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First Responders
We all understand that safety and security should be the number one priorities of an American President. But, as we have seen all too painfully, if we want the country to be ready, we need congress to be every bit as ready. We need legislators we know we can trust to keep the country safe and our families secure. I know that in order to keep our country safe we must invest in our first line of defense - our first responders. As your Representative, I will seek to ensure that: 1) our first responders have the tools they need to keep themselves and our communities safe; 2) we are able to keep and recruit first responders; and 3) our communities are prepared to respond to any emergency situation. In order to keep our country and our citizen's safe; we must protect those who protect our homeland. That is why I will move first responder issues to the forefront of the national agenda. I know that in order to keep our communities safe, America's first responders selflessly risk their lives every day, and the unfortunate reality is that too many of our nation's heroes give their lives on the front lines. No one will ever forget those fire fighters who lost their lives at the World Trade Center. Recent deaths in New York and Boston serve as a reminder of the significant sacrifice and commitment first responders make to us all when they go to work every day. The death of a fire fighter or a police officer is a blow to a whole community. Too many of these deaths are unnecessary and preventable. As your Representative, I will do all I can so that no first responder will die because they lack the tools or support they need to do their jobs. I know that America's communities rely on first responders for protection. They put their lives on the line every day to protect American lives, property, and way of life. Yet too often, elected officials reward the men and women who dedicate their lives to our nation with nothing more than parades and platitudes. First responders deserve to be treated with dignity both in their job and in retirement. And they and their families need to be assured that they won't be forgotten if they are harmed while protecting our communities. As your Representative, I will work to ensure our communities will be protected by first responders who are afforded the respect they have earned. I will strengthen our communities by supporting legislation that gives our nation's first responders the workplace rights and benefits they deserve in return for their dedication. I know that whether they are responding to a terrorist attack or natural disaster, the nation's first responders are our nation's domestic defenders, ready to place themselves directly in harm's way to protect their fellow citizens. From a police officer uncovering a terrorist plot, to a fire fighter responding to a chemical spill, to a paramedic trying to save earthquake victims, these brave men and women are on the front lines protecting Americans in the wake of major disasters. As the failed response to Hurricane Katrina made clear, significant work remains to be done to ensure that our nation's emergency responders have the resources and support structure they need to protect lives and property in a major disaster. As your Representative, I will work to ensure first responders will have both the authority and the resources they need to do their jobs in the wake of a disaster. Congress must support our nation's front line defenders by providing them with the funding they need to respond to natural and man-made disasters, and an improved framework in which to operate. |
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