Yesterday, Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler held a press conference asking President Obama to reappoint Dr. John Howard as the 9/11 health czar. Howard, who supported the federal funding of programs to monitor and treat ground zero workers sickened by September 11 conditions, had "tensions" with his boss at the CDC, and his appointment was not renewed. Maloney said, “The Bush administration made a good decision in appointing Dr. Howard and a typically bad move in letting him go," noting that Dr. Howard, "built the federal government’s 9/11 health programs from the ground up." Additionally, Maloney, Nadler, Peter King and Michael McMahon hailed the $70 million in funding from a House bill that will help cover WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program. Nadler said, "This money is literally a lifeline for thousands of first responders and community members who are sick as a result of exposure to 9/11 contaminants. Ultimately, though, our best way forward now is to pass the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to ensure that, each and every year, there is enough funding for those living with 9/11-borne illnesses."