[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 52 (Thursday, April 3, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H1977-H1979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4847, UNITED STATES FIRE 
               ADMINISTRATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008

  Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 1071 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 1071

       Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this 
     resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule 
     XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the 
     Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of 
     the bill (H.R. 4847) to reauthorize the United States Fire 
     Administration, and for other purposes. The first reading of 
     the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against 
     consideration of the bill are waived except those arising 
     under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. General debate shall be 
     confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally 
     divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority 
     member of the Committee on Science and Technology. After 
     general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment 
     under the five-minute rule. In lieu of the amendment in the 
     nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on 
     Science and Technology now printed in the bill, it shall be 
     in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of 
     amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the 
     nature of a substitute printed in part A of the report of the 
     Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution. That 
     amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered 
     as read. All points of order against that amendment in the 
     nature of a substitute are waived except those arising under 
     clause 10 of rule XXI. Notwithstanding clause 11 of rule 
     XVIII, no amendment to that amendment in the nature of a 
     substitute shall be in order except those printed in part B 
     of the report of the Committee on Rules. Each amendment may 
     be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be 
     offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be 
     considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified 
     in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent 
     and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall 
     not be subject to a demand for division of the question in 
     the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of 
     order against such amendments are waived except those arising 
     under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. At the conclusion of 
     consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall 
     rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as 
     may have been adopted. Any Member may demand a separate vote 
     in the House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the 
     Whole to the bill or to the amendment in the nature of a 
     substitute made in order as original text. The previous 
     question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and 
     amendments thereto to final passage without intervening 
     motion except one motion to recommit with or without 
     instructions.
       Sec. 2.  During consideration in the House of H.R. 4847 
     pursuant to this resolution, notwithstanding the operation of 
     the previous question, the Chair may postpone further 
     consideration of the bill to such time as may be designated 
     by the Speaker.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 
1 hour.
  Ms. SUTTON. For the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 
minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings). All time 
yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. I ask 
unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which 
to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into 
the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. SUTTON. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 1071 provides for consideration of H.R. 4847, 
the United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008 under 
a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, controlled by 
the Committee on Science and Technology, and makes in order all three 
amendments that were submitted for consideration. I am proud to rise 
today in support of this rule and the underlying bill.
  Mr. Speaker, twenty-seven years ago, in 1971, over 12,000 citizens 
and more than 250 firefighters tragically lost their lives due to 
fires. In response to those tragic occurrences, this body passed the 
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act into law, establishing the 
United States Fire Administration, also known as the USFA, and the 
National Fire Academy, known as the NFA. The USFA was created to reduce 
the incidence of death, injury and property loss from fire through 
public education, data collection, research and training.
  Mr. Speaker, we have made great progress. Since the creation of the 
USFA in 1974, the number of fire deaths has been reduced by more than 
one-half. Besides providing training and educational programs for over 
30,000 fire departments across this great Nation, the USFA promotes 
fire safety and prevention programs to the public.
  Mr. Speaker, these educational and outreach programs undoubtedly have 
saved thousands of lives and thousands of dollars, and will continue to 
do so.
  Reports published by the USFA provide essential information to help 
reduce the risk of fires. For example, the USFA releases a report in 
December to encourage fire safety during the holiday season. According 
to last year's report, ``Fires occurring during the holiday season 
claimed the lives of over 400 people, injured more than 1,650, and 
caused $990 million in damage.'' The report outlines precautionary 
tests to help American families avoid devastating but often preventable 
accidents.
  The USFA also collects reliable data on civilian and firefighter 
deaths and injuries. In 2006, there were 3,245 civilian deaths from 
fires and 81 percent of all civilian fire deaths occurred in 
residences, which represents 25 percent of all fires. Direct property 
loss due to fires was approximately $11.3 billion, $755 million of 
which was the result of 31,000 intentionally-set structure fires.
  Mr. Speaker, sadly, 106 firefighters were killed in the line of duty 
in 2006. For nearly 30 years, the USFA has collected data on the number 
and causes of firefighter fatalities. The analysis of this invaluable 
research allows the USFA to find solutions to specific problems and 
reduce the number of fatalities with our firefighters.
  While the number of firefighter deaths has been greatly reduced, 
approximately 100 brave firefighters make the ultimate sacrifice to 
protect our loved ones and our communities each year. We must continue 
to strive to prevent fires, to learn the lessons from unpreventable 
fires, and to properly train and equip our firefighters. It is vital 
that our Federal Government ensure that our brave firefighters have

[[Page H1978]]

the training and the support they need to keep our families and 
communities safe.
  Mr. Speaker, this reauthorization bill will promote national 
consensus standards for safe fire fighting at all levels of Government. 
H.R. 4847 will also help to provide training for firefighters who are 
increasingly called on to handle modern-day challenges and 
catastrophes, including fire fighting in the wildland-urban interface 
and responding to hazardous material incidents.
  Firefighters are the first on the scene and the last to leave. 
Captain Robert Livingston echoed these sentiments in his testimony 
before the House Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation when he 
said, ``The days of firefighters whose primary function was to `put the 
wet stuff on the red stuff' are long gone. The men and women of the 
21st century fire service have evolved into highly-trained, highly-
skilled all-purpose emergency responders with broad responsibilities.''
  Firefighters in my district know this all too well. With the recent 
and reoccurring damaging floods in cities like Barberton, North 
Royalton, Elyria and Lorain, our firefighters have been called upon to 
provide emergency flood assistance. And we must never forget, Mr. 
Speaker, the heroics our Nation witnessed on September 11th as these 
brave men and women ran into the Twin Towers to save as many people as 
possible. Three hundred forty-one of New York City's finest 
firefighters, three fire safety directors, two paramedics and one 
volunteer firefighter died in the line of duty at the World Trade 
Center on that fatal day.
  It is our responsibility to provide the resources necessary to train 
those who protect us, and today, with passage of this act, we will be 
providing the support to meet the needs of our firefighters for the 
21st century. By reauthorizing and improving this act, we are ensuring 
that the USFA continues to provide training, education and the tools to 
the firefighters we entrust to protect our communities and our 
families.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the 
gentlewoman from Ohio, Ms. Sutton, for yielding me the customary 30 
minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, in 2003, this legislation, 
the United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act, passed the 
U.S. Senate by unanimous consent, and it passed the House that same 
year as a suspension bill by a voice vote. This year it was approved 
with bipartisan support and a voice vote out of the House Science 
Committee. The history of this bill has clearly been one of 
bipartisanship and broad agreement on the merits for renewing the U.S. 
Fire Administration activities.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a prime candidate for consideration as a 
suspension bill by this House, and in a Tuesday meeting of the Rules 
Committee, I suggested that if no amendments were filed with the 
committee, that the House should actually consider it as a suspension 
bill because of its broad support.
  The Democrats on the Rules Committee said no to consideration as a 
suspension, as was done in 2003, which, I might add, was done with 
their consent in 2003. The Democrat Rules Committee insisted on a 
structured amendment process requiring Representatives to file their 
proposed amendments through the Rules Committee for the committee's 
review. Ultimately three amendments were filed with the committee. This 
rule would make only those three amendments in order, thereby 
prohibiting the 432 other Members of the House from coming to the House 
floor and offering an amendment.
  Mr. Speaker, the Democrat majority has set an historic record for the 
most closed rules in the history of the House. In doing so, they shut 
down debate on the House floor more than any other majority has.
  Mr. Speaker, it is really a terrible record. As the new Democrat 
majority took control after the November 2006 elections, they promised 
the exact opposite. They pledged to run the most open House and to 
allow for bipartisanship.
  Mr. Speaker, they have broken that promise. Other than appropriation 
bills, which are historically considered under open rules, this 
Congress has had only one, just one open rule, and that was over a year 
ago, in February of 2007.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill to renew the activities of the Fire 
Administration is noncontroversial. If it is not going to be considered 
under suspension of the rules, then it should be done under an open 
rule. If this noncontroversial bill is not a candidate for an open 
rule, then what bill will this Democrat majority be willing to bring to 
the floor and allow under an open rule?
  The Democrat majority blocks debates on controversial bills and 
noncontroversial bills. No legislation appears safe from their drive to 
shut down and shut out debate in this House. They promised to run the 
House in an open manner, and they are not. They passed new rules to 
make conference committees more open. Then they just stopped using 
conference committees and retreated further behind closed doors to 
write final bills. Mr. Speaker, as just one example, take the Democrat 
refusal to conference with the Senate on FISA legislation.
  The American people were promised that this House would be run 
differently, that it would be run better, but in fact it has not been. 
The Democrat majority has exceeded and surpassed the heavy-handed 
tactics that they condemned in the last Congress. Now they have gone so 
far as to take a noncontroversial bill that was passed by voice vote 
and turn it into another opportunity to tighten the vise and block 
debate on the House floor.

                              {time}  1030

  This House deserves to be allowed to work in an open and free manner, 
and it hasn't had that, Mr. Speaker.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to, if I could, just mention 
this bill. The bill has such wide support, not only within this 
Congress, but it has been endorsed by some extraordinarily important 
organizations out there. It has been endorsed by the Congressional Fire 
Services Institute, the International Association of Arson 
Investigators, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the 
International Association of Firefighters, the International Fire 
Service Training Association, the National Fire Protection Association, 
the National Volunteer Fire Council, the North American Fire Training 
Directors. So this bill has wide support and on both sides of the 
aisle.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I would just make the 
observation: This bill, as I mentioned in my remarks and as the 
gentlelady from Ohio mentioned in her remarks, has obviously very, very 
broad bipartisan support. Why not consider it then under an open 
process? There are probably many Members that have an idea that they 
could perfect this legislation, but we are being denied, with the 
exception of three amendments, to try to perfect this bill.
  I just think it is the wrong way to go in a body that prides itself 
being open to debate and being very deliberative. We are certainly not 
getting that opportunity under this noncontroversial bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, we have heard on this floor today why we 
must pass this rule and pass the United States Fire Administration 
Reauthorization Act.
  As I have said, we must continue to support firefighters in 
communities like Sheffield Lake, Brunswick, and Akron, and all across 
this Nation, and ensure that they have the resources available to do 
their job to protect our loved ones and our communities.
  This bill authorizes appropriations for the fiscal year 2009-2012 for 
the USFA in the responsible manner the American people expect of 
Congress. According to the Congressional Budget Office, enacting this 
legislation will not affect direct spending or revenues, and will 
impose no costs on State, local, or tribal governments.
  H.R. 4847 expands the list of training activities the National Fire 
Academy is authorized to engage in, which will

[[Page H1979]]

help our firefighters manage the demands of the 21st century. These 
programs include response activities to all types of national 
catastrophes; exposure of hazardous materials; and increased emergency 
medical services. This bill also authorizes the USFA to assist the 
Nation's fire services by improving equipment and sharing best 
practices to address fire suppression and prevention.
  This bill was passed by a voice vote by the Science and Technology 
Committee with bipartisan support, and has been endorsed by the 
International Association of Firefighters.
  I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.
  I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question 
on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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