{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202248/http://mckinley.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=2097", "Dominion Post: Fed law may threaten VFDs", "2013-12-23", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "WV", "David McKinley", "M001180", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "FAIRMONT \u2014 Area volunteer firefighters gathered around a table with Rep. David McKinley Thursday to ponder a federal health care measure that \u2014 they said \u2014 could close volunteer fire departments across the state and nation.\n\n\tMcKinley, R-W.Va., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., are helping lead the charge to change the law \u2014 with the support of the rest of the state\u2019s Congressional delegation. Tom Miller, with the Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) holds positions in the National Volunteer Fire Council and the West Virginia State Fireman\u2019s Association and explained the problem.\n\n\tThe Affordable Care Act (ACA) has an \u201cemployer mandate\u201d requiring companies that employ 50 or more Full Time Equivalent workers (more than 30 hours per week) to offer health care coverage.\n\n\tAlthough the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told members of Congress and others that the mandate wouldn\u2019t apply to VFDs, he said, the Internal Revenue Service general counsel has said it will \u2014 even though the firefighters aren\u2019t paid.\n\n\t\u201cThey don\u2019t understand we have to hold boot drives and hot dog sales and car washes to keep the lights on,\u201d Miller said.", 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://web.archive.org/web/20140222202248/http://mckinley.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=2097"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1232621036469936, "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"}