Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Calling On HHS Secretary Kennedy To Honor His Commitment And Reverse The Brutal And Insulting Cuts To The 9/11 Survivor Health Program

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor to condemn Secretary Kennedy’s firing of staffers at the World Trade Center Health Program, and called on him to answer for and reverse this betrayal of 9/11 families and first responders who rely on this health care. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Donald Trump’s assault on the American people takes another sinister turn this week.

It is revolting that Secretary Kennedy, Secretary of Health and Human Services, has now fired staffers at the World Trade Center Health Program, including its administrator, Dr. John Howard, a Trump appointee who has dedicated his life to serving 9/11 families and who's respected by all sides of the aisle.

As of right now, Secretary Kennedy has effectively shut the World Trade Center Health Program down. This is a betrayal of 9/11 families.

I am sending Secretary Kennedy a letter to immediately undo this terrible, terrible decision.

This is not a “mistake.” Some of the Republicans who care about the 9/11 program are saying it's a mistake. It is on purpose.

Now, when I met Secretary Kennedy, when he was the nominee, he made a commitment to me, an unequivocal commitment, that he would protect the WTCHP.

These firings break that promise, and I am calling on Secretary Kennedy to answer for this betrayal of 9/11 families. I'm sending him a letter about it, as I mentioned.

None of these cuts have anything to do with efficiency. This is right wing extremism pure and simple that hurts our brave first responders and others, who risked life and limb on 9/11, who rushed to the towers.

They're suffering, they're getting cancers from the gunk they breathed in when they ran to the towers to help protect us. Do you want to cut that help off to these heroes? How un-American can that be? How vicious, how nasty, how callous.

We are abandoning the people who ran to the towers. That is not efficiency, it’s cruelty, it's meanness, and fundamentally it is anti-American. We always defend those who have risked their lives to defend and help us. All of a sudden, that seems to be out the window when it comes to the 9/11 responders.  

These are our heroes. Secretary Kennedy and Donald Trump should not betray them. Donald Trump and RFK should not pull the rug out from these families, who so desperately need this health care.

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