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May 23, 2008 Clinton, Schumer Question Federal Foot-Dragging On 9/11 Health Programs Recent audit of Department of Health and Human Services shows federal funds being spent on further data gathering rather than health programs Washington, DC – Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer today questioned the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about why federal funds that were allocated by Congress for programs to help residents, students and others in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks are instead being spent on further data gathering. In a letter to HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt, the Senators called for an explanation as to how the funds are being spent to help those who are still impacted. The Senators’ letter comes in reaction to a recent report to Congress released by HHS on its own spending of Congressionally-allocated 9/11 funding. Despite the intention of Congress to allocate the funds to benefit programs that assist residents, students, and others, the report clearly indicates that “At the time of this report to Congress… HHS is engaged in discussion 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.” (Click here to obtain a full copy of the HHS report.) Congress allocated $108 million in the FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill for those who were adversely impacted by the September 11, 2001 attacks, including residents, students, and other non-responders. “When Congress allocated this funding, we did so specifically to support, expand and enhance the programs that are already in place to help residents, students and others who are still suffering in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The decision by HHS to spend this money on data gathering is completely contrary to the will of the Congress and the information that is already available. The bottom line is that we know people are still suffering and this money is supposed to be spent on helping them,” Senator Clinton said. “It strains credulity that nearly seven years after the 9/11 attacks HHS would need to gather yet more data on whose health was affected that day. Congress expressly allocated this funding to help the residents and students of lower Manhattan who were affected by the attacks and now need our help. Instead, HHS has chosen to fritter this funding away while New Yorkers remain in need. I urge HHS to immediately reverse course and honor the will of Congress and the needs of New Yorkers who are unnecessarily suffering seven years after the fact,” Senator Schumer said. A copy of the Senators’ letter is below - May 23, 2008 The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt Secretary United States Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20201 Dear Mr. Secretary: We are writing to express our concerns with your Department's 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 stated in Public Law 110-161, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, funding is included for the screening and treatment for first response emergency services personnel, residents, students, and others related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. When we worked to include language directing funding for residents, students, and other non-responders who were adversely impacted by the September 11, 2001 attacks upon the World Trade Center, we did so with the expectation that funding would be directed to these programs in Fiscal Year 2008. Consequently, we are deeply disappointed to see that your agency is disregarding the clear intent of Congress and delaying allocation of funds to assist these individuals receive necessary medical services. The need for services among these individuals is well-documented. While your report indicates that, among the more than 134,000 non-responders estimated to be present around the World Trade Center, exposure levels may not be as great as their responder counterparts, a significant number of residents have well-documented illnesses linked to these attacks. Dr. Joan Reibman, the Director of the World Trade Center Environmental Health Center, has testified before committees in both the House and the Senate, offering a detailed breakdown of the respiratory ailments experienced by her patients. Your Department’s own website highlights more than 50 publications from scientific journals that have examined the impact of this tragedy upon non-responder populations. As researchers noted in the New England Journal of Medicine last year: “The general population would have been exposed to particlesand gases when on or near the site on days when the air waspolluted by the fires or cleanup activities or when returningto contaminated buildings. Many survivors of collapsed or damagedbuildings reported new or more severe respiratory symptoms severalyears after the disaster. One survey, started 8 months afterthe disaster, found greater respiratory morbidity and more symptomsamong people living within 1.5 km of the site than among thosein a control area.” Despite this evidence, your report notes that additional data must be gathered to perform a thorough analysis and develop implementation options and eligible populations. However, these delays further jeopardize the ability to deliver care to individuals experiencing debilitating, adverse health effects linked to the attacks on the World Trade Center. In addition, the Health and Hospitals Corporation of New York has established a well-respected program for treating non-responders, which utilizes geographic eligibility guidelines and an extensive intake process to ensure that those being treated were exposed to the toxins released from the World Trade Center. Given that the need for care among the non-responder populations has been identified, and that a model program exists, we cannot understand why there are delays in releasing this funding. While we understand and support efforts to better understand the characteristics of the impacted population, and ensure that the services provided meet their needs, we also believe that your Department should be supporting existing efforts at the same time you work with the city and community to outline plans for screening and treatment for non-responders. It is unconscionable to withhold funding that could be used to ensure greater access to life-extending treatments to those who are the victims of these attacks. We would ask that you provide us with the following:
Thank you for your attention to this important request and we look forward to your response. Sincerely, Hillary Rodham Clinton Charles E. Schumer ### |
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