer the
direction of the Commissions investigation, an
investigation whose mandate includes
understanding why the Bush Administration failed
to prioritize the Al Qaeda threat.
In the same statement we also called for:
Zelikows immediate resignation;
Zelikows testimony in public and under oath; and
the subpoena of Zelikow's notes from the
intelligence briefings he attended with Richard
Clarke.
Commission Chairman Tom Kean and Vice-Chair Lee
Hamilton instead chose to have Mr. Zelikow recuse
himself from the areas of the investigation that dealt
with the transition period. However, they allowed Mr.
Zelikow to be one of only two people (Ms. Gorelick was
the other) to review the Presidential Daily Briefings
(PDBs), reports that went to the heart of what the White
House and its National Security Advisor, Condoleezza
Rice, knew prior to 9/11. While investigating the events
that led up to the September 11th attacks, Philip
Zelikow was called as a witness by the 9/11 Commission
though transcripts of his testimony were never made
public.
Despite our vehement objections, Mr. Zelikow was allowed
to remain in his position as what seemed to be the
gatekeeper of the 9/11 Commission.
Mr. Shenons book illustrates just how deeply and
insidiously the Commission's basic fact-finding work was
compromised by Zelikows conflicts. He recounts that even
after his recusal, Mr. Zelikow continued to insert
himself into the work of "Team 3," of the Commission.
This team was responsible for examining the White House,
and therefore, the conduct of Condoleeza Rice and
Richard Clarke during the months prior to 9/11.
According to the author, Team 3 staffers would come to
believe that Mr. Zelikow prevented them from submitting
a report that would have depicted Ms. Rice's performance
as "amount[ing] to incompetence, or something not far
from it."
Evidence of the possible duplicitous nature of Mr.
Zelikows role on the 9/11 Commission was further
exemplified by his numerous conversations with Karl
Rove, President Bushs Senior Political Advisor. When
questioned about his contact with Rove, Zelikows
response was to tell his secretary to stop logging his
calls.
Contrary to former Commissioner John Lehmans recent
comment on MSNBC that Zelikows conversations with Rove
are a red herring, these contacts with Rove should have
been a red flag. Negotiating for or procuring of
White House documents for the Commission should have
been done through the Office of White House Counsel NOT
the Presidents political advisor. Consequently, knowing
how this would appear, one must ask why Zelikow was
speaking with Rove?
It is abundantly clear that Philip Zelikow should have
immediately been replaced when the first rumblings of
his impropriety and conflicts of interest surfaced. When
all of this information became clear, the Commissioners
and the press should have called for Zelikows
resignation. We did. Shamefully, most were silent.
Further evidence of political maneuvering came to light
in the story of Commissioner Max Cleland. Cleland was
publicly critical of the Commission and the Bush White
House. According to Shenons book, when it became obvious
that Max Cleland would continue to be loudly critical,
Commission Chairman Tom Kean and Vice-Chair Lee Hamilton
sought the help of Senator Tom Daschle to find Cleland a
new job. Thus, Max Cleland was quietly removed and
silenced with a new job in the Bush Administration.
Also revealed in Shenons book is the fact that the
Commissions staff never ventured to the National
Security Agency (NSA), the chief collector of
intelligence information, in order to review their
voluminous treasure trove of documents. At NSA
Headquarters, 27 miles from the Commissions offices,
there was a gold mine of information detailing
terrorists threats and connections, including those of
al Qaeda. General Michael Hayden, who headed the NSA at
the time, was eager to cooperate and share what his
organization had with the 9/11 Commission, but Executive
Director Zelikow was not interested.
A lone staffer, who understood the importance of these
archives, had the information moved to a reading room
within walking distance of the Commissions offices. Even
then, she was the only member of the Commission to take
the time to read these documents. By her own admission,
this insightful staffer had concerns as to how much she,
on her own, would be able to glean from these jargon
filled documents. Why didnt Phil Zelikow make reviewing
these vital NSA documents a Commission priority? It
seems clear that not every fact and lead was followed in
this investigation compromising the validity of the
Commissions final report and its findings.
Moreover, the Pre-9/11 story largely revolved around
second and third hand knowledge of interrogations of
tortured individuals, detainees that were being held in
secret locations.
According to many sources at the CIA and deep within the
government, confessions extracted from individuals who
are tortured are generally deemed useless. A tortured
detainee will say anything in order to make the torture
stop and therefore, the confession cannot be trusted.
One needs to look no further than the Army Field Manual
on Interrogation (FM 34-52), which states in Chapter 1:
"Experience indicates that the use of force
is not necessary to gain the cooperation of
sources for interrogation. Therefore, the use of
force is a poor technique, as it yields
unreliable results, may damage subsequent
collection efforts, and can induce the source to
say whatever he thinks the interrogator wants to
hear."
How could the Commission have based their entire
pre-9/11 narrative on these unreliable, torture-induced
confessions?
We believe that author Phil Shenon has revealed
information which only scratches the surface as to what
went on behind the scenes of this investigation.
Why, when this Congressionally mandated Commission could
have done much to fix the fatal flaws in our in
government by conducting a real investigation and making
vital recommendations, would they instead allow it to
become a sham. This investigation was meant to fix the
loopholes that allowed our Country to be so vulnerable.
Why would they choose instead, to succumb to political
machinations? What would we find out if a real
investigation into September 11, 2001 were ever done?
The bottom line is that the most deadly attack on
American soil since Pearl Harbor remains dangerously
unexamined. This can only be remedied with an
investigation guided by the facts and conducted outside
the reach of those with a vested interest in suppressing
the truth.
# # #
Patty Casazza
908-309-2932
Monica Gabrielle
917-923-0556
Mindy Kleinberg
732-991-6057
Lorie Van Auken
732-690-0999
Rep. Maloney
on Canceled National 9/11 Health Care Plan
& How
Decision May Affect NYC-Area Clinics
New York, NY
– Today, the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government
Management, Organization, and Procurement convened a
hearing in lower Manhattan to examine why the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
abruptly halted its plans to provide health care for
thousands of 9/11 responders and others from outside
the tri-state area who are sick or injured as a result
of the 9/11 attacks. Witnesses at the hearing also
discussed how this decision may affect the six New York
City-area 9/11 health clinics.
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-Manhattan,
Queens) submitted the following statement
for the hearing record:
“Good
morning. As many of you may know, more than 70,000
Americans have signed up for the World Trade Center
Health Registry because they are concerned about their
exposure to the toxic aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
About 60,000 of those registered hail from the tri-state
area and most have access to health clinics operated by
the local Centers of Excellence, including
Mt.
Sinai, the FDNY and others.
“What many
of you may not know, however, is that the other 10,000
registrants live outside the New
York area, and these Americans -who come
from every state in our union, even
Alaska and Hawaii, and, perhaps even
more amazing, 431 of 435 Congressional districts
nationwide- do not have access to federally-funded care
in their own communities.
“Today we
are joined by three responders who live outside the
New York metropolitan area;
these three heroes were all at Ground Zero, they all
have health effects from their service and they all need
the help that a national program would provide.
“Chief
Fraone from Menlo Park,
California, who led urban search and rescue
teams from California at Ground Zero, will tell his story
and talk about the difficulties he has had in getting
help, treatment or even just information.
“Joseph
Libretti, an iron worker from Pennsylvania, who spent
the first months responding to the attack and is now
seriously ill from his exposure to toxins at Ground
Zero, can no longer work and has to travel 100 miles one
way to see his doctor here in New York.
“We will
also hear from Kevin Mount, a former heavy equipment
operator from the NYC Department of Sanitation who
worked on the pile and had to retire to
Florida on disability due to injuries caused
by his service, and who must now come back to New York several times a year to see his Mt. Sinai doctor.
“These
responders represent thousands of rescue and recovery
workers who came from around the country to help New York and are now in
need of help from the federal government.
“However,
just before Christmas, the Bush Administration abruptly
terminated a Request for Contracts to set up the World Trade
Center Business Processing Center, which would have been the hub of a national
program to provide care for Americans who have
9/11-related illnesses but do not live in the
New York metro area.
“The
Administration's abrupt and ill-advised decision
essentially ended the hope that sick 9/11 responders
from around the country could any time soon get
long-term, federally-funded medical monitoring and
treatment without traveling to the
New York area.
“The Request
for Contracts for the national program was first put out
in October, and the final December 19th deadline to
submit contracts was fast approaching when the
Administration suddenly decided to pull the plug.
“Senators
Clinton and Schumer and Congressmen Nadler and Fossella
and I sent a letter to Health and Human Services
Secretary Michael Leavitt looking for answers about this
abrupt change of course. The letter is available
at the sign in desk.
“The reasons
given at the time just did not make any sense.
“First, they
said there wasn't enough money to fund the contract.
Now, if this were true, it would mean that the
Department failed to ask for enough money to cover its
own programs, which would certainly be odd, but in fact
it was not true that there wasn't enough money, since
the proposed contract was flexible, and since, within
days, Congress appropriated another $108 million for
9/11 health care, which, added to the $50 million we
approved earlier in the year, would have been more than
enough to fund the contract.
“They also
said there was ‘bidders' confusion,’ but in fact one
potential bidder has publicly stated that not only were
they not confused, but they were ready and willing to
submit a bid.
“We wanted
to know why the decision was made, who made it, and what
alternative plans the Administration may have in store
if they don't reinstate their request for contracts.
We asked for an answer before Friday, December 21st.
We didn't get one. It is now January 22nd
and we still
do not have an answer.
“As Chairman
Towns stated, he asked Secretary Leavitt to testify
today, or at least send someone to do so, but apparently
neither he nor any of the thousands of people who work
for him could spare a few hours of their time for the
heroes of 9/11. It seems that while thousands came
to New York with no notice
in its hour of need, no one at HHS could get on the
shuttle or the train and be here today with two weeks
notice.
“The
Secretary's silence on this matter is part of a pattern
that would almost be funny if the stakes weren't so
serious.
“So today we
have an empty chair instead of getting the answers we
need. Dr. Melius will have to explain this
situation to us since the Government decided not to
show.
“As I
mentioned earlier, the consequences of the
Administration's decision will be felt not just in
states like California and Florida,
but right here in
New York, as well.
“While this
committee deals with government contracting and grants
all the time I think I need to explain in greater detail
the problem that we may be facing on the local level
because of the administration's decision.
“Under
normal government grant-making procedures, contracts and
grants are drafted with a limit on how much can be spent
and that is what was done with the federal grants made
to the Centers of Excellence, which provide medical
monitoring and treatment to 9/11 responders in the New
York area.
“Without the
business center that NIOSH was attempting to set up,
(or, rather, that the administration stopped,) clinics
like Mt. Sinai that are operating under current grant
arrangements will need their spending limits modified in
the next few months or they will not be able to operate.
“Once these
spending caps are reached, federal funds that we
struggled to get, basically over the administrations'
objections, will have to sit in a bank account, rather
than be used to provide care to 9/11 responders and
others.
“Now, had
the proposed business center gone through as planned,
the current grant arrangements and spending caps for the
local Centers of Excellence would have been superseded
by a new arrangement to pay costs through the national
business center and no further procedures would have
been necessary.
“But when
the Administration pulled the plug on the national
program, it also pulled the plug on the way the local
programs were going to operate.
“My concern
now is that this administration, which never supported
the clinics, or the effort to medically monitor and
treat 9/11 responders, will let them shut down.
“While the
administration chose not to be here to answer our
questions I am grateful that our witnesses today were
able to be here and testify.
“Thank you,
Chief Fraone, Mr. Libretti and Mr. Mount for your
service, and thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
CONGRESSMAN
JERROLD NADLER
8th Congressional District of New York
Rep. Nadler Statement at Field
Hearing on National 9/11 Health Care Plan
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: Tuesday, January 22, 2008
CONTACT:
Shin Inouye, 202-225-5635
NEW YORK CITY –
Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-08), whose district
includes the site of the World Trade Center, today
attended a House Oversight Subcommittee on
Government Management, Organization, and Procurement
field hearing in New York City entitled “9/11
Health: Why Did HHS Cancel Contracts to Manage
Responder Health Care?”
His prepared
opening remarks at the hearing are as follows:
“Thank you,
Chairman Towns. I would like to thank you for
holding this hearing today, and for inviting me to
testify, regarding the federal government’s
continued malfeasance in the years after September
11.
“I am outraged to
stand here yet again to say that the Bush
Administration has turned its back on the heroes of
9/11.
“When the World
Trade Center collapsed on September 11, 2001, people
came from every state in the nation to aide in the
massive rescue and recovery effort at Ground Zero.
FEMA deployed 20 Urban Search and Rescue task forces
from 14 states, as far away as California, Arizona,
Texas, and Florida to dig through the rubble,
looking for survivors.
“These first
responders – firefighters, police officers,
emergency medical personnel, and others - did this
amidst hundreds of tons of asbestos, nearly half a
million pounds of lead, and untold amounts of glass
fibers, steel and concrete that formed a massive
cloud of toxic dust and smoke. Now, six years
later, many of these selfless men and women are sick
as a result of their work at Ground Zero. They
are scattered across the country, many hundreds or
thousands of miles away from the medical experts who
are best qualified to treat them. Others who
once lived in New York City have moved away, often
because their illnesses were so severe.
“For six long
years, we have fought every single day to force the
federal government to provide health care for those
people who have become sick from 9/11. And
after six long years of shirking its
responsibilities, it seemed like the Administration
was finally poised to take the first step toward
establishing a coordinated treatment mechanism for
rescue and recovery workers who live outside the New
York metropolitan area. The Department of
Health and Human Services issued a Request for
Proposals for the World Trade Center Business
Process Center, which would manage this enormously
complicated task.
“But now, the
Administration is dropping the plan – because, it
says, Congress has not provided enough money.
If saving the lives of first responders requires
more funds, the Administration should have asked
Congress for more funds. It is outrageous to
kill this program before its birth. The lives
of the first responders should be worth more than
the $56 million the Administration says that it is
short. The Bush Administration is yet again
ignoring its moral obligation to the living victims
of 9/11 – the White House is re-victimizing the
victims of that tragedy.
“Furthermore,
providing health care to sick first responders
across the country is only one of several programs
that must be put in place if we are to fully recover
from the environmental effects of 9/11. We
recently fought tooth and nail to provide funding
for the Centers of Excellence, who are doing such an
incredible job of caring for people with a myriad of
9/11-related diseases. I am proud to say that
we secured $108 million for 9/11 health, the first
money to be provided in a regular appropriations
bill. And for the first time, this federal
funding will be available not only to first
responders, but to everyone – residents, students,
and area workers – whose health was affected by
9/11.
“But this is not
enough. Last year, I introduced the 9/11
Health and Compensation Act with several of my
colleagues, which would provide comprehensive health
benefits to everyone whose health was affected by
9/11. And we still need a comprehensive test
and clean plan to ensure that no one else will be
harmed by contamination in their homes, schools, or
offices.
“The World Trade
Center Business Process Center is a crucial piece in
providing health care to the thousands of people
across the country whose health was affected by
9/11. As the Congressman who represents the
area where the World Trade Center once stood, I saw
first hand the incredible work they did in the wake
of 9/11. We have a moral obligation to the
living victims of 9/11, and I urge the
Administration to honor its commitment and move
forward with this program.”
###
Jerrold Nadler has served in Congress
since 1992. He represents New
York’s 8th Congressional District, which includes
parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
UNITED STATES CONGRESS
Press Release
Reps. Nadler and Maloney
React to Resignation of Christine LaSala
from
WTC Captive Insurance Company
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: Wednesday, January 9, 2008
CONTACT: Shin
Inouye (Nadler), 202-225-5635
Joe Soldevere
(Maloney), 212-860-0606
WASHINGTON, D.C. –
Representatives Jerrold Nadler (NY-08) and Carolyn
Maloney (NY-14) today issued the following on the
announcement that Christine LaSala will step down as
President of the WTC Captive Insurance Company:
“Anyone who is proud
of the fact that the Fund has more money now than when
it first started fundamentally misunderstands its
purpose,” said Congressman Nadler. “The funds were
provided to help workers who continue to suffer because
of their exposure at Ground Zero, without bankrupting
the City and contractors. While Ms. LaSala
protected the City and contractors, she clearly failed
to help the workers. I strongly encourage the
Captive Board to select a new president that will
fulfill the Fund’s original intent and mandate.”
“Sick 9/11 workers
have filed thousands of claims against the Captive over
the last three years, and I'm sure that many -if not
most- of these claims are valid. If the Captive is
going to continue its blanket refusal of these claims,
it’d be cheaper for them just to buy a rubber stamp than
replace Ms. LaSala,” said Congresswoman Maloney.
“The millions Ms. LaSala spent on overhead during her
tenure could have done a world of good for suffering
9/11 heroes.”
For Immediate Release – January 4, 2008
Contact:
Joe Soldevere (Maloney), 212-860-0606
Shin Inouye (Nadler), 202-225-5635
Craig Donner (Fossella), 718-356-8400
On 2nd Anniversary of Death of Detective James
Zadroga,
NY Reps. Pledge
to Redouble Efforts to Provide Care
for All 9/11 Heroes
New York, NY – On the eve of the second
anniversary of the death of NYPD Detective James Zadroga,
Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and
Vito Fossella (R-NY) released a statement, below, saying
they plan to redouble their efforts to pass the
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act,
which would provide medical monitoring to everyone
exposed to Ground Zero toxins and treatment for anyone
who is sick as a result. Zadroga, an NYPD homicide
detective and 9/11 responder, died on
January 5, 2006. In April 2006, the Ocean County
Medical Examiner determined that Detective Zadroga’s
death was caused by his work at Ground Zero, the first
time that any government agency had directly linked a
death to the toxic aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
“Saturday is
the second anniversary of the death of a true hero, NYPD
Detective James Zadroga. On this sad occasion, we
honor Detective Zadroga’s sacrifice and we applaud his
family’s tireless efforts to ensure that our country
will finally do right by the heroes of 9/11.
“Thousands
of 9/11 responders have been suffering as a result of
the attacks, and the federal government has a
responsibility to take action to care for those whose
health was compromised by the events of that day.
We plan to redouble our efforts to ensure that the
nation provides a comprehensive response to those
exposed to Ground Zero toxins.
“The
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act would
provide medical care and compensation to thousands of
Americans who are suffering as the direct result of an
attack on our country. These heroes cannot
wait another two years for the help they need and
deserve.”
Background
12/26/07 -
Clinton, Schumer, Lautenberg, Menendez, Maloney, Nadler,
Fossella Announce Enactment in Law of $108 Million to
Expand Health Coverage for 9/11 Emergency Responders and
Others
12/14/07 -
NY Reps Demand Answers on Halted 9/11 Health Program
11/07/07 -
Reps. Maloney, Nadler and Fossella Urge Independent
Standards for Adding Names to 9/11 Victims List
10/19/07 -
U.S. Reps. on Medical Examiner’s Zadroga Ruling
Summary of
the Maloney-Nadler-Fossella
9/11 Health
and Compensation Act
In general,
the Maloney-Nadler-Fossella bill would:
* Ensure that
everyone exposed to the Ground Zero toxins has a right
to be medically monitored and all who are sick as a
result have a right to treatment;
* Build on the
expertise of the Centers of Excellence, which are
currently providing high-quality care to thousands of
responders and ensuring on-going data collection and
analysis;
* Expand care
to the entire exposed community, which includes
residents, area workers and school children as well as
the thousands of people from across the country who
assisted with the recovery and clean-up effort; and
* Provide
compensation for economic damages by reopening the 9/11
Victim Compensation Fund.
Specifically, the Maloney-Nadler-Fossella bill would:
Establish
the World Trade Center Health Program
within the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) to provide medical monitoring and
treatment for WTC-related conditions to WTC Responders
and WTC-area Residents and other non-responders, with no
cost sharing. The program will be administered by
the Director of NIOSH or his designee. The bill
would also establish the WTC Health Program Steering
Committee and the WTC Health Program
Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee.
Define “Clinical
Centers of Excellence” and “Coordinating Centers of
Excellence” with which the program
administrator enters into contracts.
Clinical Centers of Excellence provide monitoring
and treatment. They are FDNY, all members of the
Mt. Sinai coordinated consortium
(currently Mt. Sinai, Queens College, SUNY Stony Brook,
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey), the
WTC Environmental Health Center at Bellevue Hospital,
and other facilities identified by the program
administrator in the future.
Coordinating Centers of Excellence collect and
analyze uniform data; coordinate outreach, and develop
the medical monitoring and treatment protocols.
They are FDNY, Mt. Sinai, and the WTC
Environmental Health Center at Bellevue Hospital.
Provide
Monitoring and Treatment for WTC Responders in NY area:
If a responder is determined to be eligible for
monitoring based on the criteria provided for in the
bill, then that responder has a right to medical
monitoring that is paid for by the program. Once a
responder is in monitoring, if the physician at a
Clinical Center of Excellence diagnoses a condition that
is on the list of presumed WTC-related health conditions
in the bill, then that responder has a right to
treatment for that condition that is paid for by the
program. NIOSH reviews these determinations and
provides certification of eligibility for ongoing
treatment. The WTC program administrator may add a
condition to the list of presumed WTC-related health
conditions, taking into account published findings and
recommendations of the Clinical Centers of Excellence,
with the input of the WTC Health Program Steering
Committee and the public. In addition, if the physician
diagnoses a condition that is not on the current list of
presumed conditions, and finds that the condition is at
least as likely as not to be related to exposure at
Ground Zero, then the program administrator, after
review by an independent expert physician panel, can
determine if the condition can be treated as a
WTC-related condition.
Provide
Monitoring and Treatment for WTC Responders outside of
NY area: The program
administrator will establish a nationwide network of
providers so that eligible responders who live outside
of the New York area can reasonable access to monitoring
and treatment benefits near where they live.
Provide
Monitoring and Treatment for the WTC area residents and
other non-responders: Sets up the same
framework for monitoring and treatment eligibility and
benefits as for Responders in the New York area, but
provides for the program administrator and the WTC
Environmental Health Center at Bellevue Hospital to
develop the appropriate monitoring eligibility criteria
and list of presumed WTC-related conditions, based on
scientific and clinical evidence.
Provide for
Research into Conditions: In
consultation with the Program Steering Committee and
under all applicable privacy protections, HHS will
conduct or support research about conditions that may be
WTC-related, and about diagnosing and treating
WTC-related conditions.
Extend
support for NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
programs: NIOSH would extend and
expand support for the World Trade Center Health
Registry and provide grants for the mental health needs
of individuals who are not otherwise eligible for
services under this bill.
Reopen the
September 11 Victim Compensation Fund
to provide compensation for economic damages and loss
for individuals who did not file before or became ill
after the original December 22, 2003 deadline. The
bill would allow for adjustment of previous awards if
the Special Master of the fund determines the medical
conditions of the claimant warrants an adjustment, and
amend eligibility rules so that responders to the 9/11
attacks who arrived later than the first 96 hours after
the attacks could be eligible if they experienced
illness or injury from their work at the site.
Joe
Soldevere
Press Secretary
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-14)
Office: (212) 860-0606
Reps. Maloney,
Nadler & Fossella to Introduce
Bipartisan 9/11 Health and Compensation Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. –On the eve of a
major rally at Ground Zero in support of health care and
compensation for 9/11 responders, Congresswoman Carolyn
B. Maloney (D-NY), Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY),
and Congressman Vito Fossella (R-NY) announced that they
will introduce comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to
address the health impacts of the 9/11 attacks. The
lawmakers intend to formally introduce their bill next
week.
The Maloney-Nadler-Fossella 9/11
Health and Compensation Act, which is strongly
supported by the New York State AFL-CIO, would ensure
that everyone exposed to the toxins of Ground Zero has a
right to be medically monitored and anyone who is sick
as a result has a right to treatment; expand care to the
whole exposed community, including residents, area
workers and students, and to the thousands of people who
came from across the country to respond to the 9/11
attacks; provide compensation for economic damages and
losses by reopening the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund;
and build on the expertise of the Centers of Excellence
(currently at the FDNY, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Bellevue
Hospital, Queens College, SUNY Stony Brook, and the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey),
which are providing high-quality health care to
thousands of responders.
The bill would also require the
federal government to collect data about and research
the extent and severity of WTC-related illnesses.
Specifically, the legislation would establish and fund
Coordinating Centers of Excellence to collect and
analyze data, coordinate outreach, and develop medical
monitoring and treatment protocols; and require the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services to conduct or
support research about conditions that may be
WTC-related, and about diagnosing and treating
WTC-related conditions.
“This bill will help thousands of
Americans who are suffering as a direct result of an act
of war,” said Congresswoman Maloney. “I look
forward to working with my friends Congressman Nadler
and Congressman Fossella to pass this landmark and truly
bipartisan legislation.”
“It is simply not enough to honor the
courage and humanity of the heroes of 9/11 with words.
We must also offer them concrete support in their time
of need,” said Congressman Nadler. “Despite the
Administration's assurances, the post 9/11 air was most
certainly not 'safe to breathe.' For the thousands who
are sick due to exposure to World Trade Center toxins,
including our heroic first responders and area
residents, workers, and school children, the federal
government must provide appropriate monitoring,
treatment and compensation. I look forward to working
with my colleagues as we continue to press this issue in
the halls of Congress and bring the necessary resources
to bear to help those still suffering the consequences
of this lingering national tragedy.”
Congressman Fossella said,
"This bill addresses several key areas to help our
heroes who are sick today as well as anyone who falls
ill in the future. It provides comprehensive medical
monitoring and treatment for those who were exposed to
Ground Zero toxins and compensation for the sick and
injured. The bill goes further than any effort to date
by expanding monitoring and treatment to all who were
exposed, including responders, residents, workers and
students in the area. It also makes good on our promise
to reopen the Victims Compensation Fund to help those
who fell ill over the past three years."
“This bill serves as a comprehensive,
long term commitment to address the health and
well-being of our September 11th heroes, now and into
the future. Congresswoman Maloney, Congressman Nadler
and Congressman Fossella should be commended for their
tireless efforts in crafting a bill that provides
comprehensive medical monitoring and treatment, as well
as compensation for those who became sick or injured as
a result of the attacks. The New York State AFL-CIO is
proud to support this bill and will work diligently with
our friends in the congressional delegation for its
passage,” said Denis Hughes, President of the New
York State AFL-CIO.
Summary of the
Maloney-Nadler-Fossella
9/11 Health and
Compensation Act
In general, the
Maloney-Nadler-Fossella bill would:
* Ensure that everyone
exposed to the Ground Zero toxins has a right to be
medically monitored and all who are sick as a result
have a right to treatment;
* Build on the expertise of
the Centers of Excellence, which are currently
providing high-quality care to thousands of
responders and ensuring on-going data collection and
analysis;
* Expand care to the entire
exposed community, which includes residents, area
workers and school children as well as the thousands
of people from across the country who assisted with
the recovery and clean-up effort; and
* Provide compensation for
economic damages by reopening the 9/11 Victim
Compensation Fund.
Specifically, the
Maloney-Nadler-Fossella bill would:
Establish the World Trade Center
Health Program, within the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), to provide
medical monitoring and treatment for WTC-related
conditions to WTC Responders and WTC-area Residents and
other non-responders, with no cost sharing. The program
will be administered by the Director of NIOSH or his
designee. The bill would also establish the WTC Health
Program Steering Committee and the WTC Health Program
Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee.
Define “Clinical Centers of
Excellence” and “Coordinating Centers of Excellence”
with which the program administrator enters into
contracts.
Clinical Centers of
Excellence provide monitoring and treatment.
They are FDNY, all members of the Mt. Sinai
coordinated consortium (currently Mt. Sinai,
Queens College, SUNY Stony Brook, University of
Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey), the WTC
Environmental Health Center at Bellevue
Hospital, and other facilities identified by the
program administrator in the future.
Coordinating Centers of
Excellence collect and analyze uniform data;
coordinate outreach, and develop the medical
monitoring and treatment protocols. They are
FDNY, Mt. Sinai, and the WTC Environmental
Health Center at Bellevue Hospital.
Provide Monitoring and Treatment
for WTC Responders in NY area: If a responder is
determined to be eligible for monitoring based on the
monitoring eligibility criteria provided for in the
bill, then that responder has a right to medical
monitoring that is paid for by the program. Once a
responder is in monitoring, if the physician at a
Clinical Center of Excellence diagnoses a condition that
is on the list of presumed WTC-related health conditions
in the bill, then that responder has a right to
treatment for that condition that is paid for by the
program. NIOSH reviews these determinations and
provides certification of eligibility for ongoing
treatment. The WTC program administrator may add a
condition to the list of presumed WTC-related health
conditions, taking into account published findings and
recommendations of the Clinical Centers of Excellence,
with the input of the WTC Health Program Steering
Committee and the public. In addition, if the physician
diagnoses a condition that is not on the current list of
presumed conditions, and finds that the condition is at
least as likely as not to be related to exposure at
Ground Zero, then the program administrator, after
review by an independent expert physician panel, can
determine if the condition can be treated as a
WTC-related condition.
Provide Monitoring and Treatment
for WTC Responders outside of NY area: The program
administrator will establish a nationwide network of
providers so that eligible responders who live outside
of the New York area can reasonable access monitoring
and treatment benefits near where they live.
Provide Monitoring and Treatment
for the WTC area residents and other non-responders:
Sets up the same framework for monitoring and treatment
eligibility and benefits as for Responders in the New
York area, but provides for the program administrator
and the WTC Environmental Health Center at Bellevue
Hospital to develop the appropriate monitoring
eligibility criteria and list of presumed WTC-related
conditions, based on scientific and clinical evidence.
Provide for Research into
Conditions: In consultation with the Program
Steering Committee and under all applicable privacy
protections, HHS will conduct or support research about
conditions that may be WTC-related, and about diagnosing
and treating WTC-related conditions.
Extend support for NYC Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene programs: NIOSH would
extend and expand support for the World Trade Center
Health Registry and provide grants for the mental health
needs of individuals who are not otherwise eligible for
services under this bill.
Reopen the September 11 Victim
Compensation Fund to provide compensation for
economic damages and loss for individuals who did not
file before or became ill after the original December
22, 2003 deadline. The bill would allow for adjustment
of previous awards if the Special Master of the fund
determines the medical conditions of the claimant
warrants an adjustment, and amend eligibility rules so
that responders to the 9/11 attacks who arrived later
than the first 96 hours after the attacks could be
eligible if they experienced illness or injury from
their work at the site.
New York: Survey finds elevated rates
of new asthma among WTC rescue and recovery workers
[Aug 28 New York]--Findings released today by the
Health
Department shed new light on the health effects of exposure
to dust and
debris among workers who responded to the World Trade Center
disaster on
September 11, 2001. The data, drawn from the World Trade
Center Health
Registry, show that 3.6% of the 25,000 rescue and recovery
workers enrolled
in the Registry report developing asthma after working at
the site. That
rate is 12 times what would be normally expected for the
adult population
during such a time period. The paper was published today in
the journal
Environmental Health Perspectives.
EXTENDED DEADLINE
As some of may know the filing for
Retirement System Notice of Participations has been extended
until 6/14/2009.
This has been in effect as of August 1, 2008. This is a very
good thing for First Responders. If anyone is interested in
reading the bill it is:
CHAPTER 495
S. 6099
ELIGIBILITY FOR ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY--WORKERS WHO PARTICIPATED
IN THE RESCUE,
RECOVERY AND CLEAN-UP EFFORT
FOLLOWING THE TERRORIST ATTACK AT THE WORLD TRADE
CENTER
Approved and effective August 1,
2007
Quite frankly, its the same
exact bill but the Legislature crossed out the word "two"
and put "four" - indicating that the Statute of Limitations
to file the NOP is 4 years (6/14/09) instead of 2 years
(6/14/07).
Sean Patrick Riordan, Esq.
Brecher Fishman Pasternack
Heller Walsh & Tilker, P.C.
The Woolworth Building
233 Broadway, Suite 820
New York, NY 10279
212-341-7900, ext 1747
The Lifetime Channel is
Looking to Cast Sept. 11th
Victims and Their Heroes
Dear 9/11 Family:
My name is Sasha and I am
contacting you from Bunim-Murray Productions. As a production
company we have won many Emmy Awards for many of our reality
shows including "Starting Over." We have produced a variety of
reality shows for major Television networks. For our current
project, we have teamed up with The Lifetime Channel and are
looking to cast Sept. 11th survivors and their
heroes. We are looking for stories of survival and courage to
display the hardships and suggest that the people of New York
had to endure. We would specifically love to get a hero and a
victim's story so we can reunite them and give them an
opportunity to tell one another how they feel and say thank you.
Our show is also dealing with psychics so each individual will
have an opportunity to talk to a psychic and perhaps bring some
answers and closure to their story. The victim and the hero must
be available for filming from August 27th-August 30th. They will
receive compensation for their time and an all expense paid trip
to California for the taping. You can contact me at
SFischman@bunim-murray.com.
Thank you so much.
Thankfully Yours,
Sasha
=============
|
NYC
9/11 Health Update
People
directly exposed to the 2001 World Trade Center (WTC)
disaster were four times more likely than other people to
report post-traumatic stress symptoms in 2006-2007, a new
study shows. While many studies have documented the adverse
physical and mental health conditions associated with 9/11,
most have focused on the short-term health effects within
the first 3 years following the disaster. In a new study,
"Asthma and Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms 5 to 6 Years
Following Exposure to the World Trade Center Terrorist
Attack," the Health Department and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention examined the nation's largest cohort
of directly exposed people.
President
Obama signed into law an
Several members of New York’s Congressional delegation re-introduced the
