News Articles on Effort to Ensure that the World Trade Center Health Program is Fully Funded
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Below are URLs to news stories on the effort to have the World Trade Center Health Program fully funded.
March 26, 2026 — Newsday — World Trade Center Health Program will start hiring, federal officials tell lawmakers
The World Trade Center Health Program, grappling with staffing shortages, is expected to start hiring to fill job vacancies, New York House Republicans were told Thursday by federal health officials.
March 26, 2026 — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand — Gillibrand, Schumer Continue To Press Secretary Kennedy On World Trade Center Health Program Staff Cuts
This week, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) launched a new effort to press U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to quickly address the staff cuts and administrative delays at the World Trade Center Health Program.
March 26, 2026 — Newsday — WTC health advocates point to delays in getting new conditions covered
Advocates for people who have medical issues related to the 9/11 attacks are raising concerns that staffing shortages at the World Trade Center Health Program and leadership shake-ups at the Centers for Disease Control have made it harder to get new conditions covered.
March 20, 2026 — Newsday — NYS officials seek answers after World Trade Center health workers are reassigned
New York lawmakers and 9/11 victim advocates are calling on the Trump administration to reverse the reassignment of two top World Trade Center Health Program officials as the program grapples with service delays and staffing shortages.
March 20, 2026 — Rep. Dan Goldman — Goldman, Nadler Slam Trump Administration for Failing to Fully Staff World Trade Center Health Program, Reassigning Personnel to DHS
“It is completely unreasonable to temporarily reassign personnel working on a Program that is already facing staffing shortages,” wrote the members.
March 19, 2026 — Council Beat — The “Harding Memo” Paper Chase
Getting the memo was easy. Carboy called the Briscoe Center for American History, they looked through Wayne’s 300 boxes and found it. $20 later, Carboy had it. But finding it took years.
March 19, 2026 — Federal Register — World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program; Petition 026-Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane (Anti-GBM) Glomerulonephritis; Finding of Insufficient Evidence
The Administrator of the WTC Health Program is denying this petition for the addition of a health condition as of March 19, 2026.
March 19, 2026 — The Broadsheet — Fund for September 11 Victims Paid Out $1.84 Billion in 2025
The VCF awarded nearly $1.84 billion to roughly 9,800 claimants in 2025 (which translates into an average payout of approximately $183,000), and has cumulatively awarded more than $16.8 billion to 71,000-plus claimants since the current version of the program launched in October 2011.
March 18, 2026 — PIX 11 — Criticism grows over reports that WTC Health staff reassigned to ICE
Gov. Kathy Hochul and other officials from both parties criticize the Trump Administration for risking World Trade Center survivors’ health by reassigning workers from the World Trade Center Health Program to agencies like border protection.
March 18, 2026 — CBS 6 Albany — Gov. Hochul calls for restoration of 9/11 health program staff
Hochul said the reported reductions threaten the health and long-term care of thousands of first responders and survivors affected by the September 11 attacks.
March 18, 2026 — Gov. Kathy Hochul — Governor Hochul Calls for Restoration of 9/11 Health Program Staff as Trump Administration Shifts Personnel to Immigration Enforcement Agency
This ongoing reduction in the WTC Health Program’s workforce and operational capacity directly affects the health, safety, and long-term welfare of the first responders and others who answered the call during and after the September 11 attacks.
March 17, 2026 — CTIF – The International Association of Fire & Rescue Services — WTC staff reassigned to ICE: 9/11 advocates warn of longer wait times for people suffering from 9/11‑related illnesses
Federal reassignments inside the World Trade Center Health Program are worsening already‑severe delays in care for people suffering from 9/11‑related illnesses, according to advocates and members of Congress.
March 17, 2026 — WINSAM: On-Demand Podcast — Firefighters sound alarm on staffing at 9/11 Health Program
1010 WINS News Reporter Glenn Schuck with more on the story.
March 17, 2026 — Rockland/Westchester Journal News — Were 9/11 health workers reassigned to ICE? NY reps inquire
Members of Congress are questioning the ability of the World Trade Center Health Program to provide care for 9/11 responders and survivors.
March 16, 2026 — The Chief — Law Department working to release “tens of thousands” of 9/11 documents
Lawmakers and advocates for 9/11 first responders and survivors have pushed for years for the city to release documents from the period following the attacks.
March 16, 2026 — New York City Council — City Council Secures Commitment from Corporation Counsel to Release 9/11 Documents
Speaker Julie Menin secured a commitment from Corporation Counsel Steve Banks that the City’s Law Department will create a public online portal to release documents related to post-9/11 air quality and health risks.
March 15, 2026 — CBS News New York — 2 World Trade Center Health Program staffers reassigned, nonprofit says
The executive director of the nonprofit organization 9/11 Health Watch confirms two staffers at the World Trade Center Health Program have been reassigned, including one to ICE.
March 15, 2026 — WNBC 4 New York — Reports: some 9/11 health staffers reassigned to ICE, other roles
Schumer joins local Republican colleagues in voicing concerns
March 15, 2026 — Sen. Chuck Schumer — Schumer Sounds Alarm: As Trump Strips Staff From 9/11 Health Program and Reassigns Them to ICE, Senator Demands Immediate Reversal to Protect 140,000 Survivors
“9/11 survivors are dying of cancer, fighting to breathe, and Trump is ripping away their care to staff ICE,” said Senator Schumer. “It is a disgrace and a betrayal of our first responders.”
March 14, 2026 — NY Daily News — Gutted 9/11 World Trade Center Health program now reassigning workers to ICE: advocates
Staffers at the federal World Trade Center Health Program — which has already seen more than a 25% drop in personnel — have been reassigned to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Indian Health Service, advocates for the 9/11 community said.
March 13, 2026 — Healthbeat New York — Lawmakers seek meeting with RFK Jr. over staff shortages, delays at World Trade Center Health Program
A federal agency seeking to treat emergency responders who fell ill after 9/11 is contending with staffing shortages and delays that could have “devastating medical consequences” as the United States approaches the 25th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks.
March 12, 2026 — Long Island Life & Politics — Official Calls for Improvements to 9/11 Health Program
A local Congressman is calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to make improvements to the health program for those who responded to the September 11, 2001 attacks and is asking to fix the problems which are preventing them from getting the care they need.
March 11, 2026 — Newsday — GOP reps want Kennedy to address WTC Health Program staffing shortfall
A number of Sept. 11, 2001, first responders and survivors denied entry into the health program have been waiting more than a year for their appeals to be processed.
March 11, 2026 — Rep. Nick LaLota — LaLota Leads Effort to Address Concerns About World Trade Center Health Program Operations
Rep. Nick LaLota released a letter to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to request a briefing on steps being taken to strengthen the WTC Health Program and address operational issues that may be delaying care for 9/11 responders and survivors.
March 10, 2026 — PLoS One — Assessing the impact of World Trade Center (WTC) exposures on post-bronchodilator lung function: Insights from WTC survivor population
WTC exposures are associated with small airway dysfunction, especially in Workers.
March 6, 2026 — Riverdale Press — FDNY veteran Gerard “Jerry” Lennon dies from 9/11-related illness, honored in Riverdale service
Lennon is among a rising number of first responders who have died from illnesses linked to rescue work after the terrorist attacks.
March 5, 2026 — Bloomberg Law — General Dynamics Cleared to Perform $325 Million CDC Contract
General Dynamics Information Technology Inc. can keep performing a $325 million health support contract for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the GAO said in a decision released Thursday.
March 3, 2026 — The Broadsheet — WTC Health Program Site Hacked
A notorious ransomware gang has hacked into the confidential database of the World Trade Center Health Program through one of the private-sector contractors paid to administer claims for the plan, stealing information about thousands of benefit recipients.
February 20, 2026 — U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) — Karna LLC (75D301-25-R-73216)
Outcome: Denied
February 15, 2026 — NY Daily News — The full truth about WTC toxins: All city files about Ground Zero health hazards must be published
Answers to questions of who knew what and when about the health risks at Ground Zero are also coming into focus.
February 13, 2026 — Newsday — Garbarino’s long efforts pay off on 9/11 health funding
When Rep. Andrew Garbarino campaigned to succeed former Rep. Pete King, King asked Garbarino to make a promise: Secure the future of the World Trade Center Health Program.
February 13, 2026 — ClaimDepot — Managed Care Advisors/Sedgwick Breach Exposes PHI and PII
The ransomware group identifying itself as TridentLocker later claimed responsibility and, on Dec. 30, 2025, posted approximately 3.39 GB of the organization’s data on a dark web site hosted on the Tor network.
February 12, 2026 — Neuropsychopharmacology — Mechanistic signatures of comorbid PTSD with cognitive impairment implicate cortisol-induced neural toxicity
Our results reinforce peripheral biomarkers from a previous transcriptomic study and suggest functional biomarkers in PTSD and PTSD-related CI.
February 12, 2026 — TBR NewsMedia — Federal 9/11 health bill passes … local heroes cheer
An estimated 400,000 people lived or worked in a toxic dust cloud that lingered for months in the air and on surfaces at the site of destruction and throughout the surrounding community.
February 11, 2026 — The Democrat & Chronicle — 9/11 health program funding secured
The secured funding comes as the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks approaches.
February 10, 2026 — September 11th Victim Compensation Fund — VCF 2025 Annual Report
This 2025 Annual Report summarizes the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund’s (VCF or Fund) activities and accomplishments throughout its 14th year.
February 9, 2026 — amNY — NYC must release all 9/11 files remaining and reveal the truth to survivors
Why is it that we still do not yet know the full scope of the environmental disaster sparked by the 9/11 attacks? Because the city hid crucial documents on Lower Manhattan’s air quality for the better part of a quarter-century.
February 6, 2026 — The Chief — Harding memo reveals city’s early knowledge of toxic fumes after 9/11
A long-sought memo from October 2001 released Thursday reveals that city officials feared 9/11 first responders and survivors returned to lower Manhattan too soon after the terror attacks, weren’t being provided with proper protective equipment and could suffer due to the toxic exposure.
February 6, 2026 — Democracy Now! — Juan González on Lasting Impact of 9/11 Toxic Exposure
As New York City leaders issue new calls for the release of files detailing the extent of this pollution, we revisit the reporting of Democracy Now! co-host Juan González, the author of “Fallout: The Environmental Consequences of the World Trade Center Collapse.”
February 6, 2026 — Spectrum Noticias — Revelan un informe de datos internos sobre contaminación tras el 11 de septiembre
La organización 911 Health Watch dio a conocer que obtuvo el llamado Memorando Harding, fechado en octubre de 2001, que afirman, contradice el mensaje oficial de la ciudad semanas después del colapso del World Trade Center.
February 5, 2026 — NY Daily News — Menin calls for release of ‘every single’ NYC document on 9/11 toxins
City Council Speaker Julie Menin on Thursday demanded that “every single file the city has” regarding toxins swirling above Ground Zero following 9/11 be made public.
February 6, 2026 — Rep. Andrew Garbarino — Garbarino Thanks Advocates Who Never Stopped Fighting for 9/11 Health Care
Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (NY-02) today recognized the advocates, labor leaders, and first responder organizations who worked alongside him to secure permanent, uninterrupted funding for the World Trade Center Health Program.
February 6, 2026 — The Chief — Funding for World Trade Center Health Program secured
The World Trade Center Health Program will be fully funded through 2040 under a spending package signed by President Donald Trump this week.
February 5, 2026 — Eyewitness News ABC7 — New York City officials call for increased funding to investigate 9/11 air quality records
Nearly 25 years after the September 11th terror attacks, there are new questions about what New York City officials knew about the dangers of the burning toxins at Ground Zero and when they knew.
February 5, 2026 — New York Post — NYC knew about potentially deadly risks of 9/11 toxins – but insisted Lower Manhattan was safe: bombshell memo
City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Councilwoman Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan) unveiled the October 2001 memo, in which Big Apple lawyers admitted the city could face tens of thousands of lawsuits.
February 5, 2026 — 911 Health Watch — 911 Health Watch Obtains Harding Memo, Disproving Law Department’s Claim that it Does Not Exist
The memo appears to be a risk assessment, revealing that the City of New York cared more about protection from liability risks than safeguarding its residents from the dangers of contaminants covering lower Manhattan in October of 2001.
February 5, 2026 — ABC News — Congress secures long-term funding for the World Trade Center Health Program
At a press conference Thursday morning, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., highlighted the action as a critical step toward protecting long-term care for those sickened by toxic exposure after the Sept. 11 attacks.
February 5, 2026 — Newsday — 9/11 ‘Harding memo’: Warned of 35,000 potential lawsuits tied to toxic air, other factors at Ground Zero
A memo unearthed this week indicates New York City officials were concerned that first responders and thousands of civilians in and around Ground Zero faced potential toxic health risks that could result in tens of thousands of potential lawsuits.
February 5, 2026 — Spectrum News NY1 — Memo suggests New York City privately anticipated air quality lawsuits after 9/11
Over the years, NY1 has reported on people who say they were harmed after returning to the area. For a long time, city officials publicly maintained the air was safe.
February 5, 2026 — Rockland/Westchester Journal News — 9/11 health program finally wins permanent funding as Trump signs bill
While funding for the Department of Homeland Security hangs in the balance amid a budget standoff over immigration enforcement, longstanding funding concerns for the World Trade Center Health Program finally appear solved.
February 4, 2026 — SILive.com — Elusive Harding memo shows NYC officials anticipated 35,000 9/11 toxic exposure claims
Nearly 25 years after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, new information has emerged about New York City’s air quality and potential health concerns in the aftermath of the World Trade Center’s destruction.
February 4, 2026 — International Association of Fire Fighters — Congress passes 2026 funding bill protecting 9/11 responders
The IAFF-backed package includes increased staffing and equipment funding for fire departments nationwide and avoids a government shutdown.
February 4, 2026 — Newsday — Spending package signed by Trump includes money to shore up WTC Health Program
The program, which provides health care to more than 135,000 people who have fallen ill from their exposure to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack sites, was facing up to a $3 billion shortfall over the next decade.
February 4, 2026 — The Broadsheet — Appropriations Measure for World Trade Center Health Program Clears Hurdles
A final vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 3 locked in budget allocations for the World Trade Center Health Program through 2040, and averted a funding shortfall.
February 3, 2026 — Sen. Chuck Schumer — Schumer, Gillibrand Deliver Full Funding for World Trade Center Health Program
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.
February 3, 2026 — Rep. Andrew Garbarino — Garbarino and NY Republicans Secure Full Funding for World Trade Center Health Program as Bill is Signed into Law
Today, legislation securing full, lifetime funding for the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) was signed into law, ensuring permanent certainty of care for 9/11 responders and survivors.
February 3, 2026 — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand — Gillibrand, Schumer Deliver Full Funding For World Trade Center Health Program
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrated Congress’ passage of legislation to fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), which is now on its way to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
January 29, 2026 — Annals of Epidemiology — Effect of World Trade Center Health Program on mortality among 9/11 responders
This study found that WTCHP membership may reduce risks of all-cause and smoking-related mortality among 9/11 responders, even after accounting for underlying medical conditions.
January 24, 2026 — Newsday — WTC Health advocates say funding fix will still leave more work to stabilize program
Just as the World Trade Center Health Program appears on track to clear one hurdle — inching closer to a congressionally approved boost in funding — advocates say they remain concerned by other problems that have saddled the program over the past year.
January 24, 2026 — New York Post — Massive spending bill fills $3 billion hole to support World Trade Center health fund
The program that provides health care for 9/11 heroes and survivors is finally getting the cash it desperately needs.
January 23, 2026 — Rep. Mike Lawler — Lawler Joins NY Congressional Delegation to Lead Effort to Secure Lifetime Funding for World Trade Center Health Program
Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) joined Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (NY-02) and members of the New York delegation in announcing that the FY 2026 appropriations minibus package includes full funding for 9/11 health care through the program’s lifetime.
January 23, 2026 — News12 Long Island — House approves measure to fully fund World Trade Center Health Program
The House has passed a measure to fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program through 2090.
January 23, 2026 — Rep. Jerry Nadler — Nadler Celebrates World Trade Center Health Program Funding
The WTCHP offers medical monitoring and treatment for first responders and survivors diagnosed with 9/11-related health conditions, including many types of cancers, respiratory illnesses, and more.
January 22, 2026 — Newsday — House passes measure to fully fund 9/11 WTC health program through 2040
A measure that would ensure the 9/11 World Trade Center Health Program remains fully funded was approved by the U.S. House on Thursday, setting it up for a final vote in the U.S. Senate next week.
January 22, 2026 — SILive.com — 9/11 first responders healthcare secured through 2040 by NY lawmakers
Months after President Donald Trump axed legislation to fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program, New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressperson Nicole Malliotakis among other elected officials secured money for 9/11 first responders through 2040.
January 22, 2026 — Rep. Andrew Garbarino — Garbarino and NY Congressional Delegation Lead Effort to Secure Lifetime Funding for World Trade Center Health Program
Advocates for 9/11 responders and survivors emphasized the significance of the funding correction and the bipartisan effort behind its passage.
January 22, 2026 — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand — Gillibrand, Schumer Announce Full Funding For World Trade Center Health Program In FY2026 Appropriations To Support 9/11 Heroes With Health Issues
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer announced they have secured inclusion of legislation to fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) as part of this year’s federal appropriations process.
January 21, 2026 — amNY — Congress’ budget plan fills gaps in 9/11 survivor health program funding
Following years of advocates’ calls for Congress to shore up funding to support a health program for 9/11 survivors, this year’s budget will include a new funding formula — resolving a deficit in federal dollars that would have cut services starting next year.
January 21, 2026 — Senator John Thune — Republicans Secure Key Health Care Wins Through Regular-Order Appropriations Process
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 supports President Trump’s goal to reduce health care costs for Americans, including reforms to PBMs, which will increase affordability and access by lowering drug costs for Americans at the pharmacy counter.
January 21, 2026 — NY Daily News — Heroes for the WTC heroes: Congress finally fully funds the 9/11 health program
Almost 25 years after the destruction of the World Trade Center by Al Qaeda terrorists and the devastating medical problems the resulting toxic plume inflicted on tens of thousands of people, Congress has finally decided to fully fund the health care for the heroes and victims of 9/11.
January 20, 2026 — CBS New York — Federal cuts are impacting programs under the Zadroga Act, 9/11 advocates group says
Advocates say federal staffing cuts and a hiring freeze are making it more difficult for first responders and survivors to get much needed care.
January 20, 2026 — Newsday — Bipartisan support boosts 9/11 health program funding prospects
The Homeland Security spending plan, one of four major budget bills making their way through Congress before a Jan. 30 deadline, would include an incremental bump in funding for the health program through 2040 to address any yearly funding shortfalls.
January 20, 2026 — CBS News New York — Federal cuts are impacting programs under the Zadroga Act, 9/11 advocates group says
Advocates say federal staffing cuts and a hiring freeze are making it more difficult for first responders and survivors to get much-needed care.
January 20, 2026 — Newsday — Give 9/11 first responders treatment, support they deserve
Nearly 25 years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, researchers like those at Stony Brook Medicine are still doing critical work to understand the psychological and physical impacts on first responders and others who for months sifted through the World Trade Center rubble and breathed the toxic air.
January 19, 2026 — NY Daily News — 9/11 WTC Health Program workforce drops 25% under Sec. Kennedy as patient count rises: advocates
Survivor advocates are demanding U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lift the agency’s hiring freeze and fully staff the program before the personnel shortfall adversely affects first responders and survivors seeking help.
January 15, 2026 — Police1 — Va. officer dies from cancer caused by service at Pentagon on 9/11
Master Police Officer Don Gotthardt died on Oct. 16, 2025. He had served the Fairfax County Police Department for 25 years and had served in law enforcement for 34.
January 14, 2026 — Federal News Network — HHS reinstates all laid-off employees at workplace safety agency NIOSH
The Department of Health and Human Services is rescinding layoffs for employees who recently worked at a workplace safety agency within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
January 14, 2026 — New York Times — C.D.C. Brings Back Hundreds of Suspended Workplace Safety Employees
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. placed about 90 percent of the roughly 1,000 employees of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on administrative leave last April.
January 12, 2026 — Stony Brook University — Increased Levels of a Protein Linked to Alzheimer’s Found in Some With Long COVID
A study of 227 individuals who experienced neuro cognitive difficulties post COVID-19 infection displayed a significant increase in their blood plasma of a crucial protein called tau, which is found in nerves and especially in the brain.
January 11, 2026 — medRxiv — Urban Exposures, Frailty, and Mental Illness in World Trade Center Health Program Responders
General responders of the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program (WTCHP), who were uniquely exposed to chemical toxicants and extreme psychological stress during the 2001 terrorist attack, now experience a wide range of unusually prevalent health outcomes for a mid-aged population.
January 11, 2026 — NY Daily News — DOI it right: Mamdani should keep DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber
New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber, who has done a stellar job these past four years, must rescind her resignation (which is effective this coming Friday) and Mayor Mamdani must agree to keep her on.
January 7, 2026 — CBS New York — A 9/11 first responder is still changing lives 20 years after his death
This week marks 20 years since the passing of NYPD Det. James Zadroga.
January 5, 2026 — SecurityAffairs — Sedgwick discloses data breach after TridentLocker ransomware attack
Sedgwick confirmed a cyber incident at its federal contractor unit after TridentLocker claimed to steal 3.4GB of data.
January 4, 2026 — BBC Science Focus — Why the death toll from 9/11 is still rising
In the 24 years since the attacks, tens of thousands of people have developed health conditions related to 9/11, particularly those who spent time in Lower Manhattan in the hours, days and weeks following the Twin Towers attack.
January 2, 2026 — Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act — 15th Anniversary of Signing of Zadroga Act Into Law. Congress Needs to Act Again to Fully Fund the World Trade Center Health Program
For too long the Federal government did not “Remember 9/11.” It had failed for years to respond to the increasing numbers who were sick and getting sicker who needed help.