World Trade Center Health Program needs $3 billion in additional funding, 9/11 first responder advocates say
World Trade Center Health Program needs $3 billion in additional funding, advocates say
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NESCONSET, N.Y. — There is a new milestone to mark this Sept. 11. The number of people who died after volunteering, working or living near ground zero has surpassed the number of people killed in the attacks.
And it has happened amid an ongoing struggle for more first responder funding.
World Trade Center Health Program needs more funding
The World Trade Center Health Program was to be funded through 2090, but outspoken advocate John Feal, who has lobbied Washington more than 350 times, often with comedian and television personality Jon Stewart, says that money is running out, and health services will have to be cut.
after terrorists reduced the mighty twin towers to a smoldering pile of rubble.
Negron’s guys worked six days a week for months. Officials said the air was safe. Negron was in charge of scheduling.
“That lingers in my heart. It hurts to know I had to send somebody down to ground zero, and may become sick, may die,” Negron said.
It’s where we now know they were breathing in toxic carcinogenic dust.
Negron said. “At the time, it didn’t matter. We were there to do one thing, and that was to try to find survivors,” said.
Negron said lawmakers need to visit the park and see the names on the wall.
“Maybe they’ll do the right thing,” Negron said.
The health program treats more than cancers. For Negron, it’s crippling PTSD.
“Every day, I have flashbacks,” Negron said.
“We didn’t really know what we were marching into”
Twenty three years later, more people exposed to the dust cloud have died of cancer and other diseases than in the attack, itself. More than 2,000 names fill Responder Memorial Park and more slabs are needed.
Overall, more than 6,400 people have died of 9/11-related illnesses, according to Feal.
“I have no doubt that I’m going to beat this,” retired ESU worker Phil Rizzo said. “I’m not going to be in that park, no.”
CBS News New York
Rizzo is battling head and neck cancer, a diagnosis he knew was coming.
“All we had were baseball caps. We had no masks. We had no gear. We had nothing. We didn’t really know what we were marching into. I told the other captain, we may be marching these guys to their death,” Rizzo said.
Rizzo said first responders deserve the additional funding, and they deserve to have the situation resolved quickly.
“Why is it the right thing to do?” CBS News New York’s Carolyn Gusoff asked.
“Because we did the right thing,” Rizzo said.
Carolyn Gusoff
Source: cbsnews.com