[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 13, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H4278]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  LOUISIANA HAS BRAVE FIRST RESPONDERS

  (Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and 
thank Louisiana's brave first responders who valiantly rose to the 
occasion this summer as our State was hit with unprecedented wildfires, 
the largest of which is still burning today.
  We had tens of thousands of acres that have been charred. Nearly half 
of the parishes in my district were ablaze. At one time, parts of 
Sabine, Beauregard, Allen, Vernon, Natchitoches, Grant, Caddo, and 
DeSoto Parishes were all on fire.
  Our communities received support from the State fire marshal, the 
State police, the National Guard, as well as nearly every local police 
and fire department in the region. The U.S. Forestry Service dispatched 
firefighters from many States around the country to help.
  Many of the first responders have been volunteers, Louisianans who 
donated time, money, and shelter to their neighbors in need. This 
disaster tested our State more than ever, but we responded.
  Louisiana is home to the most resilient people you will ever meet, 
and we will bounce back from these wildfires just as we have done after 
every disaster we have ever faced. It is a great honor to represent so 
many of these heroic individuals in Congress.

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