[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 50 (Thursday, March 19, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E244]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       NATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES MEMORIAL EXTENSION ACT

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                               speech of

                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 16, 2026

  Mr. HUDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2196, to 
extend and authorize the commemorative work to complete the National 
Emergency Medical Services Memorial, and urge the House to pass this 
bill.
  The authorization for work on the memorial expired in November of 
2025, and at no cost to the taxpayer, this bill simply allows the 
Foundation to continue their donations and work on the memorial in 
Washington.
  Each year across our Nation, the 850,000 men and women of EMS answer 
more than 30 million calls to serve 22 million patients at a moment's 
notice. EMS is one of the first lines of defense in the prevention and 
mitigation of risk from all sorts of accidents, attacks, or natural 
disasters.
  In my home state of North Carolina, our EMS serves a vital purpose 
when hurricanes hit, and most recently, Hurricane Helene devastated the 
western part of the state. EMS workers were risking their lives to aid 
their communities, keep people alive, transport friends and neighbors 
to safer locations and secure facilities to be treated.
  In fact, statistics show EMS providers die in the line of duty at a 
rate more than twice the national average for many other careers and 
endure an injury rate of nearly 100 percent. Without the sacrifice of 
EMS workers, our communities would be much less safe.
  It is time to recognize the efforts of these unsung heroes and 
memorialize the ultimate sacrifice made by more than 600 members of the 
Nation's EMS and their loved ones.
  The original bill was passed in 2018, and I look forward to seeing 
the work continue so that we can have a memorial in D.C. where our EMS 
providers can be commemorated and honored.

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