Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5118, the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act. Our communities have been hit hard by wildfires year after year. During the 2017 wildfire season, 44 people were killed and nearly 5,000 people lost their homes. Five years later, our communities are still rebuilding. We made significant investments in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to fight and prepare for wildfires. The Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act is another step towards providing our communities with the resources we need to combat wildfires and reduce drought. I am particularly pleased to see my language requesting information from the Department of Agriculture on crop losses due to natural disasters included in this bill. Given the prolonged drought conditions and the constant threat of wildfire and smoke exposure, we already know that many of our growers will need disaster assistance for 2022 losses. The information we request from USDA will help inform my work to reauthorize the Emergency Relief Program for 2022 losses. This bill includes a crucial cost share adjustment and establishes a minimum basic pay and hiring authorities for federal wildland firefighters--providing necessary resources to those who put their lives on the line to save our lives and homes. This bill provides authorization for the pre-deployment of resources during red flag warnings similar to how we prepare resources in advance of oncoming hurricanes.…”