On an overwhelming bipartisan 393-13 vote, the House passed a bill today sponsored by New Jersey Reps. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) that re-ups a number of key firefighter grant programs.
The bill, the Fire Grants and Safety Act, reauthorizes the U.S. Fire Administration, the Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG), and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant; it also increases funding for the Fire Administration.
“As a former volunteer firefighter, I know the hardship and sacrifices that firefighters make daily to quickly respond to emergencies,” Kean said in remarks on the House floor. “This bipartisan and bicameral piece of legislation demonstrates our firm commitment to the safety and the well-being of our firefighters, empowering them to overcome challenges and fulfill their mission of safeguarding our communities.”
Unsurprisingly, all eleven sitting House members from New Jersey supported the bill.
And unlike many of the pieces of legislation that the House has passed this session, Kean’s and Pascrell’s bill has a strong chance of becoming law, since it already passed the Senate last year on a 95-2 vote. The bill now has to go through the Senate one more time before heading to President Joe Biden’s desk.
“When I came to Congress, fire departments across America were literally holding bake sales to pay for their gear,” Pascrell, the co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, said in a statement. “Since their creation, the AFG and SAFER programs have provided over $14 billion to fire departments and first responders from coast-to-coast. They have saved countless lives. This critical legislation will ensure our government continues to give firefighters the help they need to protect us. God bless them.”
This story was updated at 7:20 p.m. with a correction: the bill now has to head back to the Senate for another vote; it is not going directly to Biden’s desk.