Schumer, Clinton Continue Protest Against Firing of Federal 9/11 Health Chief

July 9, 2008 - PRLog -- New York, NY – Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton today joined their colleagues Representatives Maloney, Nadler and Engel to protest the firing of Dr John Howard as Director of The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. In a letter to Secretary Leavitt, the Senators called for a detailed explanation from the Administration as to why Dr Howard was fired when during his tenure, Dr. Howard was instrumental in developing essential monitoring and treatment programs to address the long-term health needs of those who responded and survived the September 11th attacks.

“While the thousands of Americans affected by the September 11th attacks struggled to have their medical needs met by the government, Dr. Howard paved the way for treating and improving the long-term health of these brave men and women. His removal as NIOSH Director could derail all of the great work he has done creating and implementing the essential programs that ensure that the first responders, residents and students who became sick receive the treatment they need and deserve. I urge the President to extend Dr. Howard’s appointment, and reaffirm the necessary commitment to the health and well-being of the victims of the attacks,” Schumer said.

“Dr. Howard was a true advocate for the proper treatment and care of those who became sick after 9/11 and his removal as NIOSH Director is a huge blow to the healthcare programs he supported,” Senator Clinton said. “Losing Dr. Howard’s leadership at this critical time would jeopardize the continuity of these programs, along with our efforts to establish federal programs to address the medical needs of the residents, students, and office workers who are also suffering from the fallout of the attacks. I urge the President to show his commitment to our 9/11 heroes by extending Dr. Howard’s appointment so that we can ensure the future of these programs are left in capable hands.”
A copy of the Senators’ letter is attached –


July 8, 2008

The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt
Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Mr. Secretary:

We are writing to express our deep disappointment at the removal of Dr. John Howard from the position of Director of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and would urge you to reconsider this removal and extend Dr. Howard’s tenure.

Since 2002, Dr. Howard has been instrumental in efforts to provide screening, monitoring and treatment following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. His work has been vitally important in improving the health of thousands of Americans experiencing adverse health effects as a result of these attacks. Given the impact of the federally funded 9/11 health program administered by NIOSH, we believe that the termination of Dr. Howard is an unfounded move. We would ask that you provide us with a detailed account of the reasons Dr. Howard was removed from his position.

News reports have noted that Dr. Howard will be employed as a short-term 9/11 health adviser for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the home agency of NIOSH. While such a position is not a substitute for retaining Dr. Howard as NIOSH Director, we would like more information about his advisory role, including the anticipated length of his short-term position, the duties he will be expected to perform, and any administrative or oversight responsibilities that he will carry out. We would appreciate a response to this information request by July 14th.

Again, we would urge you to reconsider the termination of Dr. Howard. Failing to maintain his strong leadership at NIOSH will unnecessarily jeopardize the currently existing 9/11 health programs, limit our ability to provide oversight of the recently awarded contract for nationwide monitoring and treatment of responders, and slow efforts to establish federally funded programs for the non-responder population, as directed by Congress. We cannot afford any delays in our efforts to help these programs reach all of those who continue to suffer lingering health effects from 9/11.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Charles E. Schumer