They met with leading Members of Congress and released a letter to the President describing their experiences at Ground Zero and the lack of aid available for their health needs. Their letter to the President is available at: http://maloney.house.gov/documents/olddocs/Sept11/Health/072105_9-11%20responders%20letter.pdf.

They also joined New York Members of Congress Carolyn Maloney (D) and Vito Fossella (R) at a news event in the capitol, detailing why the funds are needed for current and future workers compensation claims and for the treatment of widespread illness among thousands of Ground Zero responders.

Congresswoman Maloney said, “The nation’s commitment to 9/11 heroes is being tested and only Congress and the President have the power to do the right thing. Washington will fail to meet the country’s expectations for how its heroes are treated if this promise to injured 9/11 responders is broken. There’s no question this aid is needed and no question these heroes deserve it, the only question is the federal government’s resolve to stand by its first responders to 9/11.”

Congressman Fossella said, “We need to continue working to restore the money New York City needs to meet the health challenges of the volunteer workers, hardhats and area residents who were impacted by the terrorist attacks. It is impossible to project at this time the full financial cost of those needs, but it is self-evident that they will continue to be great. There are literally tens of thousands of residents and workers who were in the vicinity of Ground Zero and at the Fresh Kills Landfill during the attacks and in the weeks and months after. These individuals have required - and will continue to require - both physical and mental health treatment. The loss of the $125 million could place in jeopardy the ability to ensure New Yorkers have access to the care they need.”

Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY) said, “Sometimes I’m embarrassed by the staggering misplaced priorities in Washington. I’m embarrassed that these responders have to trek down to Washington to fight for what we owe them. They’ve done enough. We need to do our part for them.”

Dr. David Prezant, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the New York City Fire Department and Professor of Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who participated in today’s events, said, “Continued medical monitoring and treatment is needed because that is what we owe these heroic rescue workers. They did not fail us on 9/11 and we should not fail them in the years that follow. Diagnosis and treatment for medical and mental health problems related to the 9/11 response is the right way to support these responders and will ultimately reduce morbidity and mortality.”

A summary of participating 9/11 responders is attached with this release. Their efforts today included meetings with: House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Congressman David Obey (D-WI), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee; as well as with senior staff of Members of Congress Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee; Ralph Regula (R-OH), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX); James Walsh (R-NY), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs; Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT), Chairman of the Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations; and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD); as well as with additional members of the New York Congressional delegation, including Maloney, Fossella, Israel, and Jerrold Nadler.

Three key reasons it would be wrong to take back 9/11 workers compensation aid include: First, there has never been a study of how much aid will be needed to pay current recipients of 9/11 workers compensation.

Second, there has been no analysis of what resources will be needed for future payments to hundreds of 9/11 claims that are still pending. Medical research shows that respiratory illness from 9/11 can be long-term and debilitating over time. If even a fraction of pending claims are approved in the months ahead, annual 9/11 workers compensation payments could reach multiple millions of dollars.

Third, any remaining funds from the $125 million not used for workers compensation should be used for their broader purpose to support the health and recovery of 9/11 responders. More than half of some 12,000 responders screened through a national medical monitoring program coordinated by the Mount Sinai Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine are estimated to still experience 9/11 related illnesses. After ensuring that all needs for 9/11 workers compensation claims will be met, remaining aid should be used to support medical treatment for 9/11 responders who do not have health insurance or adequate coverage for 9/11 injuries. Remaining funds could be used to extend the national World Trade Center medical monitoring program from five to twenty years, to track and adequately diagnose long-term illness from the disaster.

Status of Legislation: On June 23, 2005, the House passed legislation - the FY2006 Labor, HHS Appropriations bill - that rescinds the 9/11 workers compensation aid, but Congresswoman Maloney and Congressman Fossella obtained a verbal commitment on the House floor by the Chairman of the Committee with jurisdiction over the bill, Ralph Regula (R-OH), to work on the issue in conference committee once the Senate takes action on its version of the bill. The Senate’s version of the bill was voted out of committee on July 15, 2005, also with the rescission still included, but again with verbal statements made by leading Senate Republicans to try and resolve the issue, potentially on the Senate floor during debate on the bill.

In addition to the 9/11 responders detailed below, numerous New York health and labor leaders also participated in today’s events, including: Lee Clark, Director of Safety & Health for District Council 37 of New York; Tony Earl, Director of Safety and Health for Transport Workers Union Local 100; Joel Shufro, Executive Director, New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health; Shawn Bobb, Health and Safety Office for the New York State Public Employees Federation; Micki Siegel de Hernandez, Director of the District One Health and Safety Program, Communications Workers of America.

Today’s action follows an effort by 23 Members of the New York Congressional delegation, who recently urged President Bush to withdraw the proposal. That letter is available at: http://maloney.house.gov/documents/olddocs/Sept11/20050531_rescission_ltr_POTUS.pdf.

In addition, Members of the New York delegation sent a letter to Representatives Jerry Lewis and David Obey, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee respectively, asking the Committee to reject the rescission and for a review of the unmet health needs of 9/11 responders. It is available at: http://maloney.house.gov/documents/olddocs/Sept11/20050531_rescission_ltr_Approps.pdf.

A letter from Governor George Pataki expressing concern about the effort to take back this 9/11 aid and support for Congressman James Walsh’s prior amendment to reverse the rescission of the aid is available at: http://maloney.house.gov/documents/olddocs/Sept11/061505GovLtr.pdf.

Letters to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders from Mayor Michael Bloomberg opposing the rescission of this 9/11 aid are available at: http://maloney.house.gov/documents/olddocs/Sept11/060705MayorHouse.pdf
and http://maloney.house.gov/documents/olddocs/Sept11/060705MayorSenate.pdf.

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