Health

With the anniversary of 9/11 looming, so is something else — a need for money for survivors of the attack on New York's World Trade Center.

On Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats are scrambling to address an impending $3 billion funding deficit for a federal health care program that pays for the ongoing medical care of 9/11 survivors and first responders.

U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) led 11 Republicans, including the entire New York GOP congressional delegation, in urging U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership to mark up bipartisan legislation that would ensure sufficient funding for the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP).

The failure of President Biden’s ambitious Build Back Better funding bill last December also had another casualty — nearly $3 billion meant to plug a looming deficit in the World Trade Center Health Program.

Now lawmakers are searching for a new way to advance legislation to fill that hole after a recent briefing to lawmakers by 9/11 health program staff, the Daily News has learned.