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Pelosi Statement on Emergency Wildfire Spending Discharge Petition

July 11, 2014

Contact: Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on the discharge petition filed by Congressman Scott Peters to bring legislation to designate wildfires as emergency spending (H.R. 3992) to the floor for a vote:

"With rising temperatures and record droughts across the country, we could be headed into one of the worst wildfire seasons in our history. But with fires raging across the west, the money is running out – and House Republicans can't be bothered to act.

"Wildfires are clearly emergencies, and fighting them shouldn't be subject to Washington's dysfunction. As Republicans hold up the emergency supplemental appropriation, the need to break wildfire efforts free from partisan obstruction is clearer than ever. The discharge petition led by Congressman Scott Peters demands a vote on bipartisan and long-overdue legislation to designate wildfires as emergency spending.

"Communities battling wildfires cannot wait for House Republicans to get their act together, and they shouldn't have to. Congress should move swiftly to approve the supplemental appropriation request, and pass this bill to protect wildfire funding from partisan politics."

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