NEW YORK, NY -- Reps. Vito Fossella (R-NY), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) today hosted Dr. John Howard, the federal government's 9/11 Health Coordinator, for a briefing on the federal response to the health impacts of the 9/11 attacks.

The briefing by Dr. Howard comes just two weeks after a New Jersey Medical Examiner declared the death of NYPD Det. James Zadroga related to his exposure to Ground Zero toxins.

Dr. Howard met with roughly 40 organizations, including labor unions, responder groups, and lower Manhattan residents, during his visit to New York. Fossella and Maloney secured the appointment of a 9/11 health coordinator earlier this year.

Fossella said, "The long-term health impacts of 9/11 will remain unclear for many years, making it all the more important that we have a fully coordinated effort tracking the health and well-being of the responders. We need to ensure that treatment is available to those who are sick or injured today as well as workers who fall ill in the future. With $125 million in federal funding for New York City recently restored, Dr. Howard is best positioned to meet the extraordinary challenges confronting the sick and injured. Today's meeting represents another step forward in ensuring that 9/11 responders have access to the care they need and deserve."

Maloney said, "Dr. Howard is a leader in his field, but he alone can't make up for the mistakes and inattention of many in the federal government. To mount a serious response to the 9/11 health crisis, the Bush Administration must finally make good on its promise to do 'whatever it takes' to help us recover from the attacks. The situation is grim. This month, we received the first official confirmation of something we've known in our hearts for several months now: that the death toll from 9/11 is still growing. We need a plan to treat everyone who's sick as a result of the attacks, and we need it now."

Nadler said, "It's clear that we have broad public health crisis in Lower Manhattan," Congressman Nadler said. "Dr. Howard has acquitted himself very well tackling an extraordinarily tough job, but in order for him to get to the heart of the issue, his mandate must be broadened to encompass all who breathed - and still breathe - contaminated air. Whether resident or worker or responder, all of the victims need equal access to treatment, monitoring, and dust abatement. To that end, I look forward to counting Dr. Howard as an ally in the fight to get EPA to carry out a thorough, comprehensive cleanup of homes and workplaces."

Clinton said, "In the over four years since 9/11, hundreds of rescue and response workers, volunteers and residents have experienced health problems, such as newly developed asthma, bronchitis, persistent sinusitis, laryngitis, or other respiratory problems. For these individuals, their illnesses are a constant reminder of that terrible day. It is crucial that we monitor whether these illnesses develop into chronic ailments, and watch to see what other health effects may surface years down the road. Bringing Dr. Howard here today is a critical part of our ongoing efforts to never forget the sacrifices made on September 11th by Ground Zero responders and the sacrifices that continue to be made years later."

Earlier this month, Reps. Maloney, Fossella and Christopher Shays (R-CT) requested that the federal government immediately release its progress on a plan to care for everyone whose health was compromised by the World Trade Center disaster. The lawmakers called on Dr. Howard to outline how the federal government plans to fully monitor and treat all Ground Zero responders and Lower Manhattan residents who are sick as a result of 9/11 (the full text of the letter can be found at http://maloney.house.gov/documents/911recovery/20060412doctorhoward.pdf). The Reps. along with Senator Clinton also requested that Dr. Howard travel to New York as soon as possible to meet with elected officials, advocacy groups and sick and injured responders and residents.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control announced that it would distribute $75 million to programs that administer baseline and follow-up screening, clinical examinations, or long-term medical health monitoring, analysis or treatment for emergency services personnel or rescue and recovery personnel. This funding was part of $125 million that the Bush Administration rescinded in last year's budget. The remaining $50 million was distributed to the New York State Uninsured Employers Fund for reimbursement of claims related to the September 11, 2001, attacks.

In February, Fossella, Maloney and Clinton secured the appointment of Dr. Howard, Director of the federal National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), to coordinate the federal response to Ground Zero health impacts. The Members of Congress called for the appointment of a Health Coordinator following the deaths of three 9/11 responders -- EMTs Timothy Keller, 41 (June 2005) and Felix Hernandez, 31 (October 2005) and NYPD Detective James Zadroga, 34 (January 2006).

On February 27, 2006, the Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, chaired by Congressman Christopher Shays, held the third in a series of hearings into the health effects of 9/11. At the hearing, Dr. Howard testified that he would be developing a plan to medically monitor and treat 9/11 responders as the federal coordinator for 9/11 health.

It is believed that tens of thousands of first responders, federal employees and lower Manhattan residents and workers are suffering from health problems caused by exposure to toxins at or near the World Trade Center site, including asbestos, lead, mercury, powdered glass and other carcinogens that were stagnating in the air.

The World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program found that roughly half of the 16,000 people followed have a medical condition resulting from 9/11. A New York City Fire Department study reported similar findings. Other screening programs have not fared as well. One initiative geared to State workers was terminated while another for federal rescue workers was closed after screening only 400 of the approximately 10,000 federal responders at Ground Zero.

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