Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3396, the Fire Department Repayment Act. This is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Representative Harder alongside Representatives Curtis and LaMalfa. H.R. 3396 would standardize cost-share agreements between the Federal Government and local fire departments to ensure safe and local firefighting partners are fairly and quickly compensated for fighting wildfires on Federal lands. Because wildfires do not heed administrative boundaries, various State, Tribal, local, and private firefighting resources respond jointly to wildfires throughout the Nation. The costs expended by these resources are then reimbursed under preexisting arrangements known as reciprocal fire suppression cost-share agreements. These agreements enable firefighting entities to access resources and assistance from neighboring jurisdictions during large fires on Federal lands. Unfortunately, the current reimbursement process is flawed. Payments are often delayed, imposing financial burdens on local fire departments and reducing their ability to respond to other emergencies. The Fire Department Repayment Act addresses these challenges by establishing uniform reimbursement timelines for fire suppression cost- share agreements. This legislation would ensure local fire departments are paid promptly while still allowing the Federal Government to dispute any inaccurate invoices.…”