Washington, DC - Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced the witness list for the March 21st hearing of the HELP Committee into 9/11 health effects and their continuing legacy for untold numbers of New Yorkers and others. This will be the first Senate hearing on the urgent health needs affecting thousands in the wake of 9/11.

"Thousands of people—first responders, volunteers and residents—were exposed to toxic debris after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and many are suffering from serious illnesses as a result," Senator Kennedy said. "I look forward to working with Senator Clinton, Senator Enzi and the HELP Committee to make sure these individuals receive the level of federal support they need and deserve."

"There is a very real health crisis facing so many people who were around Ground Zero following the September 11th attacks. We have seen so many people get sick and yet we still don't have a long term commitment from the Administration to provide for those who need our help. I hope that with this hearing we will be able to make clear the need for federal involvement in this health emergency," Senator Clinton said.

The HELP committee will hear from a number of witnesses who will outline the extent of the health crisis, what is currently being done to help affected populations and what is needed from the federal government to assist. In addition to the witnesses, there will be a number of affected groups represented at the hearing, including firefighters, police officers, other first responders, workers, residents, students and teachers.

Senators Clinton and Kennedy, along with their colleagues, Senators Schumer, Lautenberg and Menendez, introduced the 9/11 Heroes Health Improvement Act which would authorize $1.9 billion in grants for medical and mental health monitoring and treatment for those exposed to the dust and toxins in the days, weeks, and months following the attacks. In addition to providing an avenue for their colleagues in the Senate to better understand and address these issues, it is the Senators' hope that the HELP Committee will also mark up the legislation soon.

Thanks to the studies conducted by the Fire Department of New York and the Mt. Sinai Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, we know that there is a connection between illnesses in many of these heroes and their presence in the impacted area. The recent report issued by New York City Mayor Bloomberg's World Trade Center Health Panel also makes clear why there is a need for long-term, sustained federal funding.

U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS

Hearing: The Long-Term Health Impacts from September 11: A Review of Treatment, Diagnosis and Monitoring Efforts

Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 10:00 am

Room 216, Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC

Witness List

The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York, New York

Dr. Robin Herbert, M.D., Co-Director of the World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program, New York, New York

Dr. Kerry J. Kelly, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, New York City Fire Department, New York, New York

Dr. Joan Reibman, M.D., Director of the Bellevue Hospital World Trade Center Environmental Health Center, New York, New York

Dr. Jim Melius, M.D., Ph.D., Chair, Advisory Board of the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program, Albany, New York

Dr. Jeanne Mager Stellman, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York

Jeff Endean, ground zero volunteer and former Division Commander for Morris County, NJ Sheriff's Office

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