[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 179 (Tuesday, October 12, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1088]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              MILITARY SUPPORT FOR FIGHTING WILDFIRES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN GARAMENDI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 12, 2021

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, today I introduce the ``Military 
Support for Fighting Wildfires Act'' with Representative Sara Jacobs 
(D-CA53) as the original cosponsor. This comprehensive bill would 
improve the military's support for civilian emergency response and 
provide Congressional authorization for the California Air National 
Guard's ``FireGuard'' program in partnership with the U.S. Air Force 
and the National Geospatial-lntelligence Agency.
  The American military has incredible capabilities for intelligence, 
surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). As chairman of the House Armed 
Services Subcommittee on Readiness, I believe that these capabilities 
can and should be used to support civilian emergency response to 
wildfires and other natural disasters with the appropriate safeguards 
for privacy and classified collection means.
  I also believe that excess military aircraft--including the seven 
Coast Guard HC-130H aircraft directed by Congress for transfer to the 
U.S. Forest Service and the State of California for wildfire response, 
following reconfiguration by the Air Force--should be made available 
for civilian wildland firefighting efforts. As western states like 
California face increasingly severe and frequent wildfires due to man-
made climate change, we need all the help we can get from our federal 
government including the military.
  That is exactly what my ``Military Support for Fighting Wildfires 
Act'' would accomplish. This comprehensive legislation builds upon the 
work of many members of California's Congressional delegation, 
including Representatives Adam B. Schiff (D-CA28), Salud O. Carbajal 
(D-CA24), and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA19) and U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein 
(D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA). I look forward to continuing to work 
with my colleagues as our state confronts the harsh realities of a new, 
year-round fire season due to manmade climate change.
  The California National Guard has used remotely piloted and unmanned 
aircraft systems, such as the MQ-9, for life-saving emergency 
operations in the past. However, these joint missions have only been 
completed a handful of times due to the lengthy approval process 
requiring the Secretary of Defense to sign off on each of these 
requests in advance.
  To address this hurdle, I secured a provision (Section 519C) in the 
William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283) directing the U.S. Department of 
Defense to review its approval proves for the use of unmanned aircraft 
systems by the National Guard in support of civilian emergency 
responders. The House Armed Services Committee received these 
recommendations under my Congressionally directed report in April 2021, 
and I expect the DOD to implement these changes fully.
  Madam Speaker, I look forward to working with you and other members 
of the California delegation to advance these key reforms in my 
``Military Support for Fighting Wildfires Act.'' I encourage all 
members to join me in cosponsoring this commonsense bill.

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