On the eve of the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand demanded that Congress fully fund a program that gives free medical care to people with related health problems.
The New York Democrat said the World Trade Center Health Program was created in 2011 to help those exposed to toxins on Ground Zero on and after the attack.
"This is the only way that we can guarantee that the 9/11 responders and survivors can get the care that they deserve,” she said.
But Gillibrand said that as more people have gotten sick, the program has struggled to keep up with the cost of care.
She said it’s time to include the program in any funding package that moves forward this fall.
"Unless that happens by October 2028, the program will be forced to close enrollment to new 9/11 responders and survivors,” she said.
Gillibrand also said existing enrollees will face direct cuts to their care.
She said that in the past, a bipartisan coalition has delivered more than $1.6 billion for the program, but she called that "patchwork."
