Merkley: ‘Irresponsible’ to Leave without Wildfire Funding

Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after Senate Republicans used a procedural tactic to kill an emergency supplemental spending bill, which included $615 million in emergency funding to fight wildfires in the West.

“With thousands of acres engulfed in flames in the Northwest, and lives and property in jeopardy, it’s irresponsible that some in Congress would refuse to address this crisis. We need to recognize these devastating fires as the emergencies they are. We must end the vicious cycle of robbing fire prevention and forest management funds to pay for fires that are already burning. There’s a crisis in the West and it deeply troubles me that Congress is leaving before finishing the job.”

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