Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the Republican leader. Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment, which is in part of the en bloc package of amendments No. 7 that is designed to help protect our giant sequoias, which are native to my home State of California, from catastrophic wildfires. Giant sequoias only grow one place in the world, in California. They live to 2,000, 3,000 years. Historically, they only die when they tumble over after living through so many thousands of years. But right now, as I stand here, there are currently 1,500 firefighters on the ground working to contain the Washburn fire in Yosemite National Park. The fire is threatening more than 500 giant sequoias, including the world's largest and oldest, the Grizzly Giant. On record prior, the only time in history that we had giant sequoias dying from fire was in 1297; but in the last 2 years, we have lost 20 percent of all the giant sequoias from fire. Think about that. In just 2 years, we have now lost 20 percent. As we speak and talk right now, 1,500 firefighters are trying to defend 500 giant sequoias, even the oldest one on record. I led a bipartisan congressional delegation to see the giant sequoias impacted by fires in my district earlier this year. The devastation was shocking. These losses are a clarion call for not only the National Park Service and the U.S.…”