Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023

Mr. Speaker, 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.

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, it is reported on the cancer registry in their State--Democrats and Republicans saw the significance of this 5 years ago when there was no registry--but specific details about their work are not collected.

To focus attention on this issue that can yield results, in 2018, the Congress rightfully created the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer. It is the largest effort in history to understand and reduce cancer among firefighters.

Because of this, the CDC has made a database of firefighters with cancer to monitor and study the ties between career-long exposure to dangerous fumes and toxins and the incidence of firefighter cancer. Since its opening year, more than 10,000 firefighters have voluntarily enrolled in the registry.

My bill would reauthorize the registry for another 5 years at a very modest funding level for what we hope can be lifesaving work.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of this measure so we can get it onto the President's desk as soon as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3821) to reauthorize the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2018.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3821, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act.

Firefighters are among our Nation's first responder heroes. They are on the front lines of the most dangerous and frightening emergencies, and they bravely answer the call to save our family members and loved ones from harm.

Tragically, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death for firefighters, and firefighters are more likely to develop certain types of cancer than the general public.

This legislation reauthorizes the voluntary National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, which will help us to monitor, study, and understand the relationship between the toxic exposures firefighters face and cancer risk.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Pascrell and Fitzpatrick for their work on this bipartisan legislation, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from New Jersey for bringing this forward and working hard for this. He has seen what happens to firefighters in his community from 9/11 and on, and it is really important work that our firefighters do.

As he said, there is a group from Kentucky in town today with whom we had a chance to talk. They are the heroes who go into burning buildings to save our families and all the other things they do for us.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3821, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3821, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023, sponsored by Representative Pascrell from New Jersey.

H.R. 3821 reauthorizes funding for the critical research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, to monitor and study the relationship between career-long exposure to dangerous fumes and toxins and the incidence of cancer in firefighters from 2024 to 2028.

Created in 2018, the National Firefighter Registry was established to address knowledge gaps and improve nationwide data collection capabilities and monitoring of cancer incidence from a large and diverse population of firefighters.

Studies have shown that firefighters may have a greater risk of some types of cancer due to their exposure to smoke, toxins, and hazardous chemicals. The registry's work is a collaboration amongst epidemiologists, public health experts, clinicians, and firefighters. Thousands of firefighters have enrolled, making it the most extensive initiative ever undertaken in our country to comprehend and mitigate cancer risks among firefighters.

This bill is supported by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Volunteer Fire Council, and National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, among others.

I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Let me emphasize, Mr. Speaker, how important it is that we look out for our heroes, our firefighters, as well as they look out for us.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this very important bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, due to events in California, I was unfortunately unable to cast my vote for legislation considered on the House floor today. Had I been able to be present, I would have voted according to the following: ``no'' on rollcall No. 62, ``no'' on Motion on Ordering the Previous Question (H. Res. 1052); ``no'' on rollcall No. 63, H. Res. 1052--Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2799-- Expanding Access to Capital Act of 2023 and H.R. 7511--Laken Riley Act; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 64, H. Res. 1061--Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024; and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 65, H.R. 3821--Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from and the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3821.

I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time.

The bill was ordered to a third reading and was read the third time.

I know of no further debate on the bill.

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.