Congress Finally Passes 9/11 Health Bill

In a hard fought victory, on December 18, 2015, Congress finally voted to reauthorize the 9/11 Health Bill to ensure those who were injured, are sick, or who may become ill as a result of 9/11 will permanently receive the health care they need.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act will extend the World Trade Center Health Program to 2090, and extend the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund for an additional five years to provide compensation to eligible survivors and responders with 9/11-related illnesses, and to family members of those who have died as a result of their 9/11 illnesses.

Congress had previously missed a September 30 reauthorization deadline for the two programs. 9/11 responders and survivors, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, and Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Peter King mounted an aggressive push to pass an extension of the programs.

68 Senators and 272 House Members backed the bill.

“After months of tireless work by our 9/11 first responders, these brave men and women can finally feel secure that they will have healthcare for the rest of their lives. This victory belongs to them,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “And while this should have been an easy moral question for Congress with an obvious answer, our first responders were more than ready to stand up and fight for what they deserve, and today they won. This is an extraordinary group of men and women, and I am honored to represent them.”

“We stood together as a great nation on that horrific day and we stand together today,” said New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento. “The 9/11 responders and survivors, including many members of organized labor, who still suffer as a result of their bravery and determination will receive the care and support they deserve.”

CWAers were part of the thousands of brave responders on 9/11. CWA nurses at the hospital closest to Ground Zero cared for injured victims. CWA Verizon, Lucent and other telecom members repaired the telecommunications system from the ground up, working around the clock to get New York connected to the world again. CWA Traffic Enforcement Agents and supervisors responded to the disaster and other public sector workers evacuated and then returned to work in the vicinity of Ground Zero. CWA NABET and TNG members covered the events of 9/11.  

There are over 33,000 9/11 responders and survivors that have at least one injury, including thousands who have multiple, chronic, and disabling illnesses. Over 3,700 have been diagnosed with cancer and thousands more cases are expected. Many responders, including some CWA members, have died as a result of breathing in a toxic stew of chemicals, asbestos, pulverized cement, and other hazardous substances released into the air when the towers fell and in the months afterwards.
 
If you were affected by 9/11 as part of the response and recovery efforts or if you lived or worked in the WTC vicinity, you can still apply to the World Trade Center Health Program and you may still be eligible for VCF benefits. The World Trade Center Health Program consists of WTC Clinical Centers of Excellence in the NY metropolitan area, including NYC, Long Island, and NJ, and there is National Program for WTC-related health care throughout the country.

The CWA District 1 Health and Safety office has maintained numerous documents collected from employers and members in the months after 9/11. These documents may help some members in establishing eligibility and “proof of presence” for the WTC Health Program and VCF.

Please contact CWA District 1 Health and Safety Director, Micki Siegel de Hernandez at (212) 509-6994 or msiegel@cwa-union.org for information and help.