[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1061 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1061

 Requesting the Department of Health and Human Services to outline the 
    Federal Government's responsibilities, taking into account the 
  responsibilities and actions of the State and local governments, to 
support a program for medically monitoring and treating all individuals 
         who were exposed to the toxins of Ground Zero on 9/11.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 29, 2006

  Mr. Fossella (for himself and Mrs. Maloney) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Requesting the Department of Health and Human Services to outline the 
    Federal Government's responsibilities, taking into account the 
  responsibilities and actions of the State and local governments, to 
support a program for medically monitoring and treating all individuals 
         who were exposed to the toxins of Ground Zero on 9/11.

Whereas on the morning of September 11, 2001, while Americans were attending to 
        their daily routines, terrorists hijacked four civilian aircraft, 
        crashing two of them into the towers of the World Trade Center in New 
        York City and a third into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C.;
Whereas as a result of the attacks on the World Trade Center, towers one, two 
        and seven collapsed releasing pulverized materials that are known to 
        cause adverse health effects;
Whereas the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program has documented 70 
        percent of screened 9/11 responders have experienced respiratory 
        problems following the attacks and 60 percent continue to experience 
        respiratory problems;
Whereas the New York City Fire Department has documented that, on average, a 
        firefighter who responded to the World Trade Center has experienced a 
        loss of 12 years of lung capacity;
Whereas, the New York City Fire Department and the World Trade Center Medical 
        Monitoring Program have both documented extensive mental health effects 
        on rescue and recovery workers;
Whereas rescue and recovery workers came from across the country to assist in 
        the rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts of the attacks;
Whereas the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, has 
        appointed Dr. John Howard as the Federal coordinator of 9/11 health and 
        has announced a task force on 9/11 health;
Whereas there exists a joint responsibility on the part of the Federal, State, 
        and local governments serving affected populations to address the health 
        needs of rescue and recovery workers who responded to Ground Zero on 9/
        11; and
Whereas the passage of five years since September 11, 2001, has provided 
        concrete medical evidence of continued and persistent health effects: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives requests the 
Department of Health and Human Service--
            (1) to outline the Federal Government's responsibilities, 
        taking into account the responsibilities and actions of the 
        State and local governments, to support a program for medically 
        monitoring and treating all individuals who were exposed to the 
        toxins of Ground Zero on 9/11; and
            (2) to submit the outline to Congress and the President as 
        quickly as practical.
                                 <all>