The International Association of Fire Fighters said it will indefinitely freeze contributions to federal candidates and federal parties, party committees and the super PACs that support them and instead focus on the states, where so many governors and anti-worker lawmakers are pursuing legislation to eliminate collective bargaining rights, gag workers in the political arena and eliminate dues deduction to weaken union finances.

The IAFF in February began a campaign to assist firefighters and paramedics wage their political and legislative fights in statehouses. The IAFF has helped its members respond to anti-worker legislation in Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, Oklahoma, Michigan, Nebraska, Alabama, Tennessee and New Hampshire, using legal resources, television, newspaper, Internet and social media to educate our members and the public and fight back with everything we have.

The IAFF’s Political Action Committee, FIREPAC, was in the top 1.1% of the more than 7,100 federally registered PACs in terms of dollars raised and was the 10th largest PAC in candidate contributions in the last election cycle. It was also one of the most bi-partisan PACs. In total, the IAFF spent close to $15 million in the last election cycle on behalf of federal candidates and both political parties, helping to elect those who support us and defeat those who oppose us.