Above $25M Commitment
9/11 Families Press Bush for More Aid

By GINGER ADAMS OTIS

The day after President Bush promised $25 million in Federal aid to sick first-responders, a group of Ground Zero workers, residents and 9/11 family members rallied in lower Manhattan Jan. 31 to press his administration for more-comprehensive financial support.

The Chief-Leader/Michel Friang RE-OPEN COMPENSATION FUND: Led by Suzanne Mattei (center) of the Sierra Club, family members of 9/11 victims, sick first-responders, Ground Zero workers, environmental advocates and lower Manhattan residents Jan. 31 rallied to urge President Bush to make good on previous promises to take care of those affected by toxic 9/11 debris.

'Meet With Us'

"Since Sept. 11th, 2001, President Bush has never met with the residents, not a single one," said Catherine McVay Hughes, who lives next to Ground Zero. "We are now asking that he support those [who] live and work in the shadow of the former World Trade Center towers."

Rally participants called upon the President to meet with them to discuss their needs, promise more funds for 9/11 health monitoring and treatment programs, and have the Environmental Protection Agency conduct a "proper testing and clean-up" of the areas affected by 9/11 dust and debris.

The President's pledge of $25 million, however, was warmly received by the various groups caring for sick workers and advocating for residents' health needs. The funds will go to Mount Sinai's program for World Trade Center workers, which is expected to run out of money as early as this summer.

According to U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Mount Sinai doctors estimate they'll need as much as $250 million over the next decade or so to properly treat, track and monitor affected people. Other programs need to be designed to offer similar care to lower Manhattan residents and office workers suffering from ailments that may be linked to exposure to 9/11 toxic dust.

Bush Receptive

President Bush, who was in New York to deliver a speech on the country's economic health in the Financial District, made time for a private visit with Caesar Borja Jr., the son of a former Police Officer who died three weeks ago from lung disease believed to be connected to his work at Ground Zero.

Mr. Borja later told reporters that he "expressed [to Mr. Bush] how funding should be expanded [and] not just for heroes and heroines that without hesitation ran to save, rescue and ensure a future for all of the lives that they would find there that they could bring home."

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said that "first-responders who need treatment will get the treatment they need. Many are already covered by insurance programs, many through their union, but if there are gaps in that, we're going to do it."

Because the next Federal fiscal year doesn't start until October, Mount Sinai could encounter a cash flow problem this summer, some worker advocates said. They also worried that the additional $25 million would only cover the program's costs for a few months.

'Open Comp Fund'

Many 9/11 health advocates, like the Sierra Club, have called on Congress to re-open the "9/11 Victim Compensation Fund" which was originally created a few weeks after the 2001 attacks.

It provided more than $38 billion in Federal aid to 9/11 victims and their families, but was later shut down when Congress decided it was meant only for workers who developed immediate health problems, not those who over time might fall ill.

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, who's declared herself a candidate for President in 2008, has urged Congress to reinstate the fund. She and several other New York and New Jersey lawmakers want $1.9 billion for ongoing medical monitoring and research for workers and residents affected by the attacks.

She expressed qualified approval of President Bush's $25 million commitment, saying it was "an important first step."