Gillibrand, Schumer Announce Full Funding For World Trade Center Health Program In FY2026 Appropriations To Support 9/11 Heroes With Health Issues

Gillibrand, Schumer Announce Full Funding For World Trade Center Health Program In FY2026 Appropriations To Support 9/11 Heroes With Health Issues

Jan 22, 2026

Gillibrand And Schumer And Have Long Fought To Fully Fund The World Trade Center Health Program To Support First Responders And Survivors With Long-Term Health Issues Stemming From The 9/11 Terror Attacks

Senators Successfully Secured Full Funding for WTCHP In Upcoming Appropriations Bill

Gillibrand, Schumer: Fully Funding The Program Ensures 9/11 Heroes Continue To Receive The Health Care They Earned And Deserve

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer announced they have secured inclusion of legislation to fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) as part of this year's federal appropriations process. The senators explained that more than two decades after the September 11 attacks, first responders and survivors continue to be diagnosed with serious, and often life threatening, 9/11 related health conditions, underscoring the ongoing need for stable federal support for the program.

The senators said the World Trade Center Health Program faces increasing demand as enrollment continues to grow and new illnesses are identified, putting pressure on the program's resources. Without full funding, the program risked future shortfalls that could disrupt care for responders and survivors who rely on the program for monitoring and treatment. By improving the funding formula and securing inclusion in this year's appropriations bill, Gillibrand and Schumer said they are acting to protect the program before funding challenges become a crisis.

"The World Trade Center Health Program helps honor our promise to never forget by ensuring medical monitoring and treatment for the 9/11 survivors and responders who stepped up in one of our nation's darkest hours," said Senator Gillibrand. "Allowing a funding shortfall to disrupt access to their care would be a betrayal of their service to New York and our nation. I was proud to work across the aisle to finally secure full funding for the World Trade Center Health Program, and I am relieved that it will be included in next week's bill to avert the impending funding shortfall. I will always work to ensure that our heroes get the care they deserve."

"We have seen firsthand the toll that uncertainty and funding gaps take on our 9/11 heroes," said Senator Schumer. "I'm proud to share that we've secured inclusion of full funding for the World Trade Center Health Program so responders and survivors can continue receiving the care they deserve. From the moment of the attacks, brave first responders and everyday New Yorkers made extraordinary sacrifices for our country. I have always said I will not rest until every 9/11 hero knows that when they need care, that care will be there for them, and fully funding this program helps ensure that promise is kept."

The senators said that after years of securing short term funding for the World Trade Center Health Program, they have once again delivered the funding needed to keep the program fully operational and responsive to rising healthcare demands. The appropriations bill includes the legislation that Senators Gillibrand and Schumer have long championed to update the WTCHP funding formula through 2040, ensuring the program has sustainable funding to rely on. The WTCHP helps cover medical monitoring and treatment for responders and survivors diagnosed with conditions related to their service and exposure on 9/11 and requires sustained funding to meet those needs.

The World Trade Center Health Program was established in 2011 as part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and was originally funded for five years at $1.6 billion. The program was reauthorized in 2015 and extended through 2090 with bipartisan support. In recent years, Gillibrand and Schumer delivered $1 billion for the WTCHP in the 2022 end of year spending bill and an additional $676 million in 2023. The senators said the updating funding secured this year continues that commitment to ensuring 9/11 responders and survivors receive the care they need, now and in the years ahead.

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