By Thomas Tracy
New York Daily News
WASHINGTON 鈥� Bowing to bipartisan political pressure, President Trump and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have reinstated the head of the 鈥� yet 16 members of the pivotal program for 9/11 first responders and survivors still face the chopping block, legislators and advocates said.
Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-L.I.) announced Saturday that the Health and Human Services Department had reversed its decision to terminate John Howard as it .
Howard oversees the World Trade Center Health Program and certifies health conditions for 9/11 first responders and survivors. His departure would have brought the program to a virtual halt, advocates said.
Garbarino and other New York legislators immediately reached out to the White House, demanding Howard鈥檚 reinstatement.
Howard was brought back into the fold Friday, advocates said.
鈥淭he firing of Dr. Howard and the subsequent impact on the World Trade Center Health Program was an unfortunate mistake, and we are deeply grateful for [the Health and Human Services Department鈥檚] swift action to reinstate him as administrator of this critical program,鈥� Garbarino said in a statement Saturday. 鈥淭he administration鈥檚 continued support of the program is encouraging, and we look forward to working together to address any remaining issues.鈥�
According to an email seen by the Daily News, WTC Health Program officials paused all enrollment and certification letters in Howard鈥檚 absence as they figured out who was responsible for certifying applications and conditions.
Howard may be saved, but Health and Human Services gave 16 of the program鈥檚 86 staff members pink slips, informing them that their positions would be terminated, advocates said. The staffers are from Cincinnati and Morgantown, W.Va.
The was first reported by Newsday.
With the exception now of Howard, the Health and Human Services Department has repeatedly said no members of the WTC Health Program would be terminated.
鈥淸We] want to thank Congressman Garbarino and the New York Republican members of Congress for working to convince the Trump administration to reinstate Dr. Howard. They know that it is critical that Dr. Howard be able to continue his work on behalf of the 137,000 9/11 responders and survivors,鈥� said Ben Chevat, executive director of Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act.
鈥淲e know that Congressman Garbarino has been working furiously since it was disclosed that Dr. Howard had been removed to get this reversed. While their announcement is good news and we are grateful for it, this is only the first step.
鈥淧rogram members, 9/11 responders and survivors are facing immediate and real denial of care because of the Trump administration鈥檚 actions despite Secretary Kennedy鈥檚 assertions that his 鈥榬eorganization鈥� is not impacting services,鈥� Chevat added. 鈥淭hat is a lie.鈥�
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) held a news conference in Manhattan on Sunday to denounce the cuts.
鈥淓ven with the apparent return of Dr. Howard, President Trump and Secretary Kennedy are effectively working to shut the World Trade Center Health Program down,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ome of the Trump supporters who care about the 9/11 program are saying it鈥檚 a mistake. It seems clear it鈥檚 on purpose, so today we are demanding real action.鈥�
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) also spoke out Sunday.
鈥淭he uncertainty surrounding the [World Trade Center Health Program] is dangerous and unacceptable,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he Trump administration is using our nation鈥檚 heroes as political pawns while critical questions surrounding the program鈥檚 funding and staffing cuts remain.鈥�
Kennedy told ABC News on Thursday that studies and staff cut this past week that should not have been eliminated will be reinstated.
Legislators on both sides of the aisle, outraged over the cuts, fired off a letter Friday to Trump and Kennedy demanding that the services be restored.
Tens of thousands of the to get treatment and medication and monitor injuries and illnesses caused by the toxins that swirled around Ground Zero during 9/11 and the weeks that followed.
Drastic cuts to the 9/11 program were after Republican lawmakers sounded the alarm. The rare reversal from Trump in February saw him restore two research grants and the jobs of 16 employees.
The program was also threatened under the previous Trump administration. In 2018, the the agency to put it under the purview of just the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It鈥檚 estimated that more than 400,000 people were affected by the toxins swirling over Ground Zero. More than 137,000 people have been enrolled in the WTC Health Program.
Of that number, more than 83,000 have at least one certified 9/11 illness from their exposure during and after the terror attacks on the World Trade Center, as well as the hijacked plane crashes near Shanksville, Pa., and at the Pentagon, according to the program鈥檚 website. Over two-thirds of the 83,000 have more than one condition and suffer from multiple injuries and illnesses, officials said.
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