In 2021, months from the 20 year anniversary of 9/11,36 year old Republican Andrew Garbarino won his first election as New York Congressman, succeeding Representative Peter King, the longest serving Republican in the New York State Congressional delegation. King served an incredible 28 years and was a key part of the bi-partisan coalition from the tri-state responsible for laws helping the 9/11 community.
On September 11, 2001, Andrew was the school President at Long Island’s Sayville High School. He was in a 2nd period class when students learned about a plane hitting one of the twin towers at The World Trade Center. During his 3rd period class with Mrs. Gist, another teacher came in, announcing a second plane had hit the other tower. Garbarino says Mrs. Gist wailed a cry that is burned into his brain to this day. While others left school after it became clear it was a terror attack, Garbarino went to the teacher’s lounge, where he joined the gathering that was glued to the tv news. The first tower had already collapsed. The collapse was replayed over and over again. When the second tower collapsed, he thought it was another replay of the first tower. It was just unimaginable.
Garbarino says he actually knows more people who died AFTER 9/11 than on the day of the terror attack. He says the rest of the country is unaware of the continuing death toll from exposure to the 9/11 toxic dust that day and in the 8 months following. It’s now in the thousands…and counting.