As the term of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s director, Dr. John Howard, heads towards  an ending, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is thinking to replace him and not to reappoint him, as expected.

Dr. Howard has been the director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety Health since the year 2002. His six-year term will expire July 14.

In 2006, Dr. Howard became the Bush adminsitration’s point person on health issues stemming from Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. He is the one urging for a federal program to monitor and treat all the workers claiming they were sickened by exposure to World Trade Center dust. His way of running this program has at times been in conflict with treatment and monitoring plans for 9/11 workers proposed by the Bush administration.

On Tursday, CDC’s director Julie Gerberding met Dr. Howard and announced him that he would not be reappointed. CDC’s spokesperson Glen Nowak said Dr. Howard was not dismissed, but Gerberding decided to “go in a different direction” after his term expired, the Associated Press reported.

U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y immediately expressed her disapproval towards the federals’ decision saying that “it appears that the Bush administration fired Dr. Howard just for doing his job caring for Americans who are suffering as a result of 9/11. It's outrageous that the administration would treat the heroes of 9/11 so poorly on the day before our nation celebrates its independence.”

Sept. 11 health advocates believe that Dr. Howard’s departure from the NIOSH could jeopardize future funding for helping sickened workers.

The CDC appointed NIOSH associate Christine Branche as acting director until it names a permanent person to replace Dr. Howard.