Cyrus Dugger

New Congressional Resolution Would Urge Administration to Develop Federal 9/11 Health Plan

New Congressional Resolution Would Urge Administration to Develop Federal 9/11 Health Plan: Maloney-Fossella Resolution Calls for Plan to Monitor Everyone Exposed to Toxic Ground Zero Air and Treat the Sick

For Immediate Release
February 7, 2007
Contact: Afshin Mohamadi (Maloney) 202-225-7944
Craig Donner (Fossella) 718-356-8400

WASHINGTON, DC – Under a resolution yesterday, Congress would officially urge the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a comprehensive federal plan to tackle the growing 9/11 health crisis (pdf ). The resolution (H. Res. 128), introduced by Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Vito Fossella (R-NY) along with 11 colleagues, calls for a plan to cover everyone exposed to the toxic air around Ground Zero – including responders, volunteers and area residents, workers and students.

Until now, the federal government has not put forth a long-term, comprehensive plan to assist all of those made sick from the Ground Zero air. HHS has no official directive to address the issue and no proposal or medical monitoring program encompassing everyone exposed to the toxins.

“This will be a clear signal from Congress to the administration telling them to keep the wheels of progress turning,” said Maloney. “We want everyone exposed to the toxic air examined and everyone who is sick treated, and the federal government needs to show us how they plan to accomplish that.”

Fossella said, "As we approach the one year anniversary of the appointment of the 9/11 Health Coordinator, we are calling on the federal government to finalize a plan to monitor and treat all those who are sick or injured as a result of the terror attacks. We have made progress over the last year, including the announcement last week that the Administration has included $25 million in its budget as a down payment for treatment. Now we need a final plan of action to ensure that those who need medical monitoring and care have access to it."

Reps. Maloney and Fossella were joined in introducing the resolution by Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Jose Serrano (D-NY), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Steve Israel (D-NY), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Michael McNulty (D-NY) and Charles Dent (R-PA).

Thousands of responders, workers and residents who were at or around Ground Zero shortly after 9/11 have developed serious health problems, and some are even dying. Mt. Sinai Medical Center, which has monitored many of the 9/11 responders and volunteers, released a report estimating that up to 70 percent of them have developed illnesses because of the toxic air.

Reps. Maloney and Fossella and the rest of the New York-area congressional delegation have long pushed the federal government to assist those made sick by their exposure to the toxic air around Ground Zero.

Last week, the Bush administration announced that, for the first time, it would include 9/11 health treatment funding in the president’s budget proposal (http://maloney.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1276&Itemid=61 ). (link)