WTC Health Program: Advocacy Efforts to Secure Critical Funding
World Trade Center Health Program
Advocacy Efforts to Secure Critical Funding
Tuesday, March 11th at 12:00pm EST
Unless Congress acts, the WTC Health Program will face serious funding shortfalls within a few years.
Join us for an important conversation with John Feal, Founder of the FealGood Foundation and Ben Chevat, Executive Director of Citizens for Extension of the James Zadroga Act. They will discuss their advocacy efforts in Washington, DC to ensure continued funding for the WTC Health Program that provides medical and mental health care for thousands of responders and survivors. Learn how you can support their efforts.
In the aftermath of 9/11, over 90,000 first responders who worked in the recovery effort, and 400,000 survivors who lived, worked or went to school in the area were exposed to air-borne toxins. As a result, thousands have been stricken with life-threatening illnesses. Through the tireless advocacy efforts of John Feal and hundreds of others, Congress legislated the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 which funded the establishment of the WTC Health Program Clinical Centers.
Today over 137,000 individuals are registered in the WTC Health Program and are receiving critical care and monitoring for serious, and sometimes life-threatening medical conditions. John Feal and a delegation of others continue to advocate in Washington, DC for the medical and mental health care that responders and survivors need and deserve.
Ways you can help!
- Go to https://www.renew911health.org
- Type in your address (this will inform you about who your Members of Congress are and if they are already cosponsors of the bill.)
- If your Members of Congress are NOT yet cosponsors, type in your phone number. You will be connected to that Congressperson’s office, free of charge, so you can talk to their staff. Tell the staff member that you are a constituent and that you want your Congressperson to cosponsor the bill.
About the Presenters
Ben Chevat
Executive Director, Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga
Ben Chevat was formerly Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney D NY, where he coordinated her offices efforts in passing the James Zadroga, 9/11 Health and Compensation Act as well as worked to ensure delivery of the promised $20 billion in aid for New York after 9/11 attack, and organized the 9/11 Commission Caucus.
Ben also devised and implemented strategies to support and achieve passage of a substantial portion of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations. Additionally, he worked on passing of the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights, the National Security Foreign Investment Reform and Strengthened Transparency Act of 2007 (C.I.F.U.S.), along with work on Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform legislation.
Prior to this, his work included: Chief of Staff to then Congressman Charles Schumer, Counsel to the Speaker New York State Assembly, Counsel To The Co-Chairman New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Development, counsel to the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee, and Deputy Counsel to the Queens Borough President.
Ben received his BA from Queens College and his JD from the City University of New York Law School at Queens College, where he was in the inaugural class.
John Feal
Founder, FealGood Foundation
On September, 12, 2001, John Feal and his team of Construction Demolition experts were called to Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan to aid in the cleanup and recovery mission. While supervising his team roughly 8,000 pounds of steel came loose, crushing his left foot. After 11 weeks in the hospital, doctors amputated half of his foot.
John went through years of surgeries and innumerable hours of therapy; as well as extensive hospital stays and mounting medical expenses. Once out of the hospital, John made it his mission to alleviate the Heroes of 9/11 from the burdens he experienced and created the FealGood Foundation. The foundation assists First Responders and others who have been physically or mentally injured as a result of their rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts at the WTC site. John has helped pass 19 pieces of legislation in DC, NYS, NJ and Michigan. Through his organization, he has donated $10 million over the last 20 years, built a memorial and donated a kidney.