White House Schedules Wildfire Briefing Next Week With Key Officials.
A political show or actual progress?
The last week has been a whirlwind of wildfire activity across the United States, and the establishment media has remembered what wildfire season is now that tragedy has struck down in New Mexico. They now have scrolling footage of entire neighborhoods that were wiped out by the South Fork and Salt Fires, including the homes of firefighters who were responding to the inferno.
It’s also the first day of Summer, so there is no better time than now to call a White House briefing on wildfires next week. On Monday, Caitlin Durkovich, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor for Resilience and Response, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will hold a briefing to discuss the 2024 fire season outlook.
Time will be given after the briefing for questions from those attending:
Hello,
Your Member and a member of your office’s staff are invited to join a briefing with Administration officials on wildland fires on Monday, June 24 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm ET. This briefing is being offered to offices from states directly impacted by the fire season, as well as key committees of jurisdiction.
The virtual briefing will include remarks from Caitlin Durkovich, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor for Resilience and Response; Interior Secretary Deb Haaland; and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Senior officials from the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture will provide a briefing on the 2024 wildland fire outlook following the remarks and will be available for questions.
Thank you,
White House Office of Legislative Affairs
Interesting timing.
The question remains: What will be discussed? I can assure you the recent fires in New Mexico and the current conditions building up in the different desert regions will be discussed. They will likely discuss climate issues and say a wildfire disaster is on the way. I would agree that the potential for a very busy and continued destructive fire season is likely.
But what I will not accept is if they come out of this briefing and then go on TV to tell their constituents how crazy this fire season will be. Preach to be scared and to support more funding that has nothing to do with wildfire, to remember and vote for them in November, then not make a f*cking peep about the 3-year lingering wildland firefighter pay legislation they haven’t voted on.
I can see it now:
“Our wildland firefighters are our heroes, and we will need them more than ever this year. That’s why we have introduced more funding for wildfire resilience, climate initiatives, and another $100M for research projects.”
“But Congressman, isn’t wildland firefighter pay going to be cut by 40% in September if Congress doesn’t act?”
(The sound of crickets chirping in an old east coast swamp.)
Numerous wildland firefighter groups are currently pushing in D.C. to get the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act passed. It is the largest group assembled yet. They are talking to the Senate this week and will be speaking with the House next week.
I implore Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to bring up the WFPPA in the briefing. I ask Caitlin Durkovich, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor, to tell these congressmen to vote for House Bill 5169 and Senate Bill 2272.
With respect to the Deputy Assistant to the President, and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor, I think having another 40% of your wildland firefighter workforce quit would affect Homeland Security. I think another mass exodus of firefighters would endanger communities more than if they didn’t. There is always money for everything “wildfire,” but this pay issue. It’s been sloppily and lazily extended and delayed for years now.
You are gathering Members of Congress and Cabinet Members to discuss the 2024 season… This should be on the top of your list.
Yes, you will get a bigger reaction from your constituents and convince them you’re taking action by using scrolling footage of decimated neighborhoods in New Mexico, some of which belong to the very firefighters trying to stop that blaze.
But when you are sent scrolling footage of Hotshots sleeping in a park and in their cars because they cannot afford to live in the mountain towns they are stationed in…
(The sound of crickets chirping in an old east coast swamp.)
This is a massive opportunity to actually support the workforce. You have called a venue where you will have all of the representative’s ears on what is needed for the 2024 season.
Step up. Tell the House representatives who are holding it up in committee to push it through! Pssst, If you need help finding where it’s held up, it’s called The House Committee on Natural Resources. And if you need someone to articulate the importance of this in a way you professionally are unable to, send me the Zoom link. However, the transcript might need to have a parental warning on it…
It’s an election year, and wildfire will play a part in that—it always does. But let’s not continue with the same bullsh*t we see every cycle. Can you actually come together for once, other than war, and make the temporary pay increase you gave wildland firefighters permanent?
Or maybe you don’t actually care?
I guess we will find out after your briefing.
Step up!
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Tell it like it is! They should invite the Smokey Bear IHC to the event...for emphasis!
Excellent.