launched a new effort to press U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to quickly address the staff cuts and administrative delays at the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP).
Press HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to quickly address staff cuts and administrative delays at the World Trade Center Health Program.
Occurrences
Evidence
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Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer wrote a letter calling on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to address the administrative issues within the World Trade Center Health Program that stem from staffing cuts and other harmful Trump administration directives.
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The letter states that Gillibrand and Schumer are writing about staffing cuts and administrative issues for the World Trade Center Health Program, and says some staff were fired or reassigned, exacerbating shortages and impeding program operations.
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Senators Gillibrand and Schumer sent a formal letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. requesting immediate action on WTCHP staff reassignments, cuts, and administrative delays.
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Senate press release documents Gillibrand publicly pressing Secretary Kennedy in writing and announcing the letter calling for remedy of WTCHP staffing and administrative problems.
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The official House press-release listing says Dr. John Howard was reappointed to another six-year term as NIOSH Director and WTCHP Administrator. It states the reappointment followed a bipartisan, bicameral letter led by Rep. Andrew Garbarino and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand urging HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to retain Howard.
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Senator Gillibrand’s official release says Gillibrand and Schumer launched a new effort pressing HHS Secretary Kennedy to quickly address WTCHP staff cuts and administrative delays, including staffing reductions, reassigned personnel, claims and treatment authorization delays, halted research contracts, hiring freezes, and delayed petitions.
Assessments
The promise was to press HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to act on World Trade Center Health Program staff cuts and administrative delays. Official Senate releases and the March 23, 2026 letter show Gillibrand, with Schumer, directly demanded that Kennedy address staffing cuts, reassignments, claims and authorization delays, halted contracts, and related administrative problems. This occurred while Gillibrand remained in the same Senate term, and the later reappointment of the WTCHP administrator further supports material follow-through.
Senator Gillibrand (with Senator Schumer) formally and publicly pressed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to address World Trade Center Health Program staffing cuts, reassignments, halted contracts, and administrative delays via official letters and press releases (documents dated Aug 6, 2025 and Mar 23, 2026). These direct actions match the pledge to press the HHS Secretary, constituting delivery of the promise during her term.
Gillibrand directly fulfilled the oversight promise by joining Senator Schumer in a formal letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding action on World Trade Center Health Program staffing cuts, reassignments, shortages, and administrative delays. Because the promised action was to press HHS rather than secure a final administrative remedy, the documented letter and official Senate announcement satisfy the commitment during her current Senate term.