Rep. Pascrell Named Chairman
of Congressional Fire Services Caucus
Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) recently announced that he has been selected as Chairman of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus (CFSC) for the 114th Congress. CFSC is a bipartisan caucus dedicated to addressing the needs and challenges of our nation’s fire and emergency services.
“It’s an honor to be selected by my colleagues to serve as chairman of one of the most important caucuses in Congress,” said Rep. Pascrell, an original member of the House Homeland Security Committee. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to ensure our brave first responders are adequately prepared to protect our communities while recognizing them for their bravery and sacrifice. I will also continue to fight and ensure the FIRE and SAFER grant programs are fully funded to not only protect the lives of our first responders, but also the precious lives in our communities.”
First elected to Congress in 1996, Rep. Pascrell has been a tireless advocate for the nation’s fire and emergency services. Throughout his career in Congress, he has sponsored numerous bills to address the needs of the fire service, and is recognized as one of the principal authors of the legislation that established the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs. In 2001 and 2005, Rep. Pascrell was a selected as a co-recipient of the Congressional Fire Services Institute Legislator of the Year Award for his leadership and support of the nation’s fire and emergency services.
“Congressman Pascrell has been a tireless leader for the fire service on Capitol Hill” said Bill Webb, Executive Director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute. “As the Fire Caucus continues to recruit new members and educate their colleagues on the needs of the nation’s fire service, I can think of no member of Congress better suited to lead the caucus.”
Established in 1987, the CFSC was created to serve as a bipartisan group where Republicans and Democrats could work together to improve the readiness of local first responders and to jointly recognize their valor and dedication and remains one of the largest caucuses in Congress. To preserve the bipartisan spirit of the Caucus, the chairmanship rotates every two years between Republican and Democratic members. Previous chairmen include U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Joseph Biden (R-DE) and Congressmen Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Peter King (R-NY).
Office of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr.