WASHINGTON, D.C. (MyKeeneNow) New Hampshire Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday with a passionate plea: Pass legislation that would extend federal death benefits to families of firefighters who die from occupational cancer.

Goodlander’s speech highlighted two Granite State firefighters whose deaths inspired her call for action—Lieutenant Aaron “Coop” Cooper of the Keene Fire Department and Lieutenant Jessica Wyman of Nashua Fire Rescue. Both died from job-related lung cancer. Currently, their families are not eligible for federal survivor benefits due to a gap in the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program.

“The leading cause of death for firefighters in America is cancer, but our laws haven’t caught up with the reality of their risk,” Goodlander told fellow lawmakers. “We have the power to fix this. And we must.”

The legislation she is backing, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act (H.R. 1269), is a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would amend the PSOB program to include deaths from occupational cancer, a hazard increasingly linked to the toxic exposures firefighters face on the job.

Goodlander named both Lt. Wyman and Lt. Cooper from the House floor, calling them “heroes who gave their lives to keep our communities safe.” She was joined in the Capitol chamber by Lt. Chris Wyman, Jessica’s husband and fellow firefighter, whom she credited with pushing the issue forward.

Lt. Cooper, who passed away earlier this month at age 49, retired just last year after 27 years in fire and emergency service. His career began in Fitzwilliam in 1997 and led him to Keene, where he served with distinction and was promoted to lieutenant in 2016. He was recognized for valor in 2022 after rescuing a second-floor occupant during a structure fire at Cobblestone Ale House. Long before his diagnosis, Cooper had helped launch Keene Fire Department’s Project MayDay, a wellness initiative focused on firefighters’ mental and physical health.

Goodlander described him as “a true public servant and steadfast soul,” and praised his advocacy for firefighter health. “Even as he battled his own illness, Aaron continued to fight for others,” she said.

The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act has drawn rare bipartisan support and is backed by national firefighter unions and public safety advocates. Goodlander urged her colleagues to act swiftly: “These families have waited long enough. Our firefighters run toward danger. The least we can do is stand up for them in return.”