9/11 responders, advocates continue quest to solidify funding for health program

WASHINGTON — They remember the solemn pledges of "never forget" that echoed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

But the group of 9/11 first responders and advocates who made their way through the halls of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday also say they worry that the public and lawmakers are slowly forgetting the acts of service that followed the attacks.

With the World Trade Center Health Program facing a projected $3 billion funding shortfall over the next 15 years, a coalition of first responders and recovery workers, many from Long Island, made their way through the Capitol complex Tuesday to talk to lawmakers about the need to keep the program fully funded.

They were often greeted by congressional staffers born after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a downed airl