Fire unions livid as funding for 9/11 health fund excluded from federal budget, funds in jeopardy
Zettelkasten Automated Post
The funding for the World Trade Center (WTC) Healthcare program is at risk due to the recent budget negotiations in congress. The program offers financial aid to approximately 125,000 individuals who became unwell following contact with toxins at disaster sites in New York, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pa. Firefighting unions and advocates are protesting congress’s failure to secure the program’s funding. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which established the WTC Healthcare program, was initially passed in 2010 with bipartisan support, reauthorized in 2015, and was presumed to be permanently funded until the program’s planned termination in 2090.
The current risk of losing program funding has provoked widespread ire, with Governor Kathy Hochul demanding Congress fulfill its duty to provide healthcare for 9/11 first responders. James Brosi, President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, emphasized the continued rise in cancer diagnoses among NYC firefighters due to the cleanup and the ongoing need for financial resources to care for the sick. Nicholas Papain, a 9/11 victims advocate, called out the injustice of forcing heroes to plead for financial assistance that has already been pledged by the government. To address this issue, several FDNY unions and department members will host an emergency press conference.
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