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IMPORTANT: Outreach Needed on AFG and SAFER Reauthorization

November 20, 2017

ACTION: CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO SIGN ONTO FIRE CAUCUS CO-CHAIR LETTER REQUESTING S. 829, THE AFG AND SAFER REAUTHORIZATION BILL, BE BROUGHT TO THE HOUSE FLOOR FOR A VOTE.

We are requesting that all FAMA and FEMSA members immediately contact their Congressional Representative (House only) to encourage them to sign onto a “dear colleague” letter that is being circulated to every House of Representative member. The letter, addressed to Speaker Ryan and Minority Leader Pelosi, asks that S.829, the Senate version of the AFG and SAFER Reauthorization Act of 2017 be brought to the floor for a House vote.

The letter is being sent by the House Fire Caucus co-chairs, Rep. Peter King (R-NY), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Dave Reichert (R-WA), and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ). See the text of the Dear Colleague Letter click here.

It had been reported that the House Science and Technology Committee would mark up a House version of S. 829 last Wednesday, but at the last moment the bill was pulled from the docket. We do not know the reason why, although past discussions indicate that the Committee could have marked up a proposal that did not contain key provisions supported by our Fire Coalition.

It is, therefore, extremely important that a large number of House Congressional members, hopefully a majority, request that the S. 829 come to a vote on the House floor.

Please strongly encourage your Congressional Representative to sign onto the King-Hoyer- Reichert-Pascrell “Dear Colleague” letter.

S. 829 has already unanimously passed the Senate and needs to move to the House floor before the end of this session of Congress, as AFG and SAFER expire at the beginning of 2018.

If you have any questions, please contact GAC Co-chairs John Granby at [email protected]; Lee Morris at [email protected]; or GAC Sr. Adviser Dave Gatton at [email protected].