WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. SENS. CHUCK Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand hailed the inclusion of full funding of the World Trade Center Health Program in a spending package signed into law by President Donald Trump on Tuesday..
“Twenty-five years after the September 11th attacks, first responders and survivors continue to be diagnosed with serious and often life-threatening 9/11-related health conditions, underscoring the ongoing need for stable federal support for the program. The WTCHP faces increasing demand as enrollment continues to grow and new illnesses are identified, putting pressure on the program’s resources,” Schumer’s office stated in a press release.
A bipartisan deal will avert a projected $3 billion shortfall for the program, which serves over 135,000 first responders, survivors and exposure victims, and will ensure funding increases through 2040, Newsday reports.
The WTCHP was established in 2011 as part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and was originally funded for five years at $1.6 billion. The program was reauthorized in 2015 and extended through 2090 with bipartisan support.
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