911 Health Watch Statement on the Reappointment of Dr. John Howard by Secretary Kennedy

September 9, 2026

Good first step Mr. Secretary, now fix the research funding loss that your chaos at CDC has created for the WTC Health Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Benjamin Chevat
911 Health Watch
646 477 1461
Ben.Chevat@911HealthWatch.org

Statement by Benjamin Chevat, Executive Director of 911 Health Watch:

“A good first step, Mr. Secretary. After over 18 months of the chaos you have caused to the World Trade Center Health Program, reappointing Dr. John Howard is the right move.

Thank you for listening to the bipartisan call, led by Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) and Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), along with 26 of their colleagues from both New York and New Jersey, urging you to protect the work of the World Trade Center Health Program by reappointing Dr. Howard before the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

The reappointment is necessary but not sufficient.

There is more work to be done.

Now you must ensure the World Trade Center Health Program doesn’t lose the reported 13 million dollars in research funds that the Congress provided but has gone unissued again because of the continuing chaos at the CDC.

It has resulted in research being slowed and 9/11 researchers threatened with losing their jobs because of the problems at the CDC in issuing grants.

This is not a question of the funds not being available.

The bipartisan New York and New Jersey delegations, led by Representatives Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Senators Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) and Charles Schumer (D-NY), and the rest of Congress did their jobs. They made sure the program had the funds it needed.

After 18 months of communication blackouts, delays in care and processing certifications and staff firings, rehiring staff and firing them again, we hope that this decision to reappoint Dr. Howard is a sign that you want the World Trade Center Health Program to be able to its job providing health care and medical monitoring to 9/11 responders and survivors.”

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