110 HRES 128 IH: Urging the Department of Health and Human U.S. House of Representatives 2007-02-06 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 128 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

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.