Representative Adriano Espaillat Votes to Strengthen Illness Benefits For Federal Firefighters.
Espaillat Honors Fallen FDNY Firefighter Timothy Klein on House Floor. WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) spoke on the House floor to honor the life and legacy of hero fallen FDNY Firefighter Timothy Klein, who died tragically in the line of duty late last month. Additionally, this week, Rep. Espaillat voted for the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act to strengthen first responders’ access to workers’ compensation benefits after contracting cancer or other illnesses while on the job. The bipartisan legislation will help ensure that benefits cover the full range of occupational hazards faced by the nation’s 15,000 federal firefighters.
“Every day, these brave public servants put themselves in harm’s way, at times at their own peril, to save lives and protect communities in my district and across the country,” said Espaillat. “When they sacrifice themselves and pay the price for our safety through exposure to heat, toxins and at times death, America has a responsibility to provide them with the support they need. This bipartisan legislation will cut red tape and streamline critical benefits for our brave first responders.”
Firefighters are at high risk of contracting occupational illnesses through routine exposure to smoke, heat, and toxic substances. While many states make it easier for firefighters to access benefits with a presumption that certain illnesses are work-related, the federal workers’ compensation system currently places the burden of proof on sick firefighters and their families.
The Federal Firefighters Fairness Act will remove these unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles for approximately 15,000 federal firefighters. This legislation will establish an automatic presumption of work-related illness for a range of cancers and other illnesses. Additionally, it empowers the Secretary of Labor to further expand this list based on scientific evidence.
The Federal Firefighters Fairness Act has been endorsed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).
Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his third term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Second Vice Chair and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip. Representative Espaillat also currently serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.
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