“And I want to congratulate Ed on being elected General President and thank him and all the other leaders from I.A.F.F. for their tireless efforts. I have heard Ed described as a fire fighter who happens to be General President, and I can think of no higher compliment for a leader of the I.A.F.F.

"I’m so proud to serve as Co-Chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, and there are few moments as meaningful to me as a Member of Congress than to stand with you in Emmitsburg, Maryland, each year for the solemn salute to our fallen fire service heroes. Earlier this year in January, we saw three firefighters die in the line of duty - Lieutenant Paul Butrium, Lieutenant Kelsey Sadler, and Firefighter Kenny lacayo. We continue to mourn with the men and women of Baltimore City Local 734 and their families.

“As we honor their memory, we must work to ensure that incidents like this do not happen again and care for those who continue to run toward danger to protect our communities. Caring for the families of the fallen is only one critical task that our Caucus is undertaking in Congress. Over the years, we’ve worked together to support increased funding for F.I.R.E. and S.A.F.E.R. grants, the public safety officers’ benefit, and the 9/11 Victims’ Compensation Fund. We passed legislation to ensure that firefighters who die of COVID-19 are given the presumption of a line-of-duty passing to make it easier for their families to access the public safety officers’ benefit. I will never stop advocating for the funding that meets America’s commitment to those who protect our communities.

“I am also proud to stand with so many of my colleagues in fighting for the collective bargaining rights of firefighters and paramedics as well as working to bring down the cost of health care while protecting those with pre-existing conditions, including cancer and respiratory diseases. I agree with you wholeheartedly that more needs to be done to address occupational cancers and firefighters’ access to the best care and resources if they find themselves confronting that challenge. I look forward to continuing to work with you on that effort.

"Many Americans do not realize the mental and emotional burdens carried by those who risk their lives day-in and day-out to keep our communities safe. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that this burden only grew for our firefighters and E.M.S. workers. I’m so glad that I.A.F.F. has partnered with advanced recovery systems to open its first-ever regional Center of Excellence in Upper Marlboro in Prince George’s County, Maryland, to provide firefighters and E.M.S. workers with treatment for addictions and P.T.S.D. It is critical that this help is readily available to those who need it most. It is also essential that fire and E.M.S. departments have the funding and resources necessary so that first responders can perform their jobs as safely as possible.

“I was proud to help enact the American Rescue Plan last year, which provided $350 billion in funding for state and local governments, in part to ensure that no firefighters or E.M.S. workers lost their jobs. We also included $100 million for assistance to firefighter grants and $200 million for S.A.F.E.R. grants in the American Rescue Plan. I don’t know if all of you saw President Biden’s State of The Union address on Tuesday night. If you were watching, not only did you see a longtime champion for firefighters and paramedics standing at the podium addressing the nation; you also would have heard him make a solemn commitment to addressing the dangers of a changing and more extreme climate. I will never forget the anguish felt across the fire services community after the deadly Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona in 2013, when nineteen firefighters were lost. For years now, we’ve been seeing more intense and more frequent wildfires. We’ve also seen wildfires occur where they never used to break out, including in wetter climates. Because of the climate crisis, everywhere now has the potential to be on the extreme end of the national fire danger rating system, increasing the burden on firefighters and departments across the country. If we fail to address the climate crisis head-on, it will only get worse.

“That’s why I’ll continue to work with the President and my colleagues to pursue legislation that helps transition our economy to cleaner energy – which will also help us create millions of good jobs for American workers. At the same time, we’re taking steps to lower costs for families and address inflation. As President Biden said on Tuesday night, the answer to inflation isn’t to lower wages, it’s to lower costs. We ought to be raising wages across our economy while taking commonsense measures to bring costs down for families and strengthen our supply chains so that more critical technologies and products are built right here in America. That’s what my Make It In America Plan is all about, which I’ve been leading since 2010, and I’m excited to see many of the bipartisan economic policies under that plan being incorporated into legislation like last year’s infrastructure law – which will make important investments in the communities you serve – and the competitiveness bill now being worked on by the House and Senate. It is important for our fellow Americans to remember that the men and women of our nation’s fire services are also working people with families to support and dreams of getting ahead and making it in America.

"So, while I know you will be meeting with your Members of Congress this week with a list of specific requests on issues directly relating to the fire services, I hope you will also bring up the very important work of ensuring that Congress meets this moment to help businesses, workers, and families across our economy access the tools they need to help build a better and stronger future for themselves and for our nation. I want to thank each of you for your dedicated service – not only fighting fires and saving lives back home but for participating in these national efforts to ensure that have the tools and support you and your families need.

“Like that firefighter in the photograph from Ukraine, you put your service first, above self, often times facing danger alone. I’m proud to stand with you to ensure that you are not alone – that Congress has your back.  And I look forward to continuing our work together as we fight for a better and stronger and safer America. Thank you for all you do, and may God bless our firefighters and paramedics and all who keep us safe.”