PASSING AID TO ASSIST CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES

PASSING AID TO ASSIST CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 9 (Thursday, January 16, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 9 (Thursday, January 16, 2025)] [House] [Page H205] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] PASSING AID TO ASSIST CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES (Mr. STANTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. STANTON. Mr. Speaker, my heart is heavy seeing the devastation across southern California. My thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost loved ones and whose homes, businesses, and schools have been destroyed. Arizona is no stranger to devastating wildfires. Anyone in the West will tell you that climate change is making wildfires more frequent and more dangerous, not just in California but everywhere. This body has a real immediate duty to address the threat of worsening wildfires, and I have introduced legislation to get State and local governments emergency FEMA resources to fight wildfires and protect people and property. Our first priority is to help those fleeing to safety and to aid the firefighters and first responders, including the brave fire crews from Arizona cities, the State, and our Tribal nations. When Arizona communities have been impacted by wildfires, floods, or other extreme weather events, the Federal Government has delivered aid without conditions. When our neighbors in the South, in Florida, North Carolina, and Louisiana, were hit by storms, the Federal Government delivered without conditions. Now Congress must pass emergency disaster aid for our neighbors in California without conditions. ____________________