Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reportedly acknowledged Friday that the Department of the Treasury has withheld more than $3.92 million meant for 9/11 first responders since 2004 in a letter sent to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and 30 other New York state officials.
The Treasury Department said that the funds were withheld because of other outstanding debts owed to the federal government by New York City, according to the letter obtained by CNN.
The estimated amount of funding that was withheld increased dramatically in the past few years, nearly tripling in 2020. This year, at least $1.45 million in funds were withheld, Dr. David Prezant, the New York City Fire Department’s chief medical officer, told the New York Daily News, which broke the story in September. The funds were meant to go to a health program to assist first responders who went to ground zero after the twin towers were struck on Sept. 11, 2001.
“Here, we have sick World Trade Center-exposed firefighters and EMS workers, at a time when the city is having difficult financial circumstances due to COVID-19, and we’re not getting the money we need to be able to treat these heroes,” Prezant said.
The letter to de Blasio does not detail what debts the city owes to the Treasury Department, according to the Hill.
Uniformed Firefighters Association President Andrew Ansbro called on the “tone-deaf” Treasury Department to rectify the situation on Oct. 16.
“I’m not here to point fingers,” he said. “I’m here to say, ‘Fix it.’”
He added, “Can I blame Secretary Mnuchin? I guess I can’t because this has been going on for 17 years, but I would appreciate him fixing it and fixing it to our satisfaction where the money is returned.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Treasury Department and de Blasio’s office for comment.
