Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, you may know, and others may know, and may have heard about the wildfires that swept through central Washington this past summer, destroying many homes, lives, wildstock, and livestock across Washington State. Tragically, they also took the lives of three brave firefighters. On August 19, 25-year-old Daniel Lyons, who is also a firefighter, was with his friends and partners, Richard Wheeler, Andrew Zajac, and Tom Zbyszewski, when their vehicle was overcome by flames. Daniel made it out of the fire truck alive but suffered burns over 60 percent of his body. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet with Daniel. After he had spent 3 months undergoing treatment at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, he has a positive attitude about life, and is excited about his opportunity to continue to serve. This young man still wants to be a police officer. He lost his fingertips in this fire. He still believes that he--and I know he can do this, and I want to be there for him--can accomplish his goal of continuing to serve as a police officer in the State of Washington. As a former cop of 33 years, I could not be more proud of Daniel. He is a real-life hero. I will always remember his friends and partners. ____________________”