Most and only at times a polite slap on the wrist. I come to the floor to discuss a piece of legislation that senator booker and i worked on to help Public Safety officers. Since covid19 pandemic began, over 101st responders have lost their lives to that virus. Unlike the rest of us, these brave men and women could not by the very nature of their work stay home or social distance and fire houses across the country, firefighters had to continue sharing combined spaces and respond to emergencies, Police Officers continued to respond to 911, these calls and also they interact with the public in very close quarters. While most of us are avoiding covid it all costs, state and emt crews are transporting the infected and others to hospitals for emergency care. While i am inspired by the bravery of these First Responders, i am not at all surprised by the actions they take to protect the people they serve. First responders always answer the calls to action, selflessly placing others before themselves. Sell in recognition of the manyif sacrifices they make, congress established the peace safety officers benefit program a long time ago in 1976. This law provides First Responders with a one time payment if they die or totally disabled on the duty. Let me be very clear, nothing can ever put back together a family who was lost a loved one. But the Public Safety officers benefit program provide some Economic Relief to grieving families and gives peace of mind to the First Responders themselves and knowing their families will not be left destitute if tragedy were to befall that family. Unfortunately, the Public Safety officers benefit program was not designed to deal with a Global Pandemic of this type or magnitude that we have been aware of in the United States since late january. Under existing statute, to be awarded benefits a First Responder must be able to prove they contracted covid onduty. We dont know if we havent had it but through the reports we get its kind of hard to tell where you come in contact with it. So the a last thing then that a grieving family needs to be worried about after the loss of a love doing, is whether or not they will be able to successfully prove that their loved one contracted covid in the line of duty and qualified for the loss of life under that 1976 law. Almost as soon as the nationwide stayathome order was instituted, i began working with senator booker to craft language, to create presumption that would allow families to receive benefits without having to prove their loved ones contracted a deadly virusn onduty. Senator booker and i were determined to get this done as soon as possible because we understood families who have lost loved ones will soon begin filing for benefits. We know that number is about 100 at b this point. Our bill is entitled safeguarding americas First Responder act its pronounced safer for short. The bill was introduced on may 5, 1 day after the Senate Return to session. This bill is a product of several weeks of friendly negotiations and input from fire groups and police groups. The bill garnered a total of 22 bipartisan cosponsors including the entire new york and new jersey delegations. Last thursday the Senate Unanimously passed our bill. And it is now in the senate where we hope it will receive immediate consideration. I know that our colleagues in the house are deeply concerned about our firstt responders. I e would expect this to have a successful effort over there. I have been working with congress in the past on several other reforms for the Public Safety officers benefits program. And so, i think it is well received over there by some outstanding people they can carry it to victory. There is no excuse for this bill not to receive a vote as soon as possible. It is the only bill of its kind that has the support of the International Association of firefighters, the International Association of fire chiefs, and several state and federal police groups. It was coauthored by senator booker and features the support of the 11 democrats and ten republican senators as original cosponsors including the Senate Minority leader. Safer, this bill, also receive the support of the department of justice which stands ready to pay out the benefits to grieving families but is limited by statute as to what they can do under existing law, hence the importance of this legislation. Simply put, this bill is a nobrainer. I urge Speaker Pelosi to schedule a vote on safer as returns into session. Into it is now my privilege to thank senator booker and yield to my colleague from new so hard toworks get this done. Senator booker. Madam president , let me say right at the top dog grateful i am to stand on the senate floor again with senator Chuck Grassley. He has been one of the great partners i have had in my short time in the senate, i am honored to have gotten a lot of good work done and good law passed. Ei want to thank him and his entire staff. They were allbo tremendous to work with and went above and beyond to get this done at a very quick pace. I want to thank our colleagues for acting with the urgency this issue demands and i am excited this bill will pass and ensure families of First Responders who lose their lives to the coronavirus are taking care of under the Public Safety officers benefit program. We b expected now that over 100 of these death benefit claims can be submitted to the department of justice in the coming days and weeks and we cannott leave these grieving families to fight alone for the benefit they need and deserve as senator grassley pointedly put it we hope the house ofsi representatives or pick up the legislation for immediate consideration. While covid19 has changed both the daily live across this country there are so many of us, i am grateful that my colleague in so many of my colleagues understand the firefighters, emt, Police Officers and other Emergency Service personnel continue to put their lives on the line to protect our communities. They have done so at significant and increased risk to themselves and their families. And hardhit areas across the nation, we see First Responders stepping up to enormous risk. Being a First Responder during this pandemic is not a job, it is an allconsuming mission. And unfortunately a tremendous sacrifice. Response to a call just by stepping in someones home you are running a high risk of exposing yourself to the virus. It is wondering whether your personal protective gear or ppe, that you have on is enough. It is in many cases wondering whether your ppe is even real with so many of our First Responders unfortunately using whatever they can scrounge up. If it is is a means of buying masks not designed for use in the United States are buying them from unknown vendors. They are doing what they can to protect themselves as they go without their urgent message. When they remove their ppe, its a concern that your gloves, goggles, down, as take them off piecebypiece, straining to remember what youve touched, washing your hands repeatedly but knowing and e wondering and worrying if it is enough. Is performing lifesaving procedures like cpr that may heiress allies the virus hoping your ppe you are wearing is enough to protect you. These are the daily, hourly, moment by moment concerns that our First Responders have. Senator grassley has worked with First Responders in soe many ways because he knows the challenges that this time brings about from having to meticulously clean e every surface of an ambulance. Having to clean your squad lhouses, your police stations, knowing the virus could be lingering there. It is going home and undressing in the basement or garage, or even outside of your home heading straight in the house for a shower but still worrying is it enough to protect your family . And we know many of these firstre responders actually arent going home to the family they are separating themselves because they live inpo fear of spreading the disease to a spouse, child, parent. And the emotional stress and strain of responding to a call to do everything you can to save someone from this virus. We know our First Responders are often seeing death at a rate and level of our country that they have never experiencedbe before. This all adds to fear, this adds to anxiety, worry about their families. Worry about their communities. Our First Responders are doing with what very few of us will everhe have to do. They put their lives, their health, and often the health of their families on the line to protect their community. They have always done it. But now with the time of coronavirus their sacrifices are intensified. The very least we can do, is to ensure they do not have to worry about what will happen to their loved ones if something should happen to them. The publicen safety officers benefit program that senator grassley mentioned was created to provide death and disability to Law Enforcement officers, firefighters, ems, and other First Responders who were killed in the line of duty. F their benefits come in the form of Financial Support as well as educational scholarships for surviving spouses and children. As senator grassley said, it cannot replace the life that is lost. But it is something that could give comfort to those families and even to First Responders who are putting themselves in grave danger. Now, Infectious Diseases are currently covered under the program and officers family or is required to provide evidence though that the disease they contracted they contracted it while on duty. Providing that evidence could be straightforward it demonstrates a First Responder came in contact with a dirty needle for example and was then infected by something. And that cause them death. But the problem with covid19 is that it presents an entirely different challenge. Will the department of justice worked to make sure families of those killed by covid are covered, we must eliminate the instances in which families are asked to prove what is unprovable. To prove that somehow they caught this while they were in the hours of their duty. This is why our built makes urgently needed changes to the ps ob changes program to reflect the unique threat that covid19 possesses, poses to First Responders putting their lives on the line in this crisis. Many firsto responders have already made the ultimate sacrifice and i am so grateful that senator grassley mentioned that. In new jersey alone 291st responders have lost their lives to coronavirus, just in the past seven weeks. We note this crisis is ongoing in our country. The bill that Chuck Grassley and inr teams wrote comic creates a presumption that if a First Responder contracts covid19 during this pandemic and tragically dies, their death will be treated in theth line of duty death without the need to prove their illness was contracted while on the job. When passed by the house and signed by the president this presumption would be retroactive third january 1, 2020. I will last until the end of 2021. The bill ensures that the families of First Responders have the support they need and deserve when they face unimaginable loss. Twentyseven years ago, new jersey and john watched as two emts saved his sons life. That same year he became a volunteer emt so he could pay it forward. Since then he has worked as an emt and served as the chief and training director of the woodbridge township ambulance and rescue squad in woodward new jersey. John passed away on april 17. After contracting covid19. John is survived by his children, tony, roseann, and john and ten, ten grandchildren. Johns loved ones shared in his obituary this quote. He will be remembered for his contagious laugh, his big heart greeting you with hey guy. He loved to spend time with hisy family and always had a story to tell. His favorite place to eat was the rio diner. He always chose to bring a chocolate cream pie for his dessert contribution. He did that to any family gathering. His family asked in lieu of flowers being sent quote john would hope you would perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone in his name. Charles Robert Roberts during the glenridge new Jersey Police department in 2000. He lived in glenridge and his wife, alice, the two of them raised their children shake, natalie and gavin right there in glenridge. Officer roberts contracted covid19 and line of duty in april. And was rushed to Mountainside Medical Center after being resuscitated in his own by his fellow officers and members of the volunteer Ambulance Squad on may 11. Officer roberts passed away at the age of 45. Last week, hundreds of residents of this town of glen ridge stood on their front lawns and sidewalks to pay tribute to officer roberts life, his service, his love of community and family. In the New York Times article published after its passing, many of officer roberts colleagues and neighbors shared stories about his kindness, his calm demeanor, in the face of challenges i quote from that, there was a couple make the couple remembered how calm he was when he helped deliver their baby in their kitchen. There was the older woman forever grateful for the gentle way he held her hand when she broke her hip and they waited for an ambulance. And there was the father who struggled with a difficult son and remembered how roberts looked him in the eye and reassured him that his boy was a good kid. Officer roberts father shared at his memorial that he wanted to make others happy. Israel, izzy, served in the u. S. Marine corps before becoming a volunteer emt then a firefighte firefighter. Izzy contracted covid19 in the line of duty and on march 31, passed away at the age of 33. The first new jersey firefighter to be killed by the virus. Israel is survived by his wife maria, and their two children. His daughter age nine who he called his princess and his son israel, age seven. Who he called his best friend. I like to share a few words from the new jersey. Com article published in the wake of izzys passing. I quote israel telling tina was born to be a firefighter. Out of love of the uniform was beamed with pride every day heve walked out wearing the Fire Department emblem. It was not even out of bravery or pension or running towards the flames, it was his wife, maria whoho said because he could not help but be selfless. Set it fulfilled his urge to serve others and that was his wife of more than ten years. He was more selfless it drew me closer to him. It drew everyone closer to him. These are among the 29 heroes, just from new jersey. Mr. President , madam president , there are countless more First Responders across the country who lost their lives and responding to this crisis. Some of their nays we know and some we will learn in the weeks and months toat come. What we do know is we owe it, we owe it as a nation to their families, to their departments, to be there for those families, to be there for those children. Theirde families and the families of all First Responders across the country who lost loved ones to this virus deserve to be taken care of. For their sake i hope the house of representatives will work quickly to pass this legislation and that the president will sign it into law. Our First Responders in this unprecedented Global Pandemic, they did not hesitate or equivocate. They did their duty and stood up, they faced danger, they answered the call. And we now, must answer the call. We must have their backs. Just as they had hours. Madam president , yield the floor. Thank you. In march our country lost a great statesman and my fellow squealer, former senator tom coburn of oklahoma. A family physician who delivered more than 4000 babies, he was known as doctor tom and oklahoma. But in washington, he was called doctor no because of his fierce opposition