Unpaid Local Heroes

Floor Speech

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Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to point out how, once again, the Biden administration is failing America.

When emergency strikes, who answers the call? Well, I can tell you in western North Carolina that it is usually the brave men and women who serve in our rural volunteer fire departments. It is these unpaid local heroes who save American lives and protect our property.

Volunteer fire departments are struggling to keep up. Recruitment is down, call volume is up, and there is little money to replace old equipment. Now, to add insult to injury, OSHA is proposing a rule that will effectively obliterate these critical organizations serving the majority of America.

This rule will add complex operating and reporting requirements, as well as costly and unrealistic equipment replacement requirements. The rule for these volunteer departments doesn't consider that they do not have the resources to continue to spend money on bureaucracy. Yet, this OSHA rule would be detrimental to American public safety and the volunteer fire model that serves us today. I urge the Biden administration to reconsider its proposal.

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