Congressional lawmakers are launching yet another bipartisan push for permanent funding for the health program that helps people sickened by toxic smoke and debris from the World Trade Center's collapse.

“We've made a promise that we will never forget and we will keep fighting for this,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said, introducing the legislation at a Wednesday press conference on Capitol Hill.

Without new funding, the World Trade Center Health Program, which assists approximately 140,000 9/11 first responders and survivors, would be forced to stop enrolling new patients by October 2028. Current enrollees could face cuts to their care. 

What You Need To Know

  • New York lawmakers have relaunched their bipartisan push to permanently fund the World Trade Center Health Program, which assists approximately 140,000 9/11 first responders and survivors
  • Without new funding, the program would be forced to stop enrolling new patients by October 2028

  • The bill’s rollout comes after three months of instability at the program, much of it sparked by President Donald Trump’s ally Elon Musk
  • In December, Trump and Musk torpedoed a government funding bill that included permanent financing of the 9/11 program. Then last week, about 20% of the program’s workforce was fired or quit as part of Musk’s DOGE campaign to downsize government 

“It’s time for America to put its money where its mouth is,” Sen. Charles Schumer said.

Gillibrand and Schumer were joined by New York Reps. Andrew Garbarino, Dan Goldman, Jerry Nadler and Laura Gillen in re-introducing the bill.

The bill’s rollout comes after three months of instability at the program.

At the center of much of the confusion has been President Donald Trump’s ally Elon Musk and his DOGE team. Musk’s name came up repeatedly at a Wednesday press conference.

“F**k Elon Musk. Let me just say what everybody else is thinking,” 9/11 community advocate John Feal said. “This is real. DOGE is not real.”

In December, Trump and Musk torpedoed a government funding bill that included permanent financing of the 9/11 program.

Then last week, about 20% of the program’s workforce was fired or quit as part of Musk’s DOGE campaign to downsize government. Amid outrage from lawmakers and advocates, those staffers were brought back.

Some Republicans joined Democrats in openly criticizing what happened. 

“There was a mistake made there,” Long Island Rep. Andrew Garbarino said. “Should not happen again. This is mandatory spending.”

“It just shows that they're acting too rash and that they need to slow it down a little bit,” Staten Island Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis said of DOGE.

Sept. 11 firefighter Rob Serra, who is currently combatting five illnesses certified through the health program, was in Washington Wednesday to urge lawmakers to act. 

Unlike some of his fellow advocates, Serra told Spectrum News he is not angry. He is just tired. 

“We're not going to stop coming here,” he said. “We're going to make it very uncomfortable for the politicians that don't support us.”

Like in December, another government funding deadline is now just around the corner, this time in March. 

Gillibrand, who is one of those spearheading the bill, said the current goal is to include permanent funding for the program in any bill to keep the government open.