FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 20, 2006

Contact:
Schumer Press Office (917) 647-9187
Clinton Press Office (212) 688-9559

SCHUMER, CLINTON RENEW CALL FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE IN SEARCH FOR HUMAN REMAINS AT GROUND ZERO

New York, NY – Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton today renewed their calls to get the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and/or other appropriate agencies involved in the search for any further human remains at the World Trade Center site. The Senators' call today came as Con Edison workers found human remains and identification cards while they were clearing out two manholes at the World Trade Center Wednesday.

In April, following the discovery of bone fragments in the Deutsche Bank Building, Senators Schumer and Clinton each wrote, asking for the involvement of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) in the search for and identification of remains in and around Ground Zero and the World Trade Center site.

"Today's news is an indication that we need to do more in our search for human remains at Ground Zero. The families of these victims deserve the best search team there is, and that is our military's elite Joint POW/MIA Accountability Command," Senator Schumer said. "The Defense Department is open to bringing them here and the families want them here, with the hope of finding closure."

"As we continue to recover from this national tragedy and this tremendous loss, returning identified remains to their families must be one of our top priorities. This is a moral obligation to the families who lost loved ones but have not yet had their remains returned. With the involvement of an agency like the Department of Defense, and the JPAC unit that has specific expertise in this area, we could hopefully make this a reality much sooner. We must do everything in our power to help these families and treat the over 1,000 victims who have not yet been identified with the dignity and respect they deserve," Senator Clinton said.

[A copy of the Senators' letter today to Mayor Bloomberg is attached]

Dear Mayor Bloomberg:

In April 2006, when construction workers at the Deutsche Bank building found bone fragments from victims of 9/11, we wrote the Secretary of Defense requesting that he provide resources from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) to assist in the search for remains at the World Trade Center complex. In light of news articles today once again detailing the discovery of more human remains and personal artifacts in the Ground Zero area, we urge you to follow up this request.

Several major groups representing families affected by the tragic events of September 11, 2001, are understandably distressed over the discovery. Despite the considerable, sincere, and often excellent efforts of those involved to locate and identify all human remains in Lower Manhattan, particularly by city employees of the FDNY and OEM, more resources and expertise are needed to complete this essential task. We urge you to echo their calls for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) or other appropriate agencies to assist in the investigation.

As we continue to recover from this national tragedy, returning identified remains to families who have suffered this horrific loss is our moral obligation. And, we must pursue it to the fullest extent possible to try to help relieve some of the suffering of these families. We must ensure that the surrounding area is thoroughly searched so that we have done everything in our power to treat the over 1,000 victims who have not yet been identified with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Please let us if we can be of any further assistance on this issue.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Charles E. Schumer
Hillary Rodham Clinton