‘Outrageous betrayal’: NY senators seethe as Trump admin slashes 9/11 health program staffing

The Trump administration is once again under fire for targeting the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), a lifeline for thousands of 9/11 responders and survivors.

On May 2, President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired 16 additional medical staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), where critical WTCHP work is done. U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand condemned the move Sunday, calling it a dangerous betrayal of the nation’s commitment to 9/11 heroes.

“This is MAGA extremism, pure and simple,” Schumer said, blasting the cuts as a politically motivated assault that harms those who risked everything in the wake of the attacks.

“It is revolting that President Trump and Secretary Kennedy…fired even more staffers at NIOSH, critical doctors and scientists who have dedicated their lives to helping these sick people and many others,” the Senate minority leader added.

Firemen work around the World Trade Center after both towers collapsed.Reuters/Peter Morgan

Gillibrand echoed the outrage, saying the administration’s actions were a direct attack on the memory and sacrifice of 9/11 responders.

“Once again, President Trump is betraying the heroes who stepped up and risked their lives in one of our nation’s darkest hours,” she said. “It’s an outrageous betrayal of ‘never forget.’”

The World Trade Center Health Program provides ongoing treatment, monitoring, and research for over 137,000 people affected by the 9/11 attacks. These include survivors and first responders from Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and the United Airlines Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, PA.

Schumer emphasized that New York Republican House members have the leverage to stop the cuts. He urged them to use their upcoming budget vote to force Trump to reinstate the medical personnel and reverse the damage.

Representatives of first responders were equally scathing.

Gary Smiley of FDNY EMS Local 2507 said the administration’s actions “place in peril the lives and health of every responder and survivor that rely on this program for their care.” He added, “The delays in care these egregious actions are causing are reprehensible.”

Mariama James, a WTCHP participant, voiced frustration and exhaustion over the repeated attacks.

“We’re tired of the Trump Administration and Secretary Kennedy’s lies…we’re tired of having to trot our chronically ill onto stages to prove our suffering,” she said.

Schumer and Gillibrand have championed the WTCHP since its bipartisan founding in 2011. They reauthorized and extended the program through 2090 and have secured over $1.6 billion in funding since 2022.