U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Peter King, authors of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, have written Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to request that she appoint by early next month members of the Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee, a panel created under the law to review scientific and medical evidence and make recommendations to 9/11 Health Administrator Dr. John Howard on providing coverage for additional 9/11-related health conditions.

“Secretary Sebelius and Dr. Howard have done a tremendous job setting up the 9/11 health programs on time — indeed, they’ve accomplished a tremendous amount in a few short months," the authors wrote." And now, because of the medical urgency for so many responders and survivors who are suffering, we are asking the Secretary to expedite the creation of the Zadroga-mandated panel charged with adding new diseases to the list of covered conditions.

“Given expectations for new research potentially linking cancer to exposure to toxins at Ground Zero, we hope the panel will be up and running by the tenth anniversary of the attacks.”

The Zadroga law provides health care for those injured or exposed to toxins released by the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, and reopens the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund to provide economic relief to those harmed by the attacks.