Ranking Member Johnson and Rep. McNerney Applaud Inclusion of Support to Firefighters and First Responders in Defense Bill
(Washington, DC) – Today, upon House passage of the conference report of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, H.R. 4310, by a vote of 315-107, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) offered the following comment:
“I am pleased that the conference report adopted legislative provisions similar to H.R. 2269, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2011, which I introduced along with Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and the bipartisan co-chairs of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. This legislation will reauthorize programs that assist firefighters, first responders, and local communities nationwide with the equipment, training, and personnel needed to protect the public from fires and other emergencies. Fires remain a serious problem in America. For example, 2011 was an especially destructive year in Texas with 4 million acres burned, over 5,500 homes and structures destroyed, and hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. More people die in fires in the United States than from all other natural disasters combined. In this tough economy, federal support is even more important as local officials struggle to provide essential services in the face of decreasing budgets. We need to ensure that our firefighters and emergency medical personnel –those who are the first at the scene of an emergency–have the tools they need to keep us safe.”
The conference report also included the provisions of H.R. 6229, the United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2012 introduced by Committee Members Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA). Rep. McNerney offered the following comment:
“California requires vast resources to help combat the threat of, and respond to, fires throughout the state. The inclusion of H.R. 6229 in the conference report will ensure that the United States Fire Administration (USFA) will be able to fulfill its mission to reduce the loss of life and economic damage caused by fire and other related emergencies by reauthorizing the agency for five years. USFA not only provides the nation’s 1.2 million firefighters with the training they need, but it also supports fire prevention and safety activities to educate the public about the risks and causes of fire. I applaud my colleagues for passing this important legislation that will make our communities safer and more resilient.”
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