President Joe Biden signed the Fire Grants and Safety Act into law yesterday evening, handing a win to the two New Jersey congressmen who helped shepherd it through the House, Reps. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson).
The bill reauthorizes several critical federal grants for firefighters and first responders, and also includes nuclear energy provisions added in from another bill; Kean was its lead sponsor and Pascrell, who decades ago authored the legislation that created many of the fire grants involved, was a top co-sponsor.
“As a former volunteer firefighter and EMT, I know that we cannot play political games with the needs of our first responders,” Kean, a swing-district congressman, said in a statement. “We did not let DC gridlock slow us down. The Fire Grants and Safety Act passed the House with a 92% vote and with 88% in the Senate. We worked across the aisle and found common ground. We delivered big results that will change lives for the better.”
Indeed, the bill passed 393-13 in the House and 88-2 in the Senate – impressive margins in a frequently partisan Congress. Every present New Jersey senator and House member from both parties voted in support.
Pascrell said that the success of the bill, and of previous bills creating and reauthorizing federal grants for fire departments, showed how far things have come compared to when he arrived in Washington.
“When I came to Congress, fire departments across America were literally holding bake sales to pay for their gear,” Pascrell said. “The Assistance to Firefighter Grants were the first program ever to send federal dollars directly to fire departments. Since their creation, the AFG and SAFER programs have provided over $14 billion to fire departments and first responders from coast-to-coast and saved countless lives. I am delighted my legislation is now the law of the land to give our local firefighters the help they need to protect us.”