Statement on Secretary Kennedy’s Testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and His Response to Senator Kim’s Question

Thanks to Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), we have the first public acknowledgement from Secretary Kennedy that the cuts to the staff and the firing of Dr. John Howard at the World Trade Center Health Program were a “mistake”.  Now, Secretary Kennedy needs to ensure that the program staff is brought up to its full strength, as authorized by OMB, of 138, so it can do its job of providing for sick and injured 9/11 responders and survivors.

We understand that the 15 World Trade Center Health Program staff that were fired —and Dr. Howard—have all been fully restored, as well as some of the NIOSH/CDC staff that supported the program. We hope that over the last few months of firings, public uproar, firings, public uproar and firings followed by more public uproar, that the Secretary has learned that this program has broad bipartisan support and should be left alone and allowed to do its job of providing care to 9/11 responders and survivors who are in every State and in all but one Congressional district.

Citizens wants to thank Senator Kim for confronting the Secretary today. Thanks, too, to Senators Gillibrand and Schumer along with Representatives Garbarino, Lawler and LaLota and their colleagues for having worked to reverse these repeated cuts and getting Dr. Howard fully restored to his job.

You can view Senator Kim’s questioning here at 2:23:00 on the video.

###