HOUSE PASSES FIRE GRANTS AND SAFETY ACT

This week, I was proud to support the Fire Grants and Safety Act, which passed the House with bipartisan support. The proposal will help strengthen firefighter and first responder services across the nation by providing for a five-year reauthorization of key federal programs, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, and the United States Fire Administration (USFA).

Firefighters put themselves in harm’s way to protect their neighbors, and I deeply appreciate their courageous service to our communities. The least the federal government can do in return is ensure these brave men and women have the resources needed to do their jobs safely and effectively.

The Fire Grants and Safety Act will invest in critical training and equipment for years to come. Moving forward, I’ll continue working to support our firefighters and their efforts to save our homes, schools, and businesses from devastating fires.

QUESTIONING EDUCATION SECRETARY CARDONA ON FAFSA DELAYS AND ANTISEMITISM

I discussed two important topics with Secretary Cardona at this week’s Education and Workforce Committee hearing: frustrating FAFSA delays and rising antisemitism on our college campuses.

📺 Watch:

MEETING OREGONIANS

I enjoyed catching up with Oregon realtors who were in town for the annual National Association of REALTORS' legislative conference. Thanks for stopping by!

It was also great to visit with members of the Oregon Winegrowers Association this week, and I enjoyed meeting with firefighters from the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association -- it was an honor to speak with them about fire service issues and thank them for their efforts to keep our communities safe.

RECOGNIZING NATIONAL FENTANYL AWARENESS DAY

Tuesday was National Fentanyl Awareness Day. As Oregon continues to experience the highest rate of fentanyl overdose deaths nationwide, I’m committed to getting this deadly drug out of our communities.

Recent data also showed Oregon has already seen more drug-related deaths in 2024 than in all of 2023 combined. The FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which I helped lead and was signed into law, declares a national fentanyl emergency to open up federal resources to tackle this crisis.

Additionally, the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team has reported that a majority of the fentanyl they are dealing with is coming across our southern border. It’s clear that the border crisis has made every state a border state, and that's why I’m working hard to secure our border and stop the flow of fentanyl into our country.

ONE MORE THING

Being a mom of twin daughters has been the greatest blessing of my life. Happy Mother’s Day weekend to my mom, my mother-in-law, and all the incredible mothers out there!

Thank you for reading my weekly newsletter. It's an honor to be your voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. Your thoughts, concerns, and comments are very important to me. Always feel free to get in touch by calling (202) 225-5711 or by visiting my website at chavez-deremer.house.gov.

Sincerely,