Opportunistic litigation. Madam, president , i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. I come to the floor to discuss a piece of legislation that senator booker and i worked on to help Public Safety officers. Since the covid19 pandemic beg began, over 100 First Responders have lost their lives to that virus. Unlike the rest of us, these brave men and women couldnt by the very nature of their work, stay home or social distance. In firehouses across the country, firefighters had to continue sharing confined spaces and respond to emergencies in cramped trucks. Police officers continued to respond to 911. These calls and also to interact with the public in very close quarters. And while most of us are avoiding covid at all costs, state and county emt crews are transporting the infected and the others to hospitals for emergency care. While im inspired by the bravery of these First Responders, im 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. So, in recognition of the many sacrifices they make, congress established a peace safety officers benefit program a long time ago in 1976. This law provides First Responders with a onetime payment if they die or totally disabled on the duty. Now, let me be very clear, nothing can ever put back together a family who has lost a loved one. But the Public Safety officers benefit Program Provides some Economic Relief to grieving families and gives peace of mind to the First Responders themselves in knowing that their families wont be left destitute if tragedy were to befall that family. Unfortunately, the Public Safety officers benefit program wasnt designed to deal with a Global Pandemic of this type or magnitude that weve been aware of in the United States since late january. Under existing statute then, to be awarded benefits, a First Responders must be able to prove that they contracted covid on duty and we know how well, at least we dont know if we havent had it, but for the reports we get, its kind of hard to tell where you come in contact with it. So the last thing then that a grieving family needs to be worried about after the loss of a loved one is whether or not theyll be able to successfully prove that their loved ones contracted covid on 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 a presumption that would allow families to receive benefits without having to prove that their loved ones contracted a deadly virus on duty. Senator booker and i were determined to get in done as soon as possible because we understood that families who lost loved ones will soon begin filing for benefits and we know that number is about 100 at this point. Our bill is entitled, safeguarding americas First Responder act or sfar, or pronounced as safer for short. The bill was introduced on may 5th, one day after the senate returned 0 session. This is a product of input from fire groups and police groups. The bill garnered 22 bipartisan cosponsors, including the entire new york and new jersey delegations. Last thursday the Senate Unanimously passed our bill. And it now is in the house where we hope it will receive immediate consideration. I know that our colleagues in the house are deeply concerned about our First Responders and i would expect this to have a successful effort over there. Ive been working with congressman corelle for the Public Safety benefit program. So i think its wellreceived over there by some outstanding people that can carry it to victory. Theres no excuse for this bill not to receive a vote as soon as possible. Its 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 10 republican senators as original cosponsors, including the Senate Minority leader. Sfar received the support of the department of justice which stands ready to pay out 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 sfar as soon as the house returns to into session and now its my privilege to thank senator booker and to yield to my colleague in new jersey who worked so hard to get this done as well. Senator booker. Madam president , let me just say right at the top how grateful i am to stand on the senate floor go enwith senator Chuck Grassley. He has been one of the great partners ive had in my short time in the senate and im honored to have gotten a lot of good work done and good law passed. I want to thank him and his entire staff, they were all tremendous to work with and went above and beyond for us to get this done at a very quick pace. I want to thank our colleagues for acting with the urgency that this issue demands and i am excited that this bill was able to pass. It will ensure that families of First Responders who lose their lives to the coronavirus are taken care of under the Public Safety officers benefit program. We expect 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 cannot leave these grieving families to fight alone for the benefit that they need and deserve, as senator grassley very pointedly put it, we hope that the house of representatives will pick up this legislation for immediate consideration. While covid19 has changed the daily lives across this country, for so many of us, im grateful that my colleague and so many of my colleagues understand that our firefighters, our emts our Police Officers and other Emergency Service personnel continue to put their lives on the ryan to protect our communities, and theyve done so at significant and increased risk to themselves and their families. In hardhit areas across our 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. It is responding to a call knowing that just by stepping inside someones home, youre 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 ppp is even ppe is even real with so many of ours First Responders unfortunately using whatever they can scrounge up, if it is a means of buying foreign masks not designed for the u. S. In the United States and briuying from unknown vendors, theyre doing what they can to protect themselves when theyre going around their message. When they remove the ppe, concern that your gloves, goggles or gloves, and take them off piece by piece, straining to remember what youve touched. Washing your hands and wondering if its nuture. Its performing life saving procedures like cpr that may aerosolize the virus, hoping that your ppe that youre wearing is enough to protect you. These are the daily, hourly, moment by moment concerns that our First Responders have. Senator grassleys worked with First Responders in so many ways and he knows the challenges that this time brings about from having to meticulously clean every surface of an ambulance. Having to clean your squad houses, your police stations, knowing that the virus could be lingering there. Its going home and undressing in the basement or garage or even outside of your home headed straight in the house for a shower, but still worrying is it enough to protect your family. And we know that many of these First Responders actually arent going home to their family. They are he a separating themselves for periods of time because they live in fear of spreading the disease to a spouse, to a child, to a parent. And the emotional stress and strain of responding to a call, doing everything you can to save someone from this virus, but we know our First Responders are often seeing death at a rate and a level in areas of our country theyve never experienced before. This all adds to fear. This all adds to anxiety, worry about their families, worry about their communities. Our First Responders are doing what very few of us will ever have to do. They put their lives, their health, and often the health of their families on the line to protect their communities. They have always done it, but now in the time of coronavirus, their sacrifices are intensified. The very least we can do is to ensure that they dont have to worry about what will happen to their loved ones if something should happen to them. The Public Safety officers benefit program that senator grassley mentioned was created to provide death and disability benefits to families of Law Enforcement officers, firefighters, e. M. S. , and other First Responders who are killed in the line of duty. Their benefits come in the form of Financial Support as well as educational scholarships for surviving spouses and children and as senator grassley said, it cannot replace the life thats lost, but it is something that could give comfort to those families and to even the First Responders who themselves are putting themselves in grave danger. Now, Infectious Diseases are currently covered under the program and officers family or department is required to provide evidence, though, that the disease they contracted, they contracted while on duty. Providing that evidence can be straightforward. For instance, a First Responders came in contact with a dirty needle and infected by something that caused them death. The problem with covid19 is that is presents an entirely different challenge. While the department of justice is work to go make sure the families of those killed by covid are covered, we must eliminate where the 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 bill makes urgently needed changes to the psob program to reflect the unique threat that covid19 possesses, poses to First Responders putting their lives on the line in this crisis. Many First Responders have already made the ultimate sacrifice. Im so grateful that senator grassley mentioned that. In new jersey alone, 29 First Responders lost their lives to coronavirus just in the past seven weeks and see know this crisis is ongoing in our country. The bill that Chuck Grassley and i and our teams wrote creates a presumption that if First Responder contracts covid19 and dies, their death will be counted as a 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 to july to january 1st, 2020. And 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 unimagineable loss. 27 years ago new jerseyion, 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 hes worked as an emt and served as the chief and training director of the woodbridge township ambulance and rescue squad in woodbridge, new jersey. John passed away on april 17th after contracting covid19. John is survived by his children, tony, roseanne and john and 10, 10 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, guys. He loved to spend time with his 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 and to any family gathering. His family asked in lieu of flowers being sent, quote,on would hope that you will perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone in his na name. Charles rob roberts joined the glenn ridge, new Jersey Police department in 2000. He lived in glenn ridge and his wife, alice, the two of them raised their children, shea and natalie and gavin right there in glenn ridge. Officer roberts contracted covid19 in the line of duty in april and was rushed to mountside Medical Center after being resuscitated in his home wii fellow officers and members of the volunteer Ambulance Squad on may 11th. Officers roberts passed away at age of 45. Last week hundreds of residents of this town of glenn ridge stood on their front lawns and sidewalks to pay tribute to officer roberts wife, his service, his love of community and family. In the New York Times article published after his 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 the couple who remembered how calm he was when he helped to 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 a 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, quote, wanted to make others happy. Israel Izzy Tolentino served in the u. S. Marine corps before becoming a volunteer emt and a firefighter for the city of passaic, new jersey. He contracted covid on the march 31st and passed away at age 33. The first new jersey firefighter to be killed by the vir virus. Israel is survived by his wife maria and their two children, daughter, iliana, age nine he called his princess and son israel age seven, who he called his best friend. I would like to share a few words from the new jersey. Com article published in the wake of izzys passing. I quote, israel tolentino was born to be a firefighter. It wasnt out of love of the uniform, although he beamed with pride every day he walked out wearing the Passaic Fire Department emblem. It wasnt even out of a mountain of bravery or a penchant of running towards the flames. It was his wife Maria Vasquez said it was because he couldnt help, but be selfless. It fulfilled his urge to serve ever, said his wife of 10 years, he was so 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 have lost their lives in responding to this crisis. Some of their names we know and some will learn in the weeks and months to come. What we do know is that 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. Their families and the families of all First Responders across the country, who have lost loved ones to this virus, deserve to be taken care of. For their sake, i hope the house of representatives will act 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. They 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 ours. Madam president , i yield the floor. Thank you. Thank you, madam president. At this moment americans everywhere are confronting unprecedented challenges and uncertainties as we continue to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic and the associated economic implosion. But thats not all thats going on across the country. Although some of the challenges we face that are quite severe are just getting drowned out by the daily news about the pandemic. But imagine being a family farmer in the midst of this