Political Quotes

“First, I welcome the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson) to the committee. I look forward to working together to do good work for the American people. Mr. Speaker, firefighters, police, EMS, and other first responders are critical to our Nation's emergency management system. First responders leave their own families, even during disasters, to protect you and me. As recently as this past August, we saw devastating flooding in Baton Rouge and southeast Louisiana. The flooding touched every home, including the homes of firefighters, police, hospital workers, and other first responders. First responders focused on rescuing flood victims, while they knew their own homes were flooded and their own families were homeless. This legislation would require a report on the State and local programs and policies in place to prepare and protect first responders and their families in times of disaster. Taking care of first responders and their families gives our firefighters, police, and other critical emergency personnel the peace of mind to focus on the task at hand, rather than worrying whether their family is safe and taken care of. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.”