Fix Our Forests Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 8790, the Fix Our Forests Act.

This bill had real potential, potential that could have been realized if committee Democrats had been meaningfully involved in its development.

Wildfires are a crisis that demands our collective attention across party lines. We have seen firsthand how it devastates communities, including in southern California where the Post fire continues to burn in the rugged hills of East L.A.

Hot, dry, and windy conditions intensified by the climate crisis are fueling more frequent and severe wildfires. These fires are spreading faster, lasting longer, and growing more intense.

Let me be clear: While this may seem like the new normal, it is anything but. The wildfire crisis is linked directly to the climate crisis, and if we are serious about protecting our communities, we must tackle both head-on.

That means reducing emissions and committing to a clean, renewable economy, something that, sadly, this Congress under Republican leadership refuses to address.

We must also ensure that our Federal land management agencies have the resources, personnel, and tools to promote resilient forests and safe communities.

That is why House Democrats took bold action in the last Congress.

Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we secured $28 billion for the Department of the Interior and $5.5 million for the Forest Service to address wildfire management and resilience.

Let's not forget: every single Natural Resources Committee Republican voted ``no.'' Then came the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided an additional $2.5 billion for ecosystem resilience and $500 million for wildfire workforce needs. Once again, Republicans opposed these critical investments.

Thanks to these historic actions, the Biden-Harris administration has made significant progress. The national wildfire strategy is delivering record-breaking restoration efforts to strengthen our landscapes and keep communities safe.

We also established the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, which released 148 consensus recommendations. I am pleased to see that the Fix Our Forests Act incorporates several of these recommendations.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. In fact, Mr. Chair, we support 18 of the 22 sections of the bill. However, without additional changes, the bill includes harmful provisions that go beyond what the wildfire commission recommended.

Despite 148 opportunities for consensus, my colleagues across the aisle couldn't resist undermining our bedrock environmental protections like NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act.

This is unnecessary because the evidence is clear: the Forest Service has achieved record-breaking results in reducing wildfire risks, thanks to the investments Democrats made last Congress over Republican opposition.

Instead of weakening vital environmental laws, we should focus on building on the progress we have already made.

The wildfire crisis is, and should be, a bipartisan priority. Democrats stand ready to work together on consensus-based solutions that provide our land management agencies with the tools they need. Unfortunately, H.R. 8790 is not that solution.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source