Congressional EMS Caucus Grows to 10 Members
Three co-chairs have agreed to lead the Congressional EMS Caucus, a new member of the long list of congressional task forces and caucus bodies working on shared interests. EMSResponder.com's Susan Nicol Kyle reported the three co-chairs signed on last week at the EMS Expo in Las Vegas. They are Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Maryland, who services on the Appropriations and Intelligence committees; Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minnesota, who serves on Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Veterans Affairs; and Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Louisiana, who serves on Education & Labor, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Agriculture.
Ten members of Congress have joined the caucus thus far, although there's little work left to do in the 110th Congress, and all 435 House seats are up for re-election in two weeks. Still, supporters are seeking more members.
Kyle quoted Advocates for EMS President Kurt Krumperman as saying little has been done on a federal level to address EMS issues. "This is a dialogue we have to have," Krumperman said, adding that members of Congress need to understand the issues facing EMS and how little federal money has gone to it.
Other members of the EMS Caucus include Bruce Braley, D-Iowa (Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight & Government Reform, Small Business); Tom Latham, R-Iowa (Appropriations); Davie Loebsack, D-Iowa (Education & Labor, Armed Services); Jim Ramstad, R-Minnesota (Ways and Means, and a member of the Law Enforcement Caucus, which has more than 70 members and was created in 1994); Mike McNulty, D-New York (Ways and Means); Jason Altmire, D-Pennsylvania (Education & Labor, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Small Business); and Chris Carney, D-Pennsylvania (Transportation and Infrastructure, Homeland Security).