Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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.

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.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this very important bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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