Susan Collins: “I rise today to express my support for the Fire Grants and Safety Act, which is included in the bill we are considering…”

“I rise today to express my support for the Fire Grants and Safety Act, which is included in the bill we are considering today. I have co-led this bill with Senator Peters and fellow Congressional Fire Caucus cochairs, Senators Murkowski, Tester, and Carper. The Fire Grants and Safety Act would reauthorize the U.S. Fire Administration and critical FEMA fire prevention programs through September 30, 2028. The current authorization for appropriations for all three of these entities expired on September 30, 2023, and the AFG and SAFER programs are set to sunset on September 30 of this year, absent action from Congress. This bill before us will extend authorizations for all three entities until September 30, 2028, and impose a new sunset clause of September 30, 2030, for AFG and SAFER. This legislation, which passed the Senate on April 20, 2023, by an overwhelming vote of 95-2, has been pending in the House. I am pleased we will soon vote on the motion to concur with the House bill as amended and finally reauthorize these critical programs. Firefighters across Maine and the country courageously and selflessly put their lives on the line to serve their towns and cities. Recognizing this, in 2000 and 2003, I helped create FEMA's firefighter grant programs as part of a bipartisan effort to ensure firefighters have the adequate staffing, equipment, and training to do their important jobs as effectively and safely as possible.…”