Dan Goldman Demands Permanent Funding for 9/11 Victim Healthcare

The 9/11 Attacks and Their Aftermath

• 🇺🇸 On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 Americans were killed in a coordinated terrorist attack on US soil, an event that deeply impacted those who lived through it.
• 🏙️ The speaker recounts the vivid sensory details of that day in lower Manhattan, including the explosions, the sirens, the silence of survivors covered in ash, and the lingering smell of toxic air.
• 🏗️ For months after the attacks, brave first responders and ordinary New Yorkers worked tirelessly to search for bodies and clean up the debris, often without adequate protection.

Long-Term Health Consequences

• ⚠️ The government assured workers that the air was safe to breathe, but the toxic exposure led to significant health problems for tens of thousands of individuals.
• 🩺 Today, more people have died from 9/11-related illnesses than were killed on the day of the attacks, with survivors and first responders facing diagnoses of cancer, respiratory diseases, and autoimmune disorders.
• 💔 The speaker emphasizes the moral imperative to provide healthcare for those suffering from illnesses directly linked to their service and sacrifice in rebuilding New York City.

The World Trade Center Health Program and Funding Uncertainty

• 📜 Over a decade ago, Congress established the World Trade Center Health Program to address these health issues, but its future remains uncertain.
• 📈 The number of individuals diagnosed with 9/11-linked cancers has reached nearly 50,000, a figure higher than initially anticipated when the program was created.
• ⏳ Congress has historically funded the program on a year-to-year basis, creating anxiety for beneficiaries who rely on it for life-saving treatment.

Call for Permanent Funding

• 🏛️ Representative Dan Goldman is advocating for a bill that would permanently and fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program.
• 🤝 The bill is bipartisan, reflecting the non-partisan nature of the sacrifices made on 9/11 and in the subsequent recovery efforts.
• ✅ Goldman urges the House to pass this crucial legislation to ensure that those who suffered and sacrificed are not forgotten and receive the healthcare they deserve.