Political Quotes

“The problem is drought, and the problem is currently being suffered by some 70 million people across the Western United States, including many in my district. Reservoirs, creeks, springs, and wells are going dry, leaving fish, people, wildlife, homes, and agriculture without water. Republican Members have been working hard to bring attention to this issue. We organized a Republican water forum where we spoke with expert witnesses from across the West who are dealing with this issue every day. They are the ones from the communities directly affected. This problem does not exist in a vacuum. Drought makes wildfires far more severe, and severe wildfires destroy watersheds, in turn making us even more vulnerable to drought. This horrific cycle will only continue until we find a better way to manage our forests. I think Ranking Member Westerman's forest resilience bill takes a huge step in that direction. My district right now is experiencing the third largest wildfire so far in the State's history. It has burned some 400,000 acres and is now only 56 percent contained. Some of my colleagues here are facing equally dangerous, destructive wildfires in their own districts, all worsened by the drought. The effects of this drought are devastating. Crops die in the fields, entire herds of cattle are being liquidated, trees and shrubs die from lack of water, home wells go dry, businesses leave, and communities are devastated. We need to do something.…”