Washington, D.C.—Today, the House voted overwhelmingly to ensure volunteer firefighters and emergency medical providers are exempt from the employer mandate under Obamacare. Rep. McKinley is an original co-sponsor of the legislation.

“In West Virginia, 95 percent of all fire departments are staffed by volunteers,” said Rep. McKinley. “It’s unfair to penalize these men and women who put their lives on the line. Requiring cash-strapped volunteer fire departments to offer health insurance would financially cripple most departments."

"We met with members of volunteer fire departments who told us how damaging this Obamacare mandate would be and decided we needed to act," added McKinley.  "Now, Congress has taken action.”

The Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act ensures that emergency service volunteers are not counted as full-time employees under the employer mandate in Obamacare.

“While we are pleased the Obama Administration reversed its initial decision due to the pressure from Congress and volunteer emergency providers, there’s no guarantee this decision will stay in place,” added Rep. McKinley. “We need to ensure these men and women are treated fairly by making this the law.”