James Comer: “Mr. Speaker, I am happy to support S. 160, the Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act. This bill will amend the Wildfire…”

“Mr. Speaker, I am happy to support S. 160, the Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act. This bill will amend the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to allow the Department of Defense to, once again, sell excess aircraft and aircraft parts for wildfire suppression. This will help facilitate the acquisition of excess military aircraft for the aerial wildfire suppression fleet. This lifesaving authority protects our aerial firefighters and brings in revenue from military aircraft that are not needed. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office anticipates this legislation will reduce government spending. Our brave first responders work tirelessly on the front lines, fighting wildfires that continue to get more dangerous every year. This bipartisan, commonsense bill gives these brave men and women access to more equipment that is critical in an emergency. I thank Senators Tim Sheehy and Martin Heinrich for introducing this important legislation which passed the Senate unanimously in April. I also thank Representative Dan Newhouse for introducing the House companion bill and leading the charge in this Chamber. I encourage my colleagues to once again support S. 160.”