It's past time for Congress to fully fund the 9/11 health program
Emergency workers at Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. Credit: AP/Mark Lennihan
As we once again commemorate the nearly 3,000 people murdered on that tragic Tuesday morning 23 years ago, we remember anew all we've lost — and all we continue to lose. We mourn for the thousands killed when the sky over lower Manhattan so quickly turned from bright blue to a terrifying gray, and for the thousands more who've died since, including the first responders who ran into the fire and stayed to recover the remains of those lost and clean up the awful pile as well as the many civilians who lived and worked in the area.
The cloud of toxic ash and dust that filled the air lifted long ago, but families across the region continue to feel its tragic effects. More than 132,000 first responders and other survivors have enrolled with the World Trade Center Health Program, a national effort set up to provide monitoring, treatment and other health care assistance for anyone suffering from illnesses associated with the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, or who could be impacted by such illnesses in the future.
Yet, our nation still can't come together to fully fund the program, leaving those who are sick and dying wondering whether their health care will be there when they need it. That is unforgivable. What lesson are we teaching those not yet born when those planes struck the towers?
Year after year, New York's congressional delegation, now led by Rep. Andrew Garbarino and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, has tried to close the gap and repair the funding formula. Year after year, they've been stymied. Year after year, as this tragic anniversary comes around, we find ourselves pleading with Congress to do the right thing.
The reasons for the gap are tragic, too: More people continue to get sick. The cost of their care continues to rise. And federal officials have only cobbled together temporary measures. Now, Garbarino, Gillibrand and Schumer think they can finally finish the job, by covering the $2.7 billion shortfall expected in 2027 and correcting the formula to avoid future gaps.
Thankfully, a separate but related federal program called the Victim Compensation Fund — which pays additional compensation for economic losses to residents, workers and first responders exposed to the 9/11 toxins — is operating as it should. With unlimited funding through 2090, the program for which anyone affected by 9/11, ill or not, can register, has paid out $14 billion on 62,000 claims since it reopened in October 2011. The fund has received more than 91,000 claims; officials say as many as 300,000 people who could be eligible haven't registered. Whether you were a responder, a survivor or a family member of someone who has died, whether you are currently sick or not, you should sign up now.
Today, we mourn. Tomorrow, we must get back to work so we can honor and care for those affected by the tragedy of 9/11 — fully, and every day.
MEMBERS OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD are experienced journalists who offer reasoned opinions, based on facts, to encourage informed debate about the issues facing our community.
