Bipartisan concern grows as 9/11 health program delays stretch past a year

The 9/11 health program is facing delays exceeding one year, prompting concern from lawmakers across both parties. The program provides medical services to approximately 140,000 responders and survivors dealing with cancers, respiratory illnesses, and other conditions tied to 9/11 exposure. Extended delays in processing claims or providing care threaten to leave vulnerable populations — many now decades past the attacks — without timely access to needed treatment. The bipartisan criticism suggests the program may lack sufficient resources or staffing to handle its caseload, a significant political issue given the symbolic importance of caring for 9/11-related victims. The delays risk becoming a focal point for debate over whether the federal government is adequately supporting those harmed by the attacks.