January 30, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 20 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Page H740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF MICHAEL LECIK

  (Ms. SPANBERGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SPANBERGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
selflessness, courage, and resilience of my constituent, Mike Lecik.
  Mike served in the United States Air Force and deployed twice to the 
Middle East as a military firefighter. After returning home to Powhatan 
County, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer linked 
to the carcinogenic conditions of his work.
  The VA does not currently recognize the service connection between 
firefighting and diseases such as myeloma, leaving many veterans like 
Mike unable to get the care they need.
  Since his diagnosis, Mike, and his wife, Tiffany, and their family 
have demonstrated incredible strength, and I am deeply inspired by his 
commitment to ensuring that no other military firefighters face these 
same challenges.
  In his service overseas and through his advocacy at home, Mike 
represents the best of Virginia's Seventh District. Driven by his story 
and in coordination with Mike, I recently introduced the Michael Lecik 
Military Firefighters Protection Act. This bill would recognize cancer, 
lung disease, and other serious illnesses as presumptive service-
connected disabilities for our Nation's veteran military firefighters.

  I thank Mike for his tireless work on this issue, and I thank my 
colleague, Congressman Bacon, for joining me in this effort to do right 
by the thousands of veterans and their families, people like my 
constituent, Mike Lecik.

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