On the recordJanuary 31, 2023
Mr. Rosendale, I appreciate that, especially coming from the State of Montana. Your State, just like mine, has seen record catastrophic fires over the last several years. Thousands of acres have been destroyed throughout the Western United States, millions of dollars of damage, lives lost, and communities that have been totally destroyed. Untold numbers of wildlife have been lost. These fires have literally changed the landscape of our national forests for generations. The carbon dioxide being emitted from these devastating fires surpasses the auto emissions in just 1 year. The smoke from these fires has even recently come as far as Washington, D.C. I had hoped that that would get people's attention. We are dealing with that on a regular basis all summer long in the communities that I represent and that Mr. Rosendale represents, causing health issues and tainting agricultural crops. It truly is an issue that is hurting our quality of life. If this court case is lost, the situation is going to get much worse. We cannot let this happen. To help tell the story that we are facing in the Western United States, another Western Caucus member from the great State of Idaho, the Gem State, Mr. Russ Fulcher, is here.
