Ask Congress to Re-Open the Federal Government
The U.S. Senate currently is considering a legislation to re-open the federal government and fund it until January 30. The IAFC is asking its members to contact Congress and ask your Senators and Representatives to re-open the federal government.
The federal government has been closed since October 1. This closure has brought unprecedented challenges upon the nation’s fire and emergency service. Federal firefighters are considered “excepted,” which means that they must continue to report for work, while not being paid. The FEMA GO portal is inoperative, which prevents fire departments from accepting their AFG and SAFER grants and from being reimbursed for their expenses. The staff of the federal Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program have been furloughed since October 1 and cannot complete their investigations or start new ones. In addition, the urban, rural, and super-rural add-on payments for the transport of Medicare patients have been suspended since October 1 and Congress must extend them.
The proposed Senate bill would re-open the federal government and fund it through a continuing resolution until January 30, 2026. It also would ensure that federal workers that were furloughed or forced to work without pay would be reimbursed. It also would extend the ambulance add-on payments through January 30, 2026.
On October 20, Fire Chief Trisha L. Wolford, the IAFC President and Board Chair, and Edward A. Kelly, the General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, sent a letter to the House and Senate leadership asking them to re-open the federal government. You can join this effort by asking your Senators and Representative to re-open the federal government.
IAFC-Backed Treatment-in-Place Bill Introduced in the Senate
On Thursday, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced S.3145, the Comprehensive Alternative Response to Emergencies (CARE) Act. The CARE Act would direct the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to create a 5-year pilot program to reimburse EMS agencies for Medicare patients who are treated on scene by EMS and not transported. An identical version of the bill was introduced in the House earlier this year by Representatives Mike Carey (R-OH) and Lloyd Doggett (D-TX).
Fire Chief Trisha L. Wolford, President and Board Chair of the IAFC, issued the following statement: "The IAFC supports the bipartisan Comprehensive Alternative Response for Emergencies (CARE) Act. Fire-based EMS agencies across the nation are on the front lines of our healthcare system, providing critical care every day while facing the challenges of overburdened emergency departments and increasing demand on EMS. The CARE Act represents a significant step toward recognizing and supporting fire and EMS departments in their lifesaving work, while enhancing patient outcomes and alleviating the burden on overcrowded emergency departments. We commend Senator Collins and Senator Welch for their leadership in advancing this initiative with a common-sense approach to modernizing emergency medical care."
The IAFC Government Relations & Policy Department will continue to advocate for this legislation and push for its passage in both the House and the Senate.