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On Sept. 11, 2001, the United States of America was attacked in an act of war. We suffered almost 3,000 casualties.
Many of us knew that the grim count would grow with time.
Approximately 400,000 people were exposed to the toxic air around Ground Zero. This exposure inevitably meant illnesses — and more death.
That is why we, along with New York Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler, authored the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, or the 9/11 Act.
The bill established the World Trade Center Health Program, which continues to provide testing and treatment to first responders and survivors suffering from illnesses related to their exposure to toxins.
Each year we gather on Sept. 11 and vow never to forget.
But it appears some in Washington have forgotten.
Since its inception, more than 135,000 first responders and other survivors have enrolled in the program.
Of those, nearly 84,000 have had at least one 9/11-related illness — 28 times the number of casualties on 9/11 itself.
While not all the enrollees require treatment, thousands do.
The program has worked well to help those who have fallen ill receive treatment and to monitor the health of first responders and others who were exposed.
The status of this program must never be in doubt — but it is.
After the law passed in 2010 after years of effort, Congress reauthorized the WTC Health Program through 2090, to ensure that it would be there for the entire lives of those impacted by the toxins.
But tragically, more first responders and survivors have been getting sick at an alarming rate — and as the number of people who need help grows, so too does the need for additional funding.
Because of this increased usage, program managers have projected a $3 billion funding shortfall over the next decade, starting in 2028.
And if no further funding is allocated, the program will have to start making cutbacks, beginning in 2027.
That means that, starting in 2027, responders and survivors who fall ill won’t be able to enroll in the program.
Cutbacks in services to those who are being treated, many for cancers, will start soon after that.
In short, if the program’s budget cannot be supported with more funding, it cannot fulfill the nation’s promise to survivors.
During last month’s year-end budget battle, Congress dropped a provision meant to prevent this from happening.
The bipartisan provision would have averted what Congress normally does — wait until the last minute or an imminent crisis — by updating the funding formula to ensure the World Trade Center Health Program never hits that deficit.
We knew, back when we first wrote the 9/11 Act, that there might come a time when people in Congress would consider other priorities more important than this one.
As much as we may see the very clear need to help the victims of 9/11, some in Washington have stood against the program for years — and now its ability to help those who get sick down the road is at threat.
9/11 was the last real act of war on American soil.
Just as we take care of warriors who die on the day of battle, we have an obligation to fulfill our responsibilities to all our casualties of war — whether it be the first responder who was there at Ground Zero, or the civilian who happened to be working or going to school nearby.
We know President Trump supports these brave souls.
The next step is for Congress to act.
On Friday, when the new Congress convenes, Reps. Nicole Malliotakis and Andrew Garbarino in the House, and Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer in the Senate, will be making the case for 9/11 Act funding.
It is our hope that among the first things this Congress does is to put the 9/11 Act back in the budget once and for all.
We all say we’ll “Never Forget” 9/11.
It is one thing to say it, another thing to mean it … and still another to make good on the pledge.
Vito Fossella is Staten Island borough president. Peter King represented New York in the House of Representatives.