Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring the Chamber's attention to the wildfires that have devastated our country this year, consuming nearly 7.7 million acres across 12 States. This figure, however, doesn't account for the lives tragically lost, the homes destroyed, or the livelihoods that went up in flames. This doesn't account for the smoke from these wildfires that swept from many of our Western States into the Midwest, creating poor air quality. The House has passed measures to reduce the severity of our wildfires and improve the health of our forests. Last November, the House passed the Resilient Federal Forest Act, written by my friend from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman). The legislation provides commonsense reforms that will benefit our forests, economy, and the environment. Conservationists, organizations, foresters, stakeholders, and local leaders throughout Montana recognize the need for reforms to get us managing our forests again. Unfortunately, the other Chamber, mired in obstruction, has not taken up the bill. The House, however, has not lost our focus, including critical forest management reforms into other legislation. Looking across the West and seeing the devastation of the wildfires this year, I know we can't afford to wait. I am honored that many of my colleagues are joining me here tonight who recognize the threat of catastrophic wildfires and want to do something about them. I look forward to hearing from them.…”