Hal Rogers: “SAFER was originally authorized for the purpose of increasing the number of new firefighters in local communities, a…”

“SAFER was originally authorized for the purpose of increasing the number of new firefighters in local communities, a hand up, not a handout. SAFER was not intended to rehire or retain firefighters, and certainly was not intended to serve as an operating subsidy for what is unquestionably a municipal local responsibility. However, the Democrats waived many of these requirements in fiscal 2009 and then again in 2010. Yet, here we are today, debating the continuation of a subsidy that our country simply cannot afford. Under these costly waivers, there are no controls, no salary limits, no local commitments. These proposed waivers totally undermine the original purpose and intent of the SAFER program by forcing the taxpayers to subsidize the everyday operating expenses of local first responders, taking over, in essence, the funding of the local firemen.”