Klobuchar Delivers Remarks at the International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference Following Enactment of the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act

WATCH KLOBUCHAR'S FULL REMARKS HERE.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar delivered remarks at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. where she also met with firefighters from Minnesota.

"Because of all the work that you, your members, and your leadership did, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act ensures that the families of heroes like Mike Paidar-a St. Paul firefighter who tragically passed away from leukemia due to exposure to toxic chemicals on the job-have access to the full benefits they deserve," said Klobuchar. "As co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, I'm going to continue to stand by your side to make sure you get what you need - that means getting you the equipment you need, SAFER and Assistance to Firefighter Grant programs, and that means looking out for you when it comes to your benefits."

The IAFF represents more than 360,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics in more than 3,500 affiliates. IAFF members protect more than 85 percent of the population in communities throughout the United States and Canada.

Klobuchar is a co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and has long led efforts to support firefighters and first responders.

In December 2025, Klobuchar and Senator Kevin Cramer's (R-ND) bipartisan Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act was signed into law. The bipartisan legislation expands access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers. Klobuchar introduced this legislation in honor of Michael Paidar, a St. Paul fire captain who died of an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia on August 26, 2020, while still working for the fire department.

Klobuchar co-led bipartisan legislation, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act, to create a national cancer registry for firefighters diagnosed with deadly cancers, which was signed into law in 2018 and reauthorized last year. The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor and study the relationship between career-long exposure to dangerous fumes and toxins and the incidence of cancer in firefighters. It is the largest effort ever undertaken to understand and reduce risk of cancer among American firefighters.

In April 2023, Klobuchar and her colleagues worked to pass the Fire Grants and Safety Act in the Senate. This legislation continues to provide federal funding for the Assistance for Firefighters Grant (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant programs.

Klobuchar also worked to pass the bipartisan Protecting America's First Responders Act, which was signed into law in 2021. This legislation improves the Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) program by making volunteer firefighters eligible for PSOB benefits, and improving the way that benefits were processed.

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