Bill Pascrell: “I thank the members of the Energy and Commerce Committee on both sides of the aisle for this reauthorization act. The…”

“I thank the members of the Energy and Commerce Committee on both sides of the aisle for this reauthorization act. The time flies. When we put this together 5 years ago, it was bipartisan, as well. Our fire heroes run into burning buildings while we run away, and they make harrowing rescues every single day, saving lives and protecting property. Nonetheless, there are dangerous carcinogens lurking in the air that they breathe and in the equipment that they use. The effects of these toxins are not fully known and may take years to determine. In 2022, the International Association for Research on Cancer found that the very occupation of firefighting causes cancer. We are talking about thousands of volunteers and thousands of career firefighters. Cancer is the leading cause, Mr. Speaker, as you just heard, of line- of-duty deaths for firefighters, but behind each statistic is a beloved public servant. Eduardo Diaz, a firefighter in North Bergen, passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 53. Firefighter Diaz was a beloved resident of Hasbrouck Heights and a member of the Professional Firefighters of New Jersey, who are in town and who are supporting Federal aid for firefighters. In my hometown of Paterson, my close friend, FMBA firefighter Jerry Behnke, tragically died from brain cancer. These are but two of too many firefighters lost to cancer.…”