Political Quotes

“I come to the floor today to speak for a few minutes about the absolutely devastating wildfires currently burning through the farms, communities, and public lands of our home State of Washington. As a lifelong resident of Washington State and the Pacific Northwest, I have always been aware of the annual risks and dangers that wildfires pose to our region. Every summer, a combination of rising temperatures, months of dry weather, and our State's obvious abundance of forest and fields have resulted in wildfires capable of threatening homes and businesses across our State. Each summer we have worked to become better and better prepared to help protect our communities. But one wildfire burning this year is the single largest we have seen in Washington State. Since last Tuesday, massive wildfires covering hundreds of thousands of acres have ravaged our farm lands, our agricultural areas, our cherished public lands, and, most importantly, communities throughout Chelan County, Okanogan County, and others across eastern Washington. I am talking about a massive wave of flames that has burned an area now four times the size of Seattle, which is our State's largest city. Even for those of us who have lived our entire lives with the reality of wildfires, this is unprecedented. So while I am here in what we call ``the other Washington,'' today, my heart, my thoughts, and my prayers are in Central and Eastern Washington.…”