Every day, federal firefighters and law enforcement officers put their lives on the line for us. Unfortunately, many get injured in the line of duty and are no longer able to complete the essential functions of their job, forcing them to retire early or change jobs. While these selfless men and women would never ask for anything in return for their service, we have a responsibility to make sure they and their families are taken care of.

That’s why I helped pass the First Responder Fair RETIRE Act in the House this week to ensure those injured first responders receive the full retirement compensation they earned. Specifically, this legislation will preserve the retirement benefits of law enforcement officers who become disabled in the line of duty and are reassigned to a different position in the civil service that is not covered under the same retirement program. 

The bottom line is this: We should not penalize our first responders for injuries they sustained protecting us. I’m confident this bill will help us keep the retirement promise we made to our first responders, and I look forward to seeing it make its way to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

CLICK HERE to read the bill.