Reps. Nadler, Maloney and Fossella on Medical Examiner’s Ruling on Officer Godbee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler (NY-8), Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-14), and Vito Fossella (NY-13) issued the following statement today in response to New York City Medical Examiner Dr. Charles Hirsch’s refusal to review the death of Officer James Godbee, who began working at Ground Zero on September 13, 2001:

"These types of controversies will continue until transparent standards established by independent medical experts are put in place. We renew our call for the establishment of a panel of independent public health experts to help the city develop clear standards and procedures to determine whether deaths should be linked to 9/11. The victims of 9/11 and the city need clear procedures, determined by an independent panel of experts in a variety of relevant public health disciplines.

"It seems clear that an otherwise healthy man who worked for countless hours on the pile at Ground Zero and who later developed sarcoidosis and died should have his case heard by the City’s Medical Examiner. At the very least, there should not be an arbitrary ‘cutoff’ for who can be considered a victim of 9/11. Many who are sick now were not at Ground Zero the moment the towers collapsed – but their suffering and medical conditions are real."

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