Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea has joined a bipartisan group of 38 attorneys general urging Congress to take swift action to prevent a looming funding crisis that threatens the World Trade Center Health Program — a critical lifeline for thousands of 9/11 first responders and survivors, the Justice Department announced.

In a letter sent this week to congressional leadership, the coalition called on lawmakers to address the program’s growing financial shortfall before it jeopardizes care for the more than 135,000 Americans enrolled. Rhea emphasized that the federal government has a duty to provide continued medical care to those suffering long-term effects from the Sept. 11 attacks, according to the press release.

“The heroes and survivors of 9/11 put their lives on the line for our country, and we owe them more than gratitude — we owe them lasting care,” Rhea stated in a press release Wednesday. “The World Trade Center Health Program is a vital resource for thousands living with the long-term effects of that tragic day, and its funding must be protected. Congress must act now to ensure these brave individuals continue to receive the support and medical care they were promised.”

Established by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, the WTCHP provides no-cost medical monitoring and treatment to individuals exposed to toxins in the aftermath of the attacks. Its patients include firefighters, police officers, construction workers, volunteers, and civilians who lived or worked near ground zero and are now experiencing serious health conditions, including cancers, respiratory illnesses, and mental health disorders, the press release stated.

Though the program was reauthorized in 2015 and 2019 with bipartisan support and is slated to operate through 2090, the attorneys general argue that rising demand for specialized care has pushed funding to its limits. Roughly 400,000 individuals were exposed to toxic dust and debris, but only a third are currently enrolled, and new diagnoses continue to emerge each year, the release stated.

The coalition warned that without increased funding, the program could be forced to cut services, halt new enrollments, or place patients on waitlists. They described the threat not just as a policy failure, but as a broken promise to those who risked their lives, the release stated.

Rhea and the other attorneys general are calling on Congress to pass legislation that both resolves the immediate shortfall and secures the program’s long-term stability, it said.

In addition to Rhea, signatories include attorneys general from California, New York, Florida, Texas, and the District of Columbia, as well as representatives from U.S. territories such as American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands, it said.