9/11 cancer study results delayed on Long Island by federal funding fracas
A view of downtown Manhattan from Brooklyn on Sept. 11, 2001, in the aftermath of the terrorist attack. Credit: Newsday/Jiro Ose
A temporary pause in federal funds for a 9/11 cancer study from the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset has led to a delay in research results, Northwell Health said this week.
Money for the program was part of cuts to World Trade Center Health Program funding that were restored last week following a bipartisan push for a reversal of action recommended by billionaire Elon Musk through the Department of Government Efficiency.
Before the nearly $250,000 contract was paused, work on the research at Northwell’s Feinstein Institutes was set to end March 15. But researchers had to get a weekslong extension to complete their work after the contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was canceled Feb. 12 and reinstated by Feb. 20, according to Northwell Health spokesman Matthew Libassi.
Elected officials from both major political parties had slammed cuts to the World Trade Center Health program, Newsday previously reported. It provides medical care for and observes people impacted by the 9/11 attacks and says it has helped more than 125,000 people in the aftermath.
The cancer research contract had been listed as terminated on DOGE's "Wall of Receipts," with savings estimated from the cancellation to be $0, according to its website. DOGE, which President Donald Trump has tasked with cutting federal government costs, said on its website it has saved an estimated $65 billion, including on news subscriptions and research.
However, The Associated Press reported Tuesday that nearly 40% of all DOGE-terminated contracts brought no savings, in part because the government is legally required to spend the money on specific items.
At the Feinstein Institutes, the pause left the research team unable to do "final statistical analyses" on a study that started in 2020 and already was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Northwell Health said.
The research work compares cancer rates of Pace University employees at two different locations. One group worked in downtown Manhattan and had exposures to toxins from the World Trade Center site. The other worked in Westchester County and didn't have those exposures.
The CDC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the research results delay.
The roughly $250,000 in CDC funding to the Feinstein Institutes is part of the research component of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, which helped to create the World Trade Center Health Program, according to the CDC and Northwell.
Libassi said the research program isn't part of the program's provision of medical care.
The cancer research results are now expected to be published by April 30, according to Northwell Health.
"The team is back working on finalizing the study," said Libassi in an email to Newsday on Tuesday.
A temporary pause in federal funds for a 9/11 cancer study from the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset has led to a delay in research results, Northwell Health said this week.
Money for the program was part of cuts to World Trade Center Health Program funding that were restored last week following a bipartisan push for a reversal of action recommended by billionaire Elon Musk through the Department of Government Efficiency.
Before the nearly $250,000 contract was paused, work on the research at Northwell’s Feinstein Institutes was set to end March 15. But researchers had to get a weekslong extension to complete their work after the contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was canceled Feb. 12 and reinstated by Feb. 20, according to Northwell Health spokesman Matthew Libassi.
Elected officials from both major political parties had slammed cuts to the World Trade Center Health program, Newsday previously reported. It provides medical care for and observes people impacted by the 9/11 attacks and says it has helped more than 125,000 people in the aftermath.
The cancer research contract had been listed as terminated on DOGE's "Wall of Receipts," with savings estimated from the cancellation to be $0, according to its website. DOGE, which President Donald Trump has tasked with cutting federal government costs, said on its website it has saved an estimated $65 billion, including on news subscriptions and research.
However, The Associated Press reported Tuesday that nearly 40% of all DOGE-terminated contracts brought no savings, in part because the government is legally required to spend the money on specific items.
At the Feinstein Institutes, the pause left the research team unable to do "final statistical analyses" on a study that started in 2020 and already was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Northwell Health said.
The research work compares cancer rates of Pace University employees at two different locations. One group worked in downtown Manhattan and had exposures to toxins from the World Trade Center site. The other worked in Westchester County and didn't have those exposures.
The CDC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the research results delay.
The roughly $250,000 in CDC funding to the Feinstein Institutes is part of the research component of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, which helped to create the World Trade Center Health Program, according to the CDC and Northwell.
Libassi said the research program isn't part of the program's provision of medical care.
The cancer research results are now expected to be published by April 30, according to Northwell Health.
"The team is back working on finalizing the study," said Libassi in an email to Newsday on Tuesday.
Tiffany Cusaac-Smith is a general assignment reporter for Newsday. She previously worked at USA TODAY and is an alum of Howard University.
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