Trump restores 9/11 health research funding cut by DOGE. But what about jobs?
- New York Republican members of Congress joined a chorus of elected officials, 9/11 community members and others calling on Trump to reinstate jobs to the World Trade Center Health Program.
- Up to 20% of staff at the WTC Health Program were impacted by cuts of probationary workers and buyouts.
- Research grants including one that focused on health needs of New York City Firefighters.
Key scientific research grants into 9/11 health issues that were cut by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency were restored by President Donald Trump, members of Congress announced this week.
As of 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, it remained unclear whether members of the World Trade Center Health Program's workforce who were fired last week as part of a DOGE sweep would be reinstated, according to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News, which is part of the Paste BN Network.
U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Staten Island, New York, Republican, said on X that the scientific research funding and jobs were restored. "We just received confirmation from the White House that there will be no cuts to staffing at the World Trade Center Healthcare Program and research grants related to 9/11 illnesses," she posted on X at 8:23 p.m. Thursday.
But U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat and the Senate Minority Leader, said the scientific research dollars were restored, but it was not confirmed that the probationary jobs killed last week were coming back.
"This is a clear example of the damaging Trump-DOGE shoot first, ask questions later approach for their rash layoffs," Schumer said in a statement to USA Today. "9/11 cancer research and funding for FDNY should have never been on the chopping block and I am pleased the to hear the CDC has heeded my call to restore this grant for 9/11 first responders. Now they need to fully uphold their promise and reverse the firings of World Trade Center Health staff to ensure care for 9/11 survivors and first responders continues uninterrupted."
By Friday afternoon, unclear when, whether rehirings will happen
Natalie Baldassarre, Malliotakis' deputy chief of staff, told the Paste BN Network on Friday afternoon that "our office was advised that probationary employees who were terminated will be rehired."
Nate Soule, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican whose district includes parts of the Hudson Valley, said Friday afternoon that following a letter from Lawler and other New York Republican colleagues, "the White House announced the restoration of critical funding for research, and we're hopeful that employees from the WTC Health Program will be restored to their positions."
Benjamin Chevat, executive director at Citizens for Extension of the James Zadroga Act, on Friday afternoon also said while the research funding was restored, the organization and workers at the WTC Health Program had not heard about job restorations.
"While we are grateful that the Trump administration has in fact restored the funding for two cancer research grants, we (and the terminated staff) have not heard from the White House, HHS or CDC that the program staff cuts have also been reversed," Chevat said. “We know that members of the program have been adversely impacted by these cuts already, since one staffer terminated was in charge of cancer certifications for the program, which means that there must be growing delays in cancer certifications, delaying care."
He added: “Every day that these cuts remain in place the impact of the loss of staff on program members grows. These staffers need to be back at their jobs serving the 9/11 community.”
Bipartisan support for restoring 9/11 staff, research
New York Republican members of Congress joined a chorus of elected officials, 9/11 community members and others calling on Trump to reinstate them.
Lawler, whose 17th District is home to many members of the FDNY and NYPD, was among four Republicans to urge Trump, a native New Yorker, to restore the DOGE-imposed cuts. The U.S. Health and Human Services, now overseen by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., oversees the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which houses the WTC program.
"As strong supporters of this critical health program, we are committed to ensuring that the program has the adequate tools and resources to continue to provide the health care and medical monitoring as we originally intended," states a letter to President Trump signed by Lawler and fellow New York Republican Reps. Claudia Tenney, Nick LaLota and Andrew Gabarino.
"Grants for the @WTCHealthPrgm were under threat earlier this week— jeopardizing vital 9/11 cancer research. I immediately contacted the White House, and I’m pleased to say the grants have been restored. Grateful to President Trump for taking swift action in support of 9/11 responders and survivors," Garabino posted on X on Thursday evening.
Impact of WTC Health Program cuts on 9/11 community
Up to 20% of staff at the WTC Health Program were impacted by cuts of probationary workers and buyouts.
The cuts could slow down the processing of WTC Health Program verification and care, those in the 9/11 community warned, causing a cascade of impacts.
Rupa Bhattacharyya, former special master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, said the VCF depends on certifications from WTC Health Program doctors. Fewer staff at WTCHP could lead to delays in compensation for families who lose a loved one to 9/11-related illnesses.
"These cuts are going to impact member care directly," said Anthony Gardner, one of the WTC program staff who was notified via email on Saturday, Feb. 15, that he'd lost his job. "For some of these members these delays are going to be life and death."
There are currently 130,000 WTC program members getting monitored, receiving treatment or both. It serves first responders and survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
More people have died from 9/11-related illness in the aftermath of the attacks than perished on that day.
WTC Health Program has long struggled for support
The World Trade Center Health Program is established under the James Zadroga Act of 2011. Zadroga, which establishes key programs like the VCF, took intense lobbying to get passed. Images of first responders, weakened by 9/11 illness, walking the halls of Congress pushed lawmakers to act.
The WTC program is mandated through 2090. But funding shortages are perpetual.
In December 2024, a funding fix was included in a proposed omnibus spending bill. But on the precipice of passing through Congress, Trump and Musk put pressure on the GOP to blow up the deal. When a final spending plan was resurrected and passed, the permanent funding formula for the WTC Health Program was left out.
(This story has been updated with new information.)