Political Quotes

“as the chairman of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, it gives me great pleasure to rise in strong support of H.R. 1727, the Arson Prevention Act, and its Senate amendments. This has been a top priority of the fire caucus in the 103d Congress, and I am pleased that this measure is now moving forward. Arson continues to be one of the most destructive problems in our country today. In fact, as a percentage of all fires, arson has been increasing during the last 4 to 5 years. That's a frightening trend when you consider that 1 out of every 12 civilian fire deaths is due to arson, and nearly one out of every four fire service deaths results from arson fires. While arson fire will never be a completely preventable crime, H.R. 1727 takes a giant step toward reorientating how local, State, and Federal agencies approach this problem. It includes over $10 million in grant money designed to improve arson detection, investigation, and prevention. The terrible arson fires in southern California last year symbolized the blight these fires create. There is no better testament to the need of this bill, than the thousands of Californians whose lives have been irrevocably changed by this crime. Today, we can take action to help our local communities fight arson. I urge all of my colleagues to support the Senate amendments to H.R. 1727.”