Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, tonight we have an opportunity to do something that this body has never done before. That is to provide some immediate dollar assistance to those brave men and women across America who, day in and day out, have responded to our natural and man-made disasters. Today I met with all the fire service groups of America, the Fire Fighters Union, the Volunteer Fire Council, the fire chiefs, the arson investigators, the fire instructors, the National Fire Protection Association. All across America tonight, Mr. Speaker, they are watching this vote to see whether or not this Congress will equate fire and emergency services personnel with law enforcement personnel, with teachers, because they have all benefited from our work, but we have done nothing of substance for the brave men and women, largely volunteers, who protect this country from disaster. Tonight is that opportunity: $100 million of funding to provide assistance for burn research, volunteer fire assistance, an $80 million competitive grant program for the 32,000 fire departments in every district across America, plus a facilitation of the CDBG program to provide flexibility for fire and EMS personnel to use those dollars. I encourage our colleagues to vote for this important amendment.”