[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 29, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS, FISCAL YEAR 2003

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                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 28, 2003

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Obey 
Motion to Instruct.
  We are four months into fiscal year 2003, yet 11 of the 
appropriations bills have yet to be enacted.
  I am happy to see that we are close to wrapping up this 
appropriations process. But now is not the time to skimp on the 
people's priorities. In our rush to finish, we must ensure that 
Homeland Security and our first responders are at the top of our list.
  I urge the conferees to incorporate into the final conference report 
the language included in the omnibus bill by the other body.
  In particular, I support the $90 million to continue the health 
monitoring at Mount Sinai Hospital for the men and women who were on 
the front lines of defense on September 11th and the days that 
followed.
  The other body included specific instructions to FEMA on this $90 
million.
  Yesterday, several firefighters and rescue workers who worked the 
pile at Ground Zero were here in Washington to call attention to this 
very important issue. These brave heroes entered a battle zone of a new 
kind of war, and are really the first victims of the war. And we need 
to ensure they receive the medical care they deserve.
  The need for this money was underscored in a report released this 
week by Mount Sinai Hospital showing that a majority of ground zero 
workers and volunteers screened for health problems have serious 
persistent illnesses from the disaster.
  The initial screening program which ends this July will screen only 
about 9,000 of the approximately 40,000 rescue workers in need of 
medical attention. The analysis reveals that over 50 percent of the 
sample study have pulmonary illnesses, ear, nose and throat ailments, 
or persistent mental health problems.
  The Doctors at Mt. Sinai believe the same statistics will hold for 
the roughly 3,500 responders they have seen to date. 78 percent of the 
participants reported at least one World Trade Center-related pulmonary 
symptom that first developed or worsened as a result of their rescue 
efforts; 52 percent reported mental health symptoms requiring further 
evaluation; and only about one-third of the sample participants had 
received any prior medical care for any of their symptoms and 
conditions.
  In other words, for about one-third of these participants--their trip 
to Mount Sinai had been their only source of medical care; emphasizing 
the critical need to fully fund this program now, not later, not months 
down the road.
  I urge my colleagues in the House to read the findings from the Mt. 
Sinai report--which can be found on my website: http://
www.wtcexams.org/.
  Medical monitoring delayed is proper health care denied. But again we 
face the challenge of securing the House support and the 
Administration's support and leadership to make this happen.
  Medical monitoring delayed is proper health care denied. I hope that 
the conferees will include in the final conference report the language 
included in the omnibus bill by the other body.
  The first responders were there for us when we needed them, now the 
question is will the federal government be there for them.

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