[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 99 (Wednesday, May 27, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H2316-H2319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER PANDEMIC RESPONSE ACT OF 2020

  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6509) to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
Act of 1968 to provide public safety officer death and disability 
benefits for certain public safety officers who contract COVID-19, and 
for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6509

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Public Safety Officer 
     Pandemic Response Act of 2020''.

     SEC. 2. DEATH AND DISABILITY BENEFITS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY 
                   OFFICERS IMPACTED BY COVID-19.

       Section 1201 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
     Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following new subsection:
       ``(o) For purposes of this part:
       ``(1) COVID-19 (or complications therefrom) shall be 
     presumed to constitute a personal injury within the meaning 
     of subsection (a), sustained in the line of duty by a public 
     safety officer and directly and proximately resulting in 
     death, in the case of a public safety officer who was 
     diagnosed with, who received a positive test for, or for whom 
     evidence indicated that the officer was infected with, COVID-
     19, unless such officer was not on duty during the 45-day 
     period prior to being diagnosed with or having positive test 
     for COVID-19.
       ``(2) The Attorney General shall accept claims, including 
     supplemental claims, under this section from an individual 
     who--
       ``(A) was serving as a public safety officer and was 
     injured or disabled in the line of duty as a result of the 
     terrorist attacks on the United States that occurred on 
     September 11, 2001, or in the aftermath of such attacks 
     developed a condition described in section 3312(a) of the 
     Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300mm-22(a)); and
       ``(B) was diagnosed with COVID-19 during the period 
     described in paragraph (3), which, in combination with the 
     injury or disability described in subparagraph (A), 
     permanently and totally disabled or directly and proximately 
     resulted in the death of the individual.
     In assessing a claim under this paragraph, the presumption of 
     causation described in paragraph (1) shall apply.
       ``(3) The presumption described in paragraph (1) and 
     standard in subsection (p) shall apply with respect to a 
     diagnosis of COVID-19 (or complications therefrom) beginning 
     on January 20, 2020, and ending on January 20, 2022.
       ``(4) The term `COVID-19' means a disease caused by severe 
     acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
       ``(p) In determining whether the personal injury under 
     subsection (b) resulting from COVID-19 (or complications 
     therefrom) was a catastrophic injury, the Attorney General's 
     inquiry shall apply the presumption in subsection (o) and be 
     limited to whether the individual is permanently prevented 
     from performing any gainful work as a public safety 
     officer.''.

     SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' or this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Nadler) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Reschenthaler) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6509, the Public 
Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act. I introduced this bill on April 
14 in response to the escalating and deadly threat of the COVID-19 
virus to our public safety officers, and I am pleased that the House is 
considering it today.
  H.R. 6509 expands the Public Safety Officers' Benefits program, known 
as the PSOB program, to ensure that public safety officers who contract 
COVID-19 in the line of duty are eligible for benefits under the 
program should they become disabled or should they die from the virus.
  Madam Speaker, this bill would accomplish three critical objectives.
  First, it establishes that a diagnosis, a positive test, or evidence 
of COVID-19 infection shall be presumed to constitute a personal injury 
in the line of duty for the purposes of eligibility for the PSOB 
program, unless the officer was not on duty in the relevant time 
period.
  Second, it ensures that officers who were injured or disabled in the 
line of duty in relation to the attacks of September 11, 2001, and 
whose injuries in combination with a COVID-19 illness rendered them 
disabled or caused their death will receive benefits under the PSOB 
program.

                              {time}  2030

  And, third, it establishes that the COVID-19-related disability 
standard is based on whether a PSOB claimant is permanently prevented 
from performing any gainful work as a public safety officer on account 
of a COVID-19 diagnosis.
  Because of the demands placed on public safety officers during this 
crisis, it is important that Congress enact all of these elements.
  In seeking to protect and serve their communities in their various 
roles, public safety officers willingly undertake risks of harm on a 
daily basis. Because of this, we have established the PSOB program to 
provide disability and death benefits for them when they are disabled 
or die due to line-of-duty injuries.
  During the current crisis of COVID-19 contagion, the risks to public 
safety officers go well beyond the dangers first responders ordinarily 
experience. Police officers, firefighters, and EMTs are often the first 
responders that those with COVID-19 encounter.
  Current estimates are that nearly 40 percent of COVID-19 carriers are

[[Page H2317]]

asymptomatic. Therefore, for first responders, even ordinary encounters 
with members of the community become potentially life-threatening 
events.
  On top of this, a lack of availability of appropriate personal 
protective equipment has unnecessarily exposed thousands of officers to 
COVID-19. Despite the additional risks they take on, public safety 
officers continue to faithfully execute their jobs and protect us all.
  H.R. 6509 acknowledges this by clarifying and expanding certain 
aspects of how the existing PSOB program for officers who contract 
COVID-19 is applied.
  If an officer was on duty during this crisis and contracts this 
disease, his or her illness should be considered a line-of-duty injury. 
And officers who are disabled due to COVID-19 should be eligible for 
disability benefits under a less stringent standard, given the added 
risks they undertook during this crisis, particularly because many 
officers have not been given appropriate equipment to mitigate their 
risk.
  We must also address another unique and tragic circumstance. I have 
long been a champion of the public safety officers who provided their 
service in responding to the deadly 9/11 attacks on our country. In 
fact, this bill is modeled on legislation that Congress enacted just 
days after 9/11, which I authored, to ensure that public safety 
officers who were injured or killed in the line of duty because of 9/11 
received the benefits they deserved.
  Many first responders lost their lives that day; and in the days and 
weeks following the attacks, thousands of public safety officers rushed 
in to help the injured and to seek the remains of those who perished.
  Numerous studies have sadly shown that, as a result of these attacks, 
these public safety officers were exposed to a slew of toxic chemicals 
and dust that directly inhibit lung capacity. Therefore, 9/11 public 
safety officers are uniquely vulnerable to COVID-19, which attacks a 
person's ability to breathe effectively.
  H.R. 6509 acknowledges that the service of public safety officers 
during and after 9/11 continues to put them at a higher risk of 
disability or death. This bill allows those officers who were injured 
or disabled in the line of duty in relation to 9/11 and whose injuries, 
in combination with COVID-19 illness, rendered them disabled or caused 
their death to apply for benefits under the PSOB program.
  To date, Congress has upheld its promise to 9/11 first responders 
who, on account of their injuries on 9/11, have been tragically 
succumbing to cancers and other diseases. Today, we will do so again.
  I note that the Sergeants Benevolent Association of the New York City 
Police Department wrote to me yesterday expressing strong support for 
this bill and citing the importance of including provisions addressing 
the 9/11 issue in this legislation.
  We have also received letters of support for this bill from the 
Fraternal Order of Police and the National Association of Police 
Organizations.
  I include all of these letters in the Record.

         Sergeants Benevolent Association, Police Department, City 
           of New York,
                                       New York, NY, May 26, 2020.
     Hon. Jerrold Nadler,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
     House of Representatives, Washington. DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing on behalf of the more 
     13,000 members of the Sergeants Benevolent Association of the 
     New York City Police Department to advise you of our strong 
     support for H.R. 6509, the ``Public Safety Officer Pandemic 
     Response Act.'' This important legislation will establish a 
     much needed presumption to enable the Public Safety Officers' 
     Benefits (PSOB) Program to process death and disability 
     benefits for our frontline law enforcement officers, 
     firefighters, and EMTs exposed to COVID-19.
       Nearly nineteen years ago, thousands of first responders in 
     New York and across the country were exposed to a deadly 
     cocktail of toxins at the sites of the worst terrorist attack 
     in American history. To date, exposure to those toxins has 
     claimed the lives of more police officers than died on 9/11 
     itself. While today we fully recognize the toll suffered by 
     the rescue and recovery personnel in the months alter 9/11, 
     that was not always the case. And it required nearly all of 
     the past nineteen years to fully secure health and 
     compensation benefits for impacted first responders. The 
     lessons of the 9/11 health crisis are the historical context 
     for which you, the SBA, and others are seeking to address 
     both the actual short-term and potential longterm 
     consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on public safety 
     officers. We are unfortunately experiencing the short-term 
     impact of this disease on the ranks of law enforcement, which 
     has already claimed the lives of more than 100 officers, 
     including six from the NYPD. But we do not yet know the long-
     term effects COVID-19 will present to those exposed to it.
       While the PSOB Program currently covers deaths and 
     disabilities from ``infectious disease,'' providing evidence 
     that a disease was contracted in the line of duty is not 
     always straightforward. In this current pandemic, making the 
     connection between an officer's death or disability from 
     COVID-19 and one specific exposure to a carrier of the 
     disease is likely impossible. H.R. 6509 addresses this issue 
     by establishing a full presumptive standard for COVID-19-
     related death and disability claims for PSOB benefits. It 
     will also create a similar presumptive standard for those 
     officers who are suffering from 9/11 health conditions and 
     are at significantly higher risk from this disease. In so 
     doing, the ``Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act'' 
     affords Congress the opportunity to be proactive in its 
     response to the threat COVID-19 poses to the public safety 
     community and ensures that our nation's heroes are not 
     subjected to another lengthy battle to obtain the benefits 
     they are entitled to.
       On behalf of the membership of the SBA, thank you for your 
     leadership on this legislation and your legacy of supporting 
     positive enhancements to the PSOB Program. Please do not 
     hesitate to contact me.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Ed Mullins,
     President.
                                  ____

                                          National Fraternal Order


                                                    of Police,

                                     Washington, DC, May 27, 2020.
     Hon. Nancy P. Pelosi,
     Speaker of the House,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Kevin O. McCarthy,
     Minority Leader,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Madam Speaker and Representative McCarthy: I am 
     writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of 
     Police to advise you of our strong support for H.R. 6509, the 
     ``Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act,'' and to urge 
     the House to pass it.
       We knew at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that law 
     enforcement officers on the front lines combating this 
     pandemic would be increasingly vulnerable to contracting the 
     virus. As we had feared, the virus has claimed the lives of 
     many, and now includes a growing number of law enforcement 
     officers. As of today, 112 law enforcement officers have died 
     from COVID-19 related illnesses.
       The Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program 
     provides that the surviving family members of a public safety 
     officer who contracts an infectious disease in the line of 
     duty and dies as a result of its contraction are eligible for 
     the PSOB's death benefit. With the help of the President and 
     the Attorney General, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) 
     announced on 9 April that a death benefit claim for a COVID-
     19 related death will be found by the BJA to have contracted 
     the disease in the line of duty in most cases. This was a 
     vitally important issue for our members on the front lines 
     during this pandemic and this legislation would expand and 
     codify this presumption.
       In addition to the presumption for death benefit claims, 
     H.R. 6509 would ensure that public safety officers who 
     contract COVID-19 in the line of duty are eligible for 
     benefits should they become disabled from the novel 
     coronavirus. It would establish new standards for disability 
     claims related to COVID-19 by defining ``catastrophic 
     injury'' in cases where the injured officer was ``permanently 
     prevented from performing any gainful work as a public safety 
     officer.'' At a time of heightened risk from this pandemic, 
     we believe this is necessary to ensure that these officers 
     and their families, who are not able to ``stay at home'' 
     during this crisis, will be taken care of in the event they 
     are disabled and unable to continue to serve as law 
     enforcement officers.
       The legislation also recognizes the unique vulnerability of 
     officers who were injured or disabled in the line of duty in 
     relation to the attacks of September 11. 2001, and whose 
     injuries--in combination with a line-of-duty COVID-19 
     illness--rendered them disabled or caused their death will be 
     eligible to receive the death or disability benefits under 
     the PSOB program.
       On behalf of the more than 351,000 members of the Fraternal 
     Order of Police, I urge the House to pass this measure and 
     send it to the Senate. If I can be of any further assistance, 
     please do not hesitate to contact me.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Patrick Yoes,
     National President.
                                  ____

                                    National Association of Police


                                          Organizations, Inc.,

                                     Alexandria, VA, May 26, 2020.
     Hon. Jerrold Nadler,
     Chair, Committee on the Judiciary,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Nadler: On behalf of the National Association 
     of Police Organizations (NAPO), representing over 241,000 law 
     enforcement officers across the United States,

[[Page H2318]]

     I am writing to you to express our strong support for the 
     Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act of 2020 (H.R. 
     6509).
       The PSOB Program was designed to offer peace of mind to men 
     and women seeking careers in public safety and to make a 
     strong statement about the value that American Society places 
     on the contributions of those who serve their communities in 
     potentially dangerous circumstances, such as the current 
     coronavirus pandemic. Officers have been protecting our 
     communities with insufficient personal protective equipment 
     (PPE), putting themselves at high risk of exposure to this 
     very communicable disease.
       While the PSOB Program does cover line of duty deaths and 
     disabilities due to infectious diseases, we feel strongly 
     that COVID-19 is unique and presents its own challenges in 
     proving line of duty exposure. While with most other 
     infectious diseases, it is easy to pinpoint the source and 
     details surrounding the exposure, but this situation is more 
     difficult with the new coronavirus and its asymptomatic 
     spread. Every day, we are learning more about COVID-19. 
     First, it was believed it could only be spread by close human 
     contact. Now, experts know that it can also be spread through 
     the air. Individuals can be carriers of COVID-19 without 
     being symptomatic. Our officers have found themselves in an 
     extraordinary and dangerous situation over which they have 
     very little control.
       The Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act would 
     establish that COVID-19 shall be presumed to have been 
     contracted as a result of the officer's service for the 
     purposes of PSOB death and disability benefits. It would 
     create a specific standard for COVID-19-related disability 
     this is based on whether a PSOB claimant is permanently 
     prevented from performing any gainful work as a public safety 
     officer due to their COVID-19 diagnosis. Finally, it would 
     recognize the physical toll 9/11 related illnesses have had 
     on first responders by covering under the PSOB Program those 
     public safety officers whose 9/11 related illness are 
     compounded by a COVID-19 diagnosis and lead to their death or 
     disability.
       For these reasons, NAPO wholeheartedly supports the Public 
     Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act and we call on the House 
     of Representatives to pass this important legislation. If we 
     can provide any additional information or assistance, please 
     feel free to contact me.
           Sincerely,
                                               William J. Johnson,
                                               Executive Director.
  Mr. NADLER. I also want to note that, as we work to support our first 
responders today, we must also support other essential workers who are 
on the front lines of this pandemic, like those in the food and 
healthcare industries who are putting their lives at risk each day 
during this crisis.
  We should ensure that all those who are making the ultimate sacrifice 
for their communities, for us, are properly compensated. That work 
begins today with supporting our public safety officers with this bill.
  I thank my colleagues, Representative Max Rose from New York and 
Representative Bill Pascrell from New Jersey, for their support of this 
measure from its inception. And I ask my colleagues in the House to 
join me in supporting this bill so that we can pass it today.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, America's law enforcement officers, firefighters, and 
other first responders are on the front lines of the fight against the 
coronavirus. Over 100 public safety officers tragically lost their 
lives due to COVID-19, and that number will inevitably continue to 
rise.
  During this challenging time, it is critical that we ensure our 
officers and their loved ones can utilize the Department of Justice's 
Public Safety Officers' Benefits program.
  The PSOB program was created to aid officers killed or totally 
disabled on the job. The program reviews over 1,000 claims submitted 
every year and provides one-time payments of roughly $365,000 for 
officers who lost their lives or who were totally disabled in the line 
of duty. The program also provides monthly education benefits to the 
children of these officers.
  While nothing can ever replace a loved one, this program gives our 
first responders peace of mind, knowing that their families will be 
taken care of should the worst happen.
  However, to receive benefits under current law, first responders must 
prove they contracted COVID-19 while on duty. Both Republicans and 
Democrats agree: Congress must amend the PSOB program to create a 
presumption allowing officers and their families to receive assistance 
without facing this burdensome requirement.
  Unfortunately, the majority in the House is delaying these important 
benefits. The Senate passed S. 3607, the bipartisan Safeguarding 
America's First Responders Act of 2020, and they did this about 2 weeks 
ago.
  If House Democrats were actually serious about getting these benefits 
to public safety officers, we would pass the Senate bill today and send 
it to the President to sign into law. Instead, House Democrats are 
again engaging in political games, rejecting the Senate's bill and 
taking up the House's bill, which includes several problematic 
provisions that the Senate will simply not agree to.
  I am very disappointed that the Democrat majority would rather play 
partisan politics than provide immediate assistance to brave, selfless 
men and women who are protecting our communities. However, I agree with 
the primary intent of this legislation, and I strongly support our 
Nation's dedication to public safety officers.
  A few days ago, we honored those who made the ultimate sacrifice 
while serving our country in the armed services. It is only right that 
we take care of first responders, who are also making sacrifices every 
day for this great country.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), one of the authors of this 
legislation.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Madam Speaker, I rise for our first responders who are 
risking their lives and the lives of their families. They go to work 
every day to fight this virus. They need our help.
  I am proud to join Chairman Nadler, Congressman Max Rose, and others 
in support of the Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act. Our bill 
will guarantee first responders receive Public Safety Officer Benefits 
if the worst comes to pass, because there have been many delays. We 
need clarity so that there is no anxiety about this.
  In my district, the Ninth District of New Jersey, we tragically lost 
two first responders to COVID-19 in the line of duty.
  Israel Tolentino, a firefighter from Passaic, New Jersey, was 33 
years old. It was Israel's lifelong dream to be a firefighter. He made 
the ultimate sacrifice for our community fighting this pandemic. He 
leaves behind his wife and two young children.
  And we have lost Frank Scorpo, a police officer from my hometown of 
Paterson. I knew the family. He was only 34. He was a beloved member of 
the force. He leaves behind his wife and two sons, ages 4 and 6 months.
  Another person I want to recognize, who understands and is sensitive 
to this, for all the years he served here, is Peter King of New York. 
He never, never missed an opportunity to stand up for law enforcement 
and their families.
  These men are heroes, Scorpo and Tolentino. My heart and your heart 
bleeds for our fallen first responders. This bill ensures their 
families have some peace of mind that their benefits will be 
implemented.
  This legislation was part, as you know, of the landmark HEROES Act, 
which was passed a week and a half ago. We are passing it again to 
underscore its critical importance.
  We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all first responders across New 
Jersey and around the country. We cannot make it to the other side of 
this mess without them. I thank them for their service, and God bless 
all of them.
  Thank you to law enforcement and fire service organizations who 
helped draft this legislation. I know they stand strong for their 
membership.
  I want to recognize Senator Cory Booker and Senator Chuck Grassley 
for working to protect our first responders. I know they are serious 
about creating this presumption.
  I have served as the co-chair of law enforcement in the Congress for 
over 16 years. These are our men, these are our women in uniform. We 
must get this done. We cannot delay.
  Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, we have no further speakers at this 
time, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Rose), another sponsor of the bill.

[[Page H2319]]

  

  Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Nadler for his 
leadership and thank him for working with me on this effort. I also 
thank Congressman Pascrell for his extraordinary leadership in this 
regard.
  I stand in strong support of our bill, the Public Safety Officer 
Pandemic Response Act, because when this pandemic came to the United 
States, one thing that was never, ever in doubt was that our first 
responders would put on their uniforms and they would risk their lives 
to keep us safe.
  It was never in doubt because whenever there has been a crisis, 
whether it came to my city or to our country, they have always rushed 
to be our first line of defense. On 9/11, they rushed into the towers. 
During Hurricane Sandy, they braved a superstorm. And now, during the 
pandemic, they are on the front lines against an invisible enemy that 
has claimed more than 100,000 lives nationwide.
  Think of the toll this pandemic has taken on our Nation's heroes. 
Think of all those who have gone months without seeing their kids, 
their spouses, their own parents. Think of those who have gotten sick. 
Think of those who have lost their lives.
  The very least that Congress can do right now is give our police 
officers, our EMTs, our corrections officers, our firefighters, our 
public safety officers the peace of mind that, if the worst shall 
happen, we will be there for them and their families.

                              {time}  2045

  When this bill becomes law--and it will become law--the family of an 
officer who was catastrophically injured or lost their life will not 
have to jump through hoops or prove that it was because of the 
coronavirus. They won't have to spend 10 years litigating, trying to 
convince the government that their sacrifice actually meant something.
  Today, we are not cutting red tape; we are stopping the red tape from 
happening in the first place. This effort has bipartisan support. And, 
nonetheless--and only in Washington, D.C., is this possible--it has yet 
to cross the finish line. Our officers cannot afford to wait, cannot 
afford to wait for politics. We can't use our cops and our firefighters 
as political pawns.
  My city has lost nearly a dozen FDNY heroes, over 40 NYPD officers, 
and so many more of our brave officers across the United States of 
America.
  Every Member of Congress loves to take pictures with our first 
responders. We love to thank them. We love to rely on them. They 
protect our families when we go to Washington, D.C. Well, today is the 
day we see who is willing to do more than offer them pretty words on 
Facebook. Who is willing to do more than take a selfie?
  Today, we see who is willing to help our first responders, like they 
wouldn't hesitate to be there for us. God bless you and God bless the 
United States of America. Let's be there for our first responders.
  Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer strong support 
for the Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act and to just take a 
little journey down memory lane.
  Just 2 days ago we honored the fallen that have sacrificed their 
lives for this Nation for our freedom. We could not help many of us who 
held Memorial Day ceremonies for the fallen and to acknowledge their 
families who at that time, as well, acknowledge the nearing 100,000 
mark of those who died from COVID-19.
  As a Member of the United States Congress here during 9/11, right 
here in this Capitol, watching the billowing smoke from the Pentagon, 
hearing about the Trade Center, and of course, about the plane that no 
one could find that wound up in Pennsylvania, in all of those 
instances, first responders rushed to the scene. They were on the front 
lines.
  I remember that; heroic actions. But at the same time, I remember, as 
a Member of the Homeland Security Committee, the long and arduous 
journey, the suffering that these individuals had to go through to 
receive ultimate compensation, even just a few months ago, or about a 
year ago, reminded of the first responders that were in the Judiciary 
Committee pleading again for compensation through the 9/11 bill.
  I believe that where we are today is the right direction to get in 
front of and to help those who are still on the front lines, 
firefighters and techs, law enforcement officers in a variety of 
service, they are still there, many of whom started with COVID-19 
without the right PPEs, as many of them will tell you. Some who have 
already lost their lives. Many that continue to suffer with the 
remnants or the effects of COVID-19.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the sponsors and thank the chairman of 
the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Nadler. I want to thank Mr. Pascrell and 
Mr. Rose for all of the efforts to get in front, to say that the Nation 
does care. Because right now, Madam Speaker, as we are on this floor, 
there are emergency workers rushing to someone's home to be able to 
take them to a medical facility to save their lives, or they may be in 
an emergency room right now. So COVID-19 has not ended. That is why we 
are wearing masks. COVID-19 has taken 100,000 lives with no end in 
sight.
  So I rise in support to be able to provide these lifesaving front-
liners the safety net that they need, and the compensation that they 
need, in order for us to say more than a thank you, but to acknowledge 
and honor them for their service.
  Let us hope that we can, as a Nation, follow the instructions of 
social distancing, testing, wearing masks, that we can overcome this. 
But all the time that we are taking that journey, we will be looking to 
these first responders to be on the first line.
  Madam Speaker, I thank you for the time, and I ask our colleagues to 
support this legislation.
  Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Madam Speaker, I am disappointed that we are not taking up the 
bipartisan Senate-passed POS bill that had a clean fix to this issue. 
So I do want to say, I am disappointed that we are not running the 
Senate bill, which again, was bipartisan.
  But I do want to say, I support our Nation's first responders, and I 
truly believe it is vital that they receive the benefits they have 
earned. So I urge my colleagues to support our Nation's public service 
officers.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 crisis in this country has taken many 
lives and impacted every community. In our national response, there are 
many areas in which we know we must do better and do more to address 
the public health emergency and the economic impact on our people.
  This bill, which expands an existing program in several important 
ways will help address the tragic circumstances of public safety 
officers who are disabled by or die from this virus. It is one piece of 
the overall effort, but an important one.
  Madam Speaker, I, therefore, ask my colleagues to join me in 
supporting passage of H.R. 6509 today.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6509, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________