Pelosi: ‘Today We Vow That Our Response to California Wildfires Will Not End Once Flames Are Extinguished’

Pelosi: ‘Today We Vow That Our Response to California Wildfires Will Not End Once Flames Are Extinguished’

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. â€" Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the floor this afternoon expressing her support for H.Res 778, to recognize and honor the first responders to the California wildfires last week. Below are the Speaker’s remarks:

â€Å"I want to commend the co-chairs of our delegation, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and Congressman David Dreier, both from California. And all of our colleagues who come to the floor today and join us for expressing our appreciation to our men and woman in uniform, our first responders, emergency services personnel, our firefighters who conducted themselves in such a brave, tireless manner to protect the people and the home and businesses of California.

â€Å"Today, we thank God that the winds finally died down, and our brave first responders were able to contain the largest fire in the Golden State’s history.

â€Å"Our first responders, our firefighters were courageous and tireless. More than 11,000 personnel - including thousands of firefighters from across California and neighboring states, and thank you to our neighboring states for their participation - and 2,500 of our brave National Guardsmen and women, worked through long days and nights to battle the dangerous flames.

â€Å"And in so doing, they saved lives and homes and businesses. For that, we will be forever grateful.

â€Å"Today in California, five fires still burn. As these fires are quenched, the hard work of restoring the regular order of residents’ lives begins.

â€Å"We can now begin the accounting of our staggering losses…seven dead and more than 100 injured, 500,000 acres burned, one million residents forced to evacuate, 1,400 homes destroyed, across seven counties.

â€Å"But as the victims of the fire know, the tragedy can’t be expressed in those numbers. It is best lost in baby photos, and treasured mementos gone forever. It is in the fear of knowing that in an instant, life can take a tragic turn.

â€Å"I salute Governor Schwarzenegger, and the governor’s Office of Emergency Services for their efforts and leadership in protecting the people in the area and containing the fires.

â€Å"I’m very pleased that President Bush responded to the request of the governor and the Californian bipartisan delegation in declaring what was happening in California a major federal disaster.

â€Å"Today we vow that our response to this fire will not end once those flames are extinguished. The California Congressional delegation will work in a bipartisan way with the entire Congress, the Governor, and the President to ensure short-term and long-term needs are met.

â€Å"To those who have suffered personal losses, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, personal injury, loss of their homes and their communities, as Speaker of the House, I extend the deepest sympathy and the fullest support of the House of Representatives. We stand with you today, and in the days of rebuilding to come.

I want to acknowledge the leadership of Mr. Duncan Hunter and Mr. William Lacy Clay. I thank them for giving us this opportunity to express our appreciation to our firefighters and first responders in California.