What's The Newest Bipartisan House Interest Group? The Wildfire Caucus - But Don't Say "Warming"!
Congressional Republicans and Democrats from the West are banding together with a common interest in mitigating and responding to the increasing intensity and frequency of wildfires. In a sign of the rising danger wildfires pose, Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado, a Democrat, and Rep. John Curtis, a Utah Republican, announced plans to launch the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus in the U.S. House. The lawmakers will seek ways to better reduce the danger posed by wildfires and provide relief to those affected.
The group, with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, will be a vehicle for members of both parties to raise the issue’s profile and build consensus about how to manage wildfire damage, bolster preparation and improve recovery efforts, according to a joint news release from Neguse and Curtis.
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Experts agree that climate change is at least one factor that has allowed wildfires to become more dangerous in recent years. Hotter, longer summers dry out forests and leave them more susceptible to catastrophic burning. It also has lengthened the fire season itself. The joint release from Neguse and Curtis did not mention climate change, though Neguse said in an interview “ultimately, ways to address the long-term consequences of climate change” would be among the issues the group would tackle.
Johanna Neumann, who directs the energy program at the environmental group Environment America, said increased wildfires are a symptom of climate change. While it’s important to treat that symptom, she said lawmakers should not lose focus on the need to treat the underlying condition. “We have allowed global warming to become a crisis,” she said. “In response to a crisis, you need action groups to adapt to that crisis. But you also have to address the underlying cause of the crisis…. We must not allow that to distract us from solving the larger problem. And there’s no reason that the two need to be mutually exclusive.”
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https://www.nevadacurrent.com/blog/bipartisan-members-of-congress-launch-wildfire-caucus/
