[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 128 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 128

 Urging the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare a long-
term, comprehensive plan to medically monitor all individuals who were 
exposed to the toxins of Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks of 
              9/11 and to treat all those sick or injured.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 6, 2007

  Mrs. Maloney of New York (for herself, Mr. Fossella, Mr. Engel, Mr. 
 Towns, Mr. Weiner, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, 
    Mr. McNulty, Mr. Dent, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Shays, and Mr. Israel) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                         on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Urging the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare a long-
term, comprehensive plan to medically monitor all individuals who were 
exposed to the toxins of Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks of 
              9/11 and to treat all those sick or injured.

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, DC;
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 area workers, residents, and school children, in addition to rescue and 
        recovery workers, were exposed to the toxins of Ground Zero;
Whereas current Federal medical monitoring and treatment programs exclude area 
        workers, residents, school children, and Federal workers;
Whereas the attacks of September 11, 2001, were attacks on the United States, 
        and therefore it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to 
        respond; and
Whereas although Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt has 
        appointed a seasoned health professional, Dr. John Howard, as Federal 
        coordinator of 9/11 health and has formed a task force on 9/11 health 
        led by Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. John Agwunobi, the Department 
        of Health and Human Services has still not developed a long-term, 
        comprehensive plan to medically monitor all individuals who were exposed 
        to the toxins of Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and 
        to treat all those made sick or injured by those toxins: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives urges the Department 
of Health and Human Services--
            (1) to develop a long-term, comprehensive plan to medically 
        monitor all individuals who were exposed to the toxins of 
        Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and to 
        treat all those sick or injured; and
            (2) to submit the plan to Congress and the President as 
        quickly as possible.
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