Political Quotes

“I appreciate the supportive remarks of my colleagues on the opposite side of this issue. I simply believe this is critical. The issue I raised a year ago was additional funds for firefighting. The issue I am raising, however, this year has to do with hazardous fuels reduction. I believe that this committee has done a superb job in fighting to get the funds to fight fires, but we must reduce the fuel load in our forests. In Arizona alone, the Rodeo Chedeski fire last year consumed 469,000 acres. This year's Aspen fire has already consumed 80,000 acres. In my State alone, this year, we have lost 140,000 acres. And in the Nation we have lost 1 million acres. I am not fighting for funds to fight fires. I agree with the gentleman and will support efforts for funding to fight fires. I am talking about fuels reduction. We have millions of acres, tens of millions of acres of overgrown forests in this country due to mistaken policies of the past. We need to thin those forests, to treat those forests. The Governor of Arizona has asked for emergency funding to treat the forests in Arizona. She says the urgent need is $116 million. The need to treat all of the forests in just my State of Arizona is $700 million. There are 32 large fires burning in the West as we speak. Seven of those fires are burning in the State of Arizona, and over 20,000 acres in my State are burning as we debate this issue right now.”