Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arizona for bringing the attention of the House to this important matter. This summer, we had catastrophic wildfires in Montana. We burned 1.2 million acres. That is the equivalent of the size of the State of Delaware. I have seen this destruction firsthand. I visited with incident commanders and firefighters on five separate wildfires this summer. In Lincoln County, the air quality was so unhealthy that teachers provided masks to the kids in school so they could breathe. In August, I had Secretary Zinke and Secretary Perdue come to Montana and tour the Lolo Peak fire, one of the most expensive fires that was fought this summer. I have worked to bring relief to Montanans. In July, emergency relief for farmers and ranchers was provided by opening up the C.M. Russell recreation area to grazing. We had hungry cows left from pasture being consumed and grass available. It was a commonsense solution to put those two together. Also in July, we successfully urged FEMA Director Brock Long to reconsider their denial of one of our fires and declare Montana eligible for emergency funds. For these two things, I am thankful. So the negative impact has been severe. And while there has been some relief, including welcome rain and snow, we can't rely on that.…”