Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, while the bill does include nearly $2.9 billion for wildfire activities, which I am thankful for, most of these dollars are focused on suppression activities. As I stated previously, the 2015 fire season set a new record, burning more than 10 million acres throughout the country. It is easy to make that statement when it is not your home burning. Clearly, we must focus on proactive solutions for our Nation's forests. The best way to do so is by providing the Forest Service hazardous fuel account with appropriate funding in order to prevent hazardous wildfires. My amendment accomplishes that task by redirecting scarce resources from the EPA's bureaucracy. The EPA is far from being underfunded. As it stands, this bill currently funds the EPA at over $7.98 billion. This marginal loss to a rogue administration that continues to circumvent Congress in order to implement lawless regulations is better spent through my amendment and will dramatically increase the Forest Service's ability to prevent dangerous wildfires. Again, I urge the support of my amendment. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.”