September 10, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) applauded the reappointment of Dr. John Howard as Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). “Honoring our promise to ‘never forget’ means protecting healthcare for 9/11 first responders and survivors, and Dr. Howard sets the example,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Particularly as we approach 25 years since September 11, we must rely on experienced leadership to ensure our heroes get the specialized care they need to cope with the long-term health effects of toxic exposure. I am glad that Dr. Howard has been reappointed to continue this essential work, and I will always fight to make sure our heroes receive the care they deserve.”
In July, Gillibrand (D-NY) led a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reappoint Dr. John Howard to another six-year term as NIOSH director and WTCHP administrator. The lawmakers highlighted Dr. Howard’s leadership of the World Trade Center Health Program and noted that Congress recently secured lifetime funding for the program, ensuring responders and survivors continue receiving the care they have earned.
Senator Gillibrand has been leading the push for 9/11 first responders and survivors still battling illnesses from their toxic exposure at Ground Zero. She recently pushed HHS to expand coverage of cancer screenings for 9/11 responders and survivors under the WTCHP. She also led the bipartisan, bicameral fight to fix the World Trade Center Health Program’s funding shortfall, and she delivered full, permanent funding for the program, signed into law in February 2026.
