{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-coons-schmitt-celebrate-senate-passage-of-bill-extending-authorization-for-national-ems-memorial/", "Senators Coons, Schmitt celebrate Senate passage of bill extending authorization for National EMS Memorial", "2026-08-24", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "DE", "Christopher A. Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", "coons", "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) celebrated Senate passage of their bipartisan legislation to extend the deadline for the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a memorial in Washington, D.C. honoring the nation\u2019s EMS professionals. The bill, which passed the House of Representatives earlier this year, now heads to the president\u2019s desk for his signature.\n\nThe legislation would extend the foundation\u2019s authorization through 2032, giving it additional time to complete a memorial honoring the commitment, service, and sacrifice of EMS professionals who provide life-saving care to communities across the country. The memorial will be fully funded by the foundation not taxpayers, and any surplus funds will be returned to the federal government after the project is completed.\n\n\u201cEvery day, emergency medical technicians are the first line of support when lives in their communities are at risk, sometimes throwing themselves into dangerous and deadly situations to begin treatment,\u201d said Senator Coons.\u201cThese first responders deserve to be commemorated in our nation\u2019s capital, and I\u2019ll continue to work to support these efforts so that the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial is completed. This bipartisan law will ensure that EMS organizations have the time they need to build a memorial worthy of them and their service.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis isn\u2019t about politics \u2013 it\u2019s about honor. EMS professionals in Missouri, and across the United States work tirelessly, often putting themselves in harm\u2019s way for the communities they serve. Thanks to this bipartisan legislation, the United States is keeping our promise that their fallen brothers and sisters, their courage, and their sacrifices are permanently dignified with a monument deserving of the heroism they\u2019ve shown,\u201d said Senator Schmitt. \u201cI\u2019m proud to have led this effort to ensure that future generations of Americans will never forget the brave men and women who ran towards danger, not away from it.\u201d\n\nThe original bill \u2013 the National Emergency Medical Services Commemorative Work Act\u2013 was introduced in 2017 by Senator Coons and signed into law by President Trump in 2018. That bill authorized the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work on federal land in Washington, D.C. within seven years of enactment. The foundation\u2019s authorization expired in 2025 before the project could be completed due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges. This legislation would extend that authorization through 2033.\n\nThe legislation was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.). A companion bill in the House of Representatives was led by Reps. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.).\n\n\u201cOur country\u2019s paramedics, EMTs and emergency medical service professionals provide patients with life-saving medical care and deserve to be recognized with a memorial in our Nation\u2019s capital. We profoundly appreciate the successful efforts of Senators Schmitt and Coons in steering the passage of legislation to reauthorize the National EMS Memorial. With this victory, we now look forward to the next steps in making the memorial a reality,\u201d said Jamie Pafford-Gresham, president of the American Ambulance Association.\n\n\u201cThis is great news. We are thankful for Senator Schmitt\u2019s and Senator Coons\u2019 strong leadership and support in our effort to reauthorize the National EMS Memorial Foundation. This reauthorization allows us to continue the important work to establish a permanent memorial in the nation\u2019s capital to honor the commitment, service and sacrifice of all of us in EMS. It is an honor to serve our fellow Americans, and we are proud to have maintained their trust as we work through the next steps in the processes outlined in the Commemorative Works Act,\u201d said Bob Morley, president of the National Emergency Medical Service Memorial Foundation.\n\n\u201cNAEMT applauds Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) for securing passage of a foundational bipartisan bill (S. 2546/H.R. 2196) extending the deadline for the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a national memorial in Washington, D.C. honoring America\u2019s EMS professionals. This critical extension ensures the nation\u2019s EMS workforce \u2014 whose courage, sacrifice, and service have protected communities for generations \u2014 receives the long-overdue recognition it deserves in the nation\u2019s Capital. Every year, more than 850,000 EMS professionals respond to over 30 million emergency calls and care for approximately 22 million patients nationwide, often at the most critical moments in people\u2019s lives. As a cornerstone of the nation\u2019s emergency response system, EMS personnel stand on the front lines of public safety and national preparedness, responding without hesitation to local emergencies, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other large-scale crises. Serving in both the public and private sectors as career and volunteer providers, these men and women are an indispensable part of America\u2019s healthcare system, homeland security infrastructure, and national security readiness. Their unwavering commitment to saving lives deserves permanent recognition and honor,\u201d said Chief Chris Way,president of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT).", 1, "2026-08-25T05:31:37Z", "2026-08-25T05:33:09Z"]], "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://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-coons-schmitt-celebrate-senate-passage-of-bill-extending-authorization-for-national-ems-memorial/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.830519177019596, "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"}