[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 19, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2550-H2551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1045
                         HONORING MICHAEL LECIK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Ms. Spanberger) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SPANBERGER. Madam Speaker, I rise to remember the life of a 
courageous, kind, and selfless Virginian, Mike Lecik.
  Service was an unwavering part of who Mike was. Throughout his 
career, Mike served as an Air Force firefighter, an assistant fire 
chief with the U.S. Department of Defense, and the assistant chief at 
the Huguenot Volunteer Fire Department in central Virginia.
  As an Air Force firefighter, Mike deployed twice to the Middle East. 
After coming home to Powhatan County, he was proud to serve in his 
local volunteer fire department. He cared deeply for his community and 
his country. A few years ago, Mike was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, 
a blood cancer linked to the dangerous conditions of his service as an 
Air Force firefighter.
  I first got to know Mike because the VA did not recognize this 
connection, and he wanted to do something about it. He wanted to learn 
more about how the system could be changed for the better and for the 
benefit of his fellow servicemen and -women.
  This fight was not just about getting the support that he needed; 
rather, it was about the thousands of firefighters just like him who 
faced this challenge. Mike truly wanted every veteran firefighter to 
get the care they deserved.
  Mike passed away earlier this year at the age of 41.
  Mike was dedicated to his community, the safety of his neighbors, 
and, above all, his family. It was my honor to have him as a 
constituent.
  Mike leaves behind a family and a community that deeply cared for 
him, and he leaves behind a cause that is worth championing.
  Across the board, firefighters are more likely to be exposed to 
certain carcinogens. They are more likely to suffer certain diseases 
and illnesses because of their career. And they experience higher rates 
of cancer than the general U.S. population.
  This connection is well-documented by scientific research, but it is 
yet to be recognized by the VA, the Federal agency entrusted with 
caring for those who have borne the battle.
  Military firefighters put their lives on the line each day--not just 
to defend our country but also to selflessly defend their fellow 
servicemembers. But to this day, thousands of veteran firefighters are 
left uncovered by the VA for certain types of cancer treatments.
  Earlier this year, I reintroduced the Michael Lecik Military 
Firefighters Protection Act in Mike's name to fix this longstanding 
issue. This bipartisan legislation would make sure diseases like Mike's 
are recognized as presumptive service-connected disabilities.
  By recognizing the long-term effects of military firefighting and the 
diseases that can arise from this career over time, our bill would 
provide much-needed peace of mind and security to thousands of veteran 
firefighters and their families. It would lift an undue burden off 
thousands of veterans experiencing severe and often-terminal illnesses.
  Right now, the VA doesn't cover significant treatment costs like 
those faced by Mike, as the VA, in many cases, does not recognize the 
direct service connection between firefighting and cancer as a 
presumptive service-connected disability beyond 1 year following Active 
Duty.
  Our legislation would establish the presumption that veteran 
firefighters who become disabled by serious diseases, including heart 
disease, lung disease, and certain cancers like Mike's, within 15 years 
of separating from Active Duty contracted the illness due to their 
service in the military.
  By creating this presumption, the VA would be required to provide 
equitable disability benefits and treatment cost coverage to veteran 
firefighters like Mike.
  This legislation has the support of Democrats and Republicans from 
across the political spectrum, including many who have served our 
country.
  Specifically, I would like to thank my Republican colleague, 
Congressman Bacon from Nebraska, himself an Air Force veteran of nearly 
30 years, for his continued partnership in leading this bill. I thank 
Congressman Bacon for recognizing that this issue should unite us all 
because we all represent veterans with stories like Mike's.
  Even as he was engaged in the battle of his life--for his life--Mike 
was eager to make progress on this issue. When I first reached out to 
Mike to ask whether he would like to be involved with the legislation, 
he never hesitated.
  Mike had already been in touch with our team about some of his issues 
with the VA. And when asked if he wanted to take up this challenge and 
make a difference through the legislative process, he said: 
``Absolutely.'' He was ready to take up the mantle for his fellow vets. 
It was his honor.

  Even as his illness progressed, he stayed apprised of new 
developments on this legislation, and my team was humbled to work with 
him. He showed incredible strength and determination that we will never 
forget.
  The Michael Lecik Military Firefighters Protection Act is about a 
fundamental question: How do we show our gratitude and appreciation to 
those who served, to those who have put on the uniform, and to those 
who have worked under hazardous and dangerous conditions to keep their 
countrymen and fellow servicemembers safe?
  The answer is found beyond platitudes. It is found beyond spoken 
promises. It is found in action. And it is found in delivering the 
benefits our veterans have earned through their sacrifice.
  No veteran who puts on the uniform should repeatedly have to make the 
argument that their injury, their illness, is connected to their 
service when the evidence is so apparent--to the degree that the 
majority of our States have already recognized the link between these 
serious diseases and the occupational hazards of firefighting and have 
enacted presumptive disability laws.
  In the case of Mike and thousands of firefighters like him, no 
veteran should experience a VA that refuses to help cover the costs of 
treating their service-connected cancer.
  As I urge my colleagues to recognize the urgent need to pass the 
Michael Lecik Military Firefighters Protection Act, I am thinking of 
his wife, Tiffany, and his three daughters, Amery, Aubrey, and Addy. He 
loved them deeply, and I work in his honor.

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