{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-helps-pass-legislation-aimed-improving-firefighter-health", "Greg Walden helps pass legislation aimed at improving firefighter health", "2017-09-13", "2017", "2017-09", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Greg Walden", "W000791", "walden.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Greg Walden helps pass legislation aimed at improving firefighter health\u00a0 \n Stresses the need to protect the men and women battling devastating fires raging across Oregon \nClick here or on the image above to view Walden\u2019s remarks\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, helped pass H.R. 931, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2017, through the House of Representatives. This legislation will help improve firefighter health by collecting data on the impacts of smoke inhalation while fighting fires. During a speech on the House floor, Walden stressed the need to protect the brave men and women who battle dangerous fires like those raging across Oregon.\n\u201cThese heroic first responders experience occupational health risks every day. In my district, it\u2019s often from forest fires like we\u2019re having all summer long,\u201d said Walden. \u201cThis past weekend I saw firsthand what our firefighters face as they battle a number of fires raging in Oregon, putting themselves in harm\u2019s way to save property, infrastructure, lives, watersheds, habitats, and forests.\u201d\nThe Firefighter Cancer Registry Act is important public health legislation that will require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and maintain a voluntary registry to collect data regarding the incidence of cancer in firefighters. This registry will allow researchers to have a greater understanding of the impacts smoke inhalation and other occupational hazards have on a firefighter\u2019s health,\u00a0and lead to better treatment options.\n\"Nationwide, this is a problem facing our firefighters \u2013 they came to us and said we need this registry. Close to 8 million acres have burned in wildfires so far this year \u2013 over 525,000 acres in Oregon alone \u2013\u00a0\u00a0burning both public and private lands. Thousands of residents have been evacuated, but Oregon\u2019s firefighters, of course, stayed behind. That is just what they do.\u201d\nThe Firefighter Cancer Registry Act passed unanimously through the House and now awaits action in the Senate. This comes as Walden is continuing his efforts to reform federal forest management policy to help prevent catastrophic fires in Oregon and throughout the West.\nFor more information on this bill, please click here.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-helps-pass-legislation-aimed-improving-firefighter-health"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9026536718010902, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}