THE “FIRE” BILL: THIS IS THE YEAR
“Our work is really cut out for us. We must generate the support needed to pass this important legislation, the Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act (H.R. 1168) U. The fire service has been instrumental in bringing us to this point with cosponsors coming on board every day. That is a true testament to you, the work you do, and the respect that our nation has for you. We cannot stop here. Every congressman and congresswoman who is not a sponsor of the FIRE bill needs to hear from you directly U. We are either going to face up to this together or ignore what we know really has to happen U. [What has happened in the past year] teaches us [the] lesson that the fire services of this country can no longer act as kept people. We`re better than that! We`re bigger than that! We want people to step up to the plate. Either services are needed or they`re not needed. Let`s not pretend U. Let`s roll up our sleeves and get to the work at hand U. We have begun to fight. It`s a fight we`re going to win together U. I`m going to be menace on the Hill until this is done.”–Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., addressing the General Assembly at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis in March.
This commitment was made to the American fire services by Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., in the closing remarks of his FDIC presentation. He introduced the Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act (H.R. 1168) in the House of Representatives on March 17, 1999. Its 113 cosponsors, as of press time, included Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA), the founder of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), formerly a Caucus chairman. (A list of cosponsors as of press time is given on page 58.)
Noting that the proposed legislation is the “first of its kind and the most ambitious fire services bill ever written,” Pascrell told the audience: “It will for the first time demonstrate the nation`s commitment to all of you–not just in words, not just in breakfast speeches, not just in pats on the back, but in action as well.”
As proposed, the bill would make available directly to fire departments through competitive grants $5 billion–$1 billion a year for five years. (The version of the bill introduced in the House appears on page 56.)
The FIRE bill, according to Pascrell, “makes a very clear statement U. We can no longer expect communities, large or small, to be able to bear the sole burden of maintaining a modern fire service.”
When the fire services are called on to come to Americans` rescue, he continued, “we expect well-equipped, well-trained firefighters to respond in minutes. The firefighters of America should not be taken for granted any longer. In short, our fire services are the forgotten part of our public safety equation U. We can`t expect you to take on a larger role in terrorism, hazardous materials accidents, [and] chemical fires if we don`t give you the resources you need to prepare for these crises U. You deserve to be trained, you deserve to be equipped, you deserve to be prepared. Nothing less is acceptable.”
Referring to opposition to the measure on the basis that fire service is “the domain of local government” (a concept Pascrell says he “doesn`t disagree with one iota”), Pascrell asserted the following: “That`s an excuse. That`s camouflage! That`s a veil! If we continue with that mindset,” he warned, “we`re still going to be in back of the bus, and we`re still going to be begging with our hats. We should not be in that position. We want a spot equally with anyone else at the table U. There`s either parity [with law enforcement], or there isn`t. Let`s say it. Let`s be honest. I know and you know that we need this FIRE bill.”
The fire services deserve such a bill and equal status in the public safety arena, Pascrell pointed out several times during his presentation. “Fire departments are our nation`s first responders,” he observed, “yet the federal government shows little commitment to the fire services.”
The FIRE bill would change all that, he said, emphasizing that “the need for this legislation couldn`t be more clear U.” The federal government, he noted, “spends $32 million on fire prevention and training–less than three-tenths of one percent of what is given to law enforcement”–a situation that he said was not “good enough any longer.” Acknowledging that “law enforcement is essential to our communities” (he has supported legislation on its behalf throughout his political career), he added, “but so are our fire departments, and this disparity is simply unacceptable as we approach a new millennium U.”
RESPONSIBILITY IS TO POINT OUT THE NEED
His responsibility in the Congress of the United States, Pascrell said, is “to accentuate those failures–not to reinvent the wheel U. to bring to the fore what I think is critical at this particular time.” Public safety roles and responsibilities have changed over the past couple of decades, Pascrell said, noting that “tragedy has taken on several new faces.” An increase in threats has brought more varied responsibilities for public safety (police and fire) personnel “who must be able to adapt to the times and modernize,” he explained. The massive crime control bill passed by Congress in 1994, he pointed out, “gave the police the resources to do this. But,” he interjected, “we totally ignored our firefighters.” The FIRE bill, Pascrell noted, “is modeled after the President`s successful cops` program that has drastically improved our nation`s community policing efforts.”
The bill, Pascrell said, should be truly bipartisan and have no fewer than 300 cosponsors. He told audience members that many of them would not find their own home district legislators listed among the cosponsors. He urged that members of the fire services contact their representatives as soon as possible and ask them to sign on. Senators` support is also needed for ultimate passage of the bill.
“A lot of us talk about how important you are and highlight the work you do,” Pascrell told the predominantly firefighter audience. “Well, I think it`s time we [Congress] put our money where our mouth is.”
(Editor`s note: As a point of interest, many Congressional Fire Services Caucus members had not yet signed on as cosponsors at press time. Compare the list of cosponsors below with the Caucus Member Directory and then contact those members in your states and congressional districts and ask them to support you and the bill. A list of Caucus members is at Web site >http://www.cfsi.org/ completelist.html>.) n
THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
Timing and targeting individual congressional members are perhaps the most important parts of any strategy for lobbying for a piece of legislation. We often hear about the bills approved or rejected by Congress. But most often, these are the measures that made it through the entire legislative process. A majority of the legislation introduced never gets beyond the first hurdle. For example, in the last Congress, 7,259 bills were introduced but only 394 were enacted into law.
So what is the first hurdle? When a bill is introduced, it is referred to a Congressional oversight committee. Each committee is comprised of Republican and Democratic members. Before deciding a bill`s fate, the committee conducts hearings to gather information from outside sources on the bill`s merits. Both supporters and opponents of a measure are invited to provide testimony. Following the hearings, members meet amongst themselves to debate or negotiate changes. Once every stone is turned over and committee members have thoroughly considered the measure, they can vote to approve or defeat it. If minor differences beset a bill, committee members can often amend it, offering changes as part of a compromise to keep the measure alive.
The committee process is a mystery to most Americans, but it is probably the most crucial phase for any piece of legislation. That is why it is imperative for the fire service to understand this process. Before House and Senate members have an opportunity to vote for a measure, it must first make its way through a legislative labyrinth.
Last year, the Pascrell measure, like so many other measures, never made it beyond committee referral. No hearing. No vote. Nothing. If the fire service expects action on the measure, then it must make its voice heard. Calling Congressman Pascrell`s office is a start. But calling committee members is a wiser investment. Furthermore, the calls should be coming from local constituents first and foremost. If a Congressman or Congresswoman`s constituents aren`t interested in a bill, why should he or she be?
Congressman Pascrell has reintroduced his fire service legislation, entitled “Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act.” If there was ever an opportunity for the bill to succeed, this would be the year. All the talk about a budget surplus has created quite a stir in Washington, with members suggesting various ways to spend the money. The Clinton Administration is already budgeting an additional $6 million for law enforcement, $1 billion for teachers, and millions for environmental causes. Why not stake our claim to $5 billion? Who needs help more than the fire service? n
–Bill Webb, Congressional Fire Services Institute
FIRE Bill Cosponsors as of May 4, 1999
1. Abercrombie, Neil (HI)
2. Ackerman, Gary (NY)
3. Andrews, Robert (NJ)
4. Baldacci, John (ME)
5. Barcia, James (MI)
6. Bishop, Sanford (GA)
7. Blagojevich, Rob (IL)
8. Boehlert, Sherwood (NY)*
9. Bonior, David (MI)
10. Boucher, Rick (VA)
11. Brady, Bob (PA)
12. Brown, Corrine (FL)
13. Brown, George (CA)
14. Brown, Sherrod (OH)
15. Burr, Richard (NC)*
16. Camp, Dave (MI)*
17. Capuano, Michael (MA)
18. Carson, Julia (IN)
19. Clayton, Eva (NC)
20. Clyburn, James (SC)
21. Coble, Howard (NC)*
22. Costello, Jerry (IL)
23. Coyne, William (PA)
24. Crowley, Joseph (NY)
25. Cummings, Elijah (MD)
26. Delahunt, William (MA)
27. DeLauro, Rosa (CT)
28. Deutsch, Peter (FL)
29. Doyle, Michael (PA)
30. Duncan, John (TN)*
31. Ehrlich, Robert (MD)*
32. English, Phil (PA)*
33. Etheridge, Bob (NC)
34. Farr, Sam (CA)
35. Filner, Bob (CA)
36. Forbes, Michael (NY)*
37. Ford, Harold (TN)
38. Frank, Barney (MA)
39. Frost, Martin (TX)
40. Gejdenson, Sam (CT)
41. Gilman, Benjamin (NY)*
42. Gonzalez, Charles (TX)
43. Green, Gene (TX)
44. Hastings, Alcee (FL)
45. Holden, Tim (PA)
46. Holt, Rush (NJ)
47. Hooley, Darlene (OR)
48. Hoyer, Steny (MD)
49. Jackson-Lee, Sheila (TX)
50. Johnson, Eddie Bernice (TX)
51. Johnson, Nancy (CT)*
52. Kanjorski, Paul (PA)
53. Kelly, Sue (NY)*
54. Kennedy, Patrick (RI)
55. Kildee, Dale (MI)
56. King, Peter (NY)*
57. Klink, Ron (PA)
58. Kucinich, Dennis (OH)
59. LaFalce, John (NY)
60. Larson, John (CT)
61. Lewis, John (GA)
62. LoBiondo, Frank (NJ)*
63. Lofgren, Zoe (CA)
64. Lowey, Nita (NY)
65. Lucas, Ken (OK)
66. McCarthy, Carolyn (NY)
67. McCarthy, Karen (MO)
68. McDermott, Jim (WA)
69. McHugh, John (NY)*
70. McGovern, Jim (MA)
71. McKinney, Cynthia (GA)
72. McNulty, Michael (NY)
73. Maloney, James (CT)
74. Mascara, Frank (PA)
75. Matsui, Robert (CA)
76. Meek, Carrie (FL)
77. Menendez, Robert (NJ)
78. Metcalf, Jack (WA)*
79. Miller, George (CA)
80. Moakley, Joe (MA)
81. Morella, Connie (MD)*
82. Napolitano, Grace (CA)
83. Neal, Richard (MA)
84. Ney, Robert (OH)*
85. Oberstar, James (MN)
86. Olver, John (MA)
87. Pallone, Frank (NJ)
88. Pascrell, Bill (NJ)
89. Pastor, Ed (AZ)
90. Payne, Donald (NJ)
91. Phelps, David (IL)
92. Pickett, Owen (VA)
93. Quinn, Jack (NY)*
94. Rahall, Nick (WV)
95. Ramstad, Jim (MN)*
96. Reyes, Silvestre (TX)
97. Rivers, Lynn (MI)
98. Rothman, Steve (NJ)
99. Schakowsky, Janice (IL)
100. Strickland, Ted (OH)
101. Sweeney, John (NY)*
102. Taylor, Gene (MS)
103. Terry, Lee (NE)*
104. Thompson, Mike (CA)
105. Upton, Fred (MI)*
106. Walsh, James (NY)*
107. Weldon, Curt (PA)*
108. Weller, Jerry (IL)*
109. Weygand, Robert (RI)
110. Whitfield, Ed (KY)*
111. Wise, Robert (WV)
112. Wynn, Albert (MD)
113. Young, Don (AK)*
* Republican cosponsors
