Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 33) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that emergency services volunteers are not taken into account as employees under the shared responsibility requirements contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the Senate has acted this evening to take up a House bill and amend it to provide a 1-week continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security. I rise today to urge the House to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to prevent a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

In a matter of hours, the current mechanism funding DHS will expire. To allow a shutdown of these critical functions would be an abdication of one of our primary duties as Members of the House. It is no way to govern the Nation, and the American people deserve better.

It is the 11th hour, and we must act to provide stable, continuous funding for the agencies and programs tasked with defending our home turf.

This continuing resolution will last until March 6, allowing us the needed additional time to continue negotiating a path forward on how to fund DHS for the rest of the year. Without any further delay, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this critical legislation.

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