A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers is urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reappoint Dr. John Howard to another six-year term as director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program.
Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., led the bipartisan, bicameral letter to Kennedy, which was signed by 26 members of Congress ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The lawmakers said Howard’s continued leadership would provide stability for the program as it enters a new phase following recently secured lifetime funding for responders and survivors affected by the attacks.
The World Trade Center Health Program provides medical monitoring and treatment for more than 140,000 9/11 responders and survivors nationwide. Lawmakers said the funding agreement addresses the program’s projected shortfall and offers long-term certainty for patients, providers and researchers.
“Honoring our promise to ‘never forget’ means protecting healthcare for 9/11 first responders and survivors,” Gillibrand said. “Dr. Howard has dedicated his career to ensuring that 9/11 heroes get the specialized care they need to cope with the long-term health effects of toxic exposure. Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks, the Trump administration must reappoint Dr. Howard to guarantee that survivors keep the care and stability that they deserve.”
Garbarino said reappointing Howard would reinforce the federal government’s commitment to the 9/11 community.
“Twenty-five years after September 11th, New Yorkers know our responsibility to the responders and survivors who answered the call has never ended,” Garbarino said. “As we approach the 25th anniversary of the attacks, reappointing Dr. Howard will provide the continuity and stability the Program deserves.”
In their letter, lawmakers also acknowledged recent HHS efforts to address staffing shortages, delayed research grants and pending coverage petitions, while urging Kennedy to act before Howard’s current term expires.
