[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 5, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H796-H797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        FIREFIGHTER CANCER REGISTRY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2023

  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3821) to reauthorize the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 
2018.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3821

       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 ``Firefighter Cancer Registry 
     Reauthorization Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF VOLUNTARY REGISTRY FOR FIREFIGHTER 
                   CANCER INCIDENCE.

       Section 2(h) of the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2018 
     (42 U.S.C. 280e-5(h)) is amended by striking ``$2,500,000 for 
     each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2022'' and inserting 
     ``$5,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. 
Schrier) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GUTHRIE. 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.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kentucky?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. 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.
  Ms. SCHRIER. 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).

                              {time}  1615

  Mr. PASCRELL. 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.
  Ms. SCHRIER. 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.

[[Page H797]]

  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this very 
important bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. 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.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3821.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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