WASHINGTON – By a vote of 400–31, the “Fairness for 9/11 Families Act” was approved by the House on Friday, leaving many survivors and responders wondering why a similar bill is not advancing to shore up their underfunded health program.
As House leaders advanced a nearly $3 billion measure to level up compensation payments to more than 5,000 9/11 victims, spouses, and dependents, they failed to advance the healthcare bill, leaving some advocates grateful that some victims may get additional compensation but furious that the larger group needing health care remains in limbo.
The World Trade Center Health Program, which provides care and monitoring for some 118,000 people exposed to the toxins of Ground Zero, is facing a $3 billion deficit and will run out of funds by 2026.
