Fire Department Repayment Act of 2023

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. HARDER of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Huffman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the Fire Department Repayment Act. This legislation cuts red tape and fixes the burdensome fire department repayment system to ensure our local departments are repaid quickly for their work to keep our communities safe.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, the wildfire crisis is getting longer and more intense every year. Sixty thousand communities in the United States are at risk for wildland fires in newly populated, recently developed areas that border fire-prone fields and forests.

My home State of California is on the front lines of this crisis with the most neighborhoods threatened by wildfires.

When a wildfire breaks out on Federal lands, our local firefighters are often the first on the scene, braving hazardous conditions to put out these blazes and protect nearby homes, families, and communities. Local fire departments deploy personnel, use fire engines, and spend thousands of dollars' worth of time and resources to fight fires on Federal lands.

Yet, the bureaucratic Federal reimbursement process is slow and covered in red tape. It often takes years for small fire departments to be repaid for their assistance on these fires.

In my own district, fire departments have waited years and years for repayment from Federal agencies. That has drained their budgets and restrained their resources to combat the fires that we are fighting just this year.

That is unacceptable. Our government must work better for the heroes who put their lives on the line to keep our families safe.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this bill to ensure our local fire departments are paid back quickly so they have the tools they need to protect our communities from the next fire. I also thank my colleagues, Mr. Curtis and Mr. LaMalfa, for their tireless leadership and support of this important bill.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source