How the Fire Services Caucus Measures Up: An Analysis
Member-to-member lobbying—the informal process by which members of Congress reach agreement on what to regulate, how to spend, and where to get money—influences the passage of federal law more than anything else.
Most Congressional member-to-member contact is just that: brief personal conversations. However, for some causes and on some occasions, members of Congress form caucuses and agree to work together on a regular basis. Some of these caucuses are enormously effective, and others aren’t.
In my opinion, Congressman Curt Weldon’s Fire Services Caucus already has most of the pieces necessary to be among the best.
What separates the best from the rest? There are five major areas to be examined.
Strong leadership
Representative Weldon and his staff are the caucus’s greatest asset. As a former fire chief, he understands the issues and the needs of America’s fire service. He’s made the fire service caucus a personal priority.
He’s as fearless as freshmen members get. For a first-term congressman to openly criticize the Speaker of the House and “fire-trap” conditions in the Halls of Congress—as Weldon did earlier this year after the fire in Congressman Wright’s office — ranks among the great acts of heroism.
A nucleus of the “right” members
Caucuses need members, but like any committee, a few of the right people get more done than a lot of the wrong ones. What do I mean by “right?”
Obviously, this nucleus must be formed by members who are interested in taking the time to learn about the issues and fight for the caucus’s priorities. Given the demands on a member’s time and staff, this is no small order.
Second, these members must sit on the Congressional committees and subcommittees that hammer out the laws that matter to the fire service. In most cases, by the time a bill gets to the floor of the House or Senate, the negotiating is over.
Third, this nucleus must be drawn from both the Senate and the House. Bills pass either the Senate or the House—but not the other—all the time.
Only after the caucus engages in several battles will it be known if Congressman Weldon has this nucleus.
Lots of members
It’s exciting and encouraging to know that more than 200 members of Congress have joined the Fire Services Caucus. But there’s a fair difference between belonging and serving.
Members of Congress serve many masters. Would Congress increase taxes to adequately fund federal fire programs? Will Congress properly address fire service concerns while reauthorizing the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act? If the Caucus can hold the majority of its members together on key votes, it will be a fearsome force.
Don’t look entirely to Congressman Weldon to act as shepherd, keeping the flock together. The strength and resolve of the caucus must come from the next area to be discussed.
Pressure from back home
The number one reason so many congressmen and senators have joined the fire service caucus is that they were asked to do so by voters back home.
To me, hundreds of thousands of dedicated, politically active, vocal firefighters are capable of keeping the caucus large and active. To do so, local firefighters must remain in regular touch with their representatives in Congress, must give helpful and consistent advice, and—to be fair—should help cooperative members get reelected.
Getting funding, getting stronger
A football team can practice twice a day for weeks. But it doesn’t know a thing about itself until it plays a full game.
There are several opportunities for the fire service caucus to test itself in Washington. I’m willing to bet it will win some and lose some and grow smarter in the process. The main issue in the fire service today is resources: the money to provide adequate personnel, training, equipment, information, and materials. Given the federal deficit, and little taste for cutting more programs or raising new taxes, funding will be the acid test.
This is the bottom line: Congressman Weldon, his staff, and his supporters have handed the fire service an opportunity of such magnitude that’s hard to imagine. They deserve the active and enthusiastic backing of anyone who’s ever complained that Congress doesn’t care about America’s fire problems.
If that support is forthcoming, Weldon will have lit a fire under Washington.
