Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I come to the floor to discuss a piece of legislation that Senator Booker and I worked on to help public safety officers.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, over 100 first responders have lost their lives to this virus. Unlike the rest of us, these brave men and women, by the very nature of their work, haven't been able to stay home or social distance. In firehouses across the country, firefighters have had to continue sharing confined spaces and respond to emergencies in cramped trucks. Police officers have had to continue to respond to 911 calls and also interact with the public in very close quarters. While most of us are avoiding COVID at all costs, State and county EMT crews have been transporting the infected and others to hospitals for emergency care.

While I am inspired by the bravery of these first responders, I am not at all surprised by the actions they take to protect the people they serve. First responders always answer the calls to action, selflessly placing others before themselves. So, in recognition of the many sacrifices they make, Congress established the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program a long time ago, in 1976. This law provides first responders with onetime payments if they die or are totally disabled on duty.

Let me be very clear. Nothing can ever put a family back together who has lost a loved one, but the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program provides some economic relief to grieving families and gives peace of mind to the first responders themselves in their knowing that their families will not be left destitute if tragedy is to befall them.

Unfortunately, the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program wasn't designed to deal with a global pandemic of this type or magnitude that we were made aware of in the United States in late January. Under the existing statute then, to be awarded benefits, first responders had to be able to prove that they contracted COVID on duty. From the reports we get, it is kind of hard to tell where one comes in contact with it. So the last thing a grieving family needs to be worried about then, after experiencing the loss of a loved one, is whether the family will be able to successfully prove that its loved one contracted COVID in the line of duty and that it qualifies for the loss of life under the 1976 law.

Almost as soon as the nationwide stay-at-home order was instituted, I began working with Senator Booker to craft language to create a presumption that would allow families to receive benefits without having to prove that their loved ones contracted a deadly virus on duty. Senator Booker and I were determined to get this done as soon as possible because we understood that families who have lost loved ones will soon begin filing for benefits. We know that the number is about 100 at this point.

Our bill is entitled ``Safeguarding America's First Responders Act,'' or SAFR, pronounced ``safer'' for short. The bill was introduced on May 5, which was 1 day after the Senate returned to session.

This bill is the product of several weeks of friendly negotiations and input from fire groups and police groups. The bill garnered a total of 22 bipartisan cosponsors, including the entire New York and New Jersey delegations. Last Thursday, the Senate unanimously passed our bill. It now is in the House, where we hope it will receive immediate consideration. I know our colleagues in the House are deeply concerned about our first responders, and I would expect this to have a successful effort over there. I have been working with Congressman Pascrell and others on several other reforms for the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program, so I think it has been well received over there by some outstanding people who can carry it to victory.

There is no excuse for this bill not to receive a vote as soon as possible. It is the only bill of its kind that has the support of the International Association of Firefighters, of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and of several State and Federal police groups. It was coauthored by Senator Booker and features the support of 11 Democrats and 10 Republican Senators as original cosponsors, including the Senate minority leader. SAFR, this bill, also has the support of the Department of Justice, which stands ready to pay out benefits to grieving families but is limited by statute as to what it can do under existing law--hence, the importance of this legislation.

Simply put, this bill is a no-brainer. I urge Speaker Pelosi to schedule a vote on SAFR as soon as the House returns to session.

It is now my privilege to thank Senator Booker and to yield to my colleague from New Jersey, who worked so hard to get this done as well.

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