[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H173-H174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FIRES DON'T DISCRIMINATE

  (Ms. LOFGREN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1

[[Page H174]]

minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise as the chair of the California 
Democratic Congressional Delegation to urge that we focus our energy on 
standing with firefighters, businesses, and families impacted by the 
Los Angeles County fire, not politics.
  I have been hearing unprecedented political attacks, lies, and 
threats of conditioning disaster aid, even while these fires rage. This 
is the largest urban fire in the history of the United States.
  Our rule has always been disaster help without conditions.
  Mr. Speaker, if you want to change our longstanding policy, remember, 
your constituents could be the next ones to be abandoned. As my 
California colleague Congresswoman Young Kim said this week, ``fires 
don't discriminate,'' and she is right.
  In December, when disaster aid went to victims in Republican-led 
States, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, and 
Florida, Democrats overwhelmingly voted for that aid.
  Mr. Speaker, we didn't discriminate then, and we must not 
discriminate now during Californians time of need.

                          ____________________