{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://shuster.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=527", "Shuster Fights to Protect Volunteer Firefighters from Obamacare", "2013-12-11", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Bill Shuster", "S001154", "shuster.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Congressman Bill Shuster announced today that he is an original cosponsor of H.R. 3685, the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act. This bill would protect volunteer firefighters from the Obamacare mandate that forces volunteer companies with 50 or more members to pay for their members\u2019 health insurance, a move that would cripple our volunteer firefighting force. \u201cOver 90% of Pennsylvania\u2019s firefighters are volunteers who bravely protect both families and homes across the state. It is unconscionable to force these heroes out of their positions by making it impossible for volunteer fire stations to remain open. Those helping their community should not be punished with this type of reckless mandate.\u201d Because it classifies volunteers as employees, Obamacare forces fire companies with more than 50 volunteers to provide health insurance for those that work more than 30 hours a week, a fact that Shuster highlights as a common occurrence among volunteer firefighters. The Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act ensures that volunteers are actually classified as volunteers, not as employees, to allow volunteer departments to continue operating. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there are 1,800 registered fire departments in Pennsylvania, and 97% of the firefighters in the state are volunteers or mostly volunteers. \u201cThis is just another one of the countless examples of how Obamacare is hurting everyday people across Pennsylvania. From over 250,000 people losing their preferred health insurance, to increased premiums, website problems, and now penalizing our volunteer firefighters, it is clear that Obamacare is only hurting Pennsylvanians,\u201d said Shuster. \u201cThese citizens make the decision to volunteer not because they want insurance or a paycheck, but because they want to help in their towns and communities. They are the everyday heroes who help make America great, and it\u2019s absurd to think that the President\u2019s law is going to force them to stop serving. That is why I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 3685, to ensure that does not happen.\u201d", 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": ["http://shuster.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=527"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0484006963670254, "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"}