[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 161 (Thursday, September 17, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H4494]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES

  (Ms. ESHOO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to see the gentleman in the 
Chair.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, a month ago yesterday, a siege of 
lightning strikes ignited the CZU Lightning Complex fire in my 
congressional district, and it is now the 10th most destructive 
wildlife in California's history.
  Over the past month, the fire has destroyed nearly a thousand homes 
in my district and forced 77,000 of my constituents to evacuate. Thanks 
to the extraordinary--and I mean, extraordinary work--of thousands of 
first responders, the fire is now over 90 percent contained.
  As we work toward recovery, much of the Bay Area and the entire 
western United States is still breathing the toxic smoke from these 
fires, which can have lasting effects and worsen chronic heart and lung 
diseases and have a terrible impact on children whose lungs are still 
developing.
  Congress should immediately pass my legislation, the Smoke Planning 
and Research Act to help local governments address this public health 
crisis.
  I am also calling on Congress to pass the WIRED Act to allow States 
to require wireless companies to deploy infrastructure that is 
resilient enough to support cell phone networks during disasters.

                          ____________________