Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am pleased that we are at this point in the Senate calendar when we are talking about legislation on the floor. We have S. 870, which is the Fire Grants and Safety Act. I am a sponsor, a proud cosponsor of this measure. My State of Alaska routinely faces severe fire seasons every year. As cochair of the Senate Fire Caucus, I follow these issues very carefully. Whether they are wildland fires or fires in our urban centers, I believe we have a bill in front of us, a measure in front of us, that deserves all of our support. The Fire Grants and Safety Act is a pretty simple bill. It is not very often that we actually have things that are simple and short, and this one is just a few pages long. It reauthorizes the U.S. Fire Administration, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, as well as the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program. That is the SAFER Program. It reauthorizes all of these through 2030, instead of allowing them to expire next year. The Fire Administration's authorization is increased slightly, but the rest are basically straight extensions here. As I mentioned, it is a pretty simple bill, but I think it is important to appreciate and understand the importance because sometimes I think these programs are underappreciated. They help our local fire departments recruit personnel--pretty important, we have got to get those firefighters to us--but not only to recruit them but to retain them as well.…”