[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 22, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4211-S4212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Unanimous Consent Request--S. Res. 811
Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today to highlight and ask
unanimous consent to pass a resolution I introduced to call for greater
action from the Canadian Government to fight the almost annual
wildfires that send smoke over the border, blanketing much of the
United States.
Over the past several days, more than 100 million people nationwide
have been under air quality alerts due to the smoke from Canadian
wildfires. This smoke has real impacts to the health and well-being of
individuals and families. In my home State of North Dakota, this is an
issue we are very familiar with. Unfortunately, over the past number of
summers, we have been experiencing hazy skies from wildfires in Canada.
The United States and Canada have a longstanding and close
relationship based on our shared values and common interests. I know; I
grew up 50 miles from the border. But with that shared border between
the United States and Canada, we need to manage it to the benefit of
the people that reside in both countries. I mean, we have water that
flows up into Canada, and we are always working on water quality issues
and all those kinds of things. We understand that what we do here in
the United States affects our friends in Canada as well.
So we feel for those in Canada whose homes and communities are
directly impacted by the fires. We also recognize and thank the
thousands of firefighters and emergency responders who are working to
combat wildfires and protect lives and personal property under
dangerous conditions.
But at the same time, we need responsible forest management,
including hazardous fuels reduction, timber harvesting, grazing, and
other forest restoration practices that help reduce the severity and
frequency of catastrophic wildfires.
With more than 3,640 wildfires in Canada this year alone, it is clear
that more action needs to be taken to prevent and stop these fires.
And, in fact, in the United States, we have worked many years to help
our friends in Canada battle these fires, but, clearly, more action
needs to be taken.
So the resolution I have introduced does three things: Specifically,
it recognizes the significant impact that smoke from the Canadian
wildfires has on the safety, health, and well-being of the American
people, and it calls upon the Government of Canada to take
responsibility for the cross-border impact of these wildfires,
including immediate efforts to extinguish the fires and prevent their
reoccurrence. And finally, the resolution urges President Trump to
further discuss with Canadian Prime Minister Carney the importance of
extinguishing these fires and finding ways to prevent their
reoccurrence, something that we can do together and we should do
together for the mutual benefit of both our great countries.
So with that, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule
XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the
consideration of S. Res. 811, which is at the desk. I further ask that
the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the
motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with
no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
The Senator from Washington.
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, reserving the right to object. I am going
to ask pretty bluntly, what on earth are my colleagues doing here? I
don't know why Republicans are focused on making a really petty and
offensive statement to Canada, saying they need to do a better job of
containing wildfire smoke as if the Canadian Government is letting
their forest burn and its own citizens inhale wildfire smoke just to
spite us. This is a joke. Maybe my colleagues across the aisle don't
realize this, but Canadian firefighters cross that border to help us
fight our wildfires right here all the time.
And guess what. Our firefighters do the exact same when they are
able. In fact, for the information of all Senators, a firefighter
actually just passed away who was helping us fight a wildfire in
Colorado; he was from British Columbia.
Now, what we don't do is pass resolutions here telling our friends
and our neighbors to do a better job of handling wildfire smoke.
And also, maybe somebody should alert the President and my
colleagues, but wildfire smoke from the United States often makes its
way into Canada. It is happening right now where wildfires are burning
in Oregon and in Washington.
[[Page S4212]]
I think what this might be really about is telling Trump that, Mr.
President, look how much we agree with you.
This is a waste of everybody's time. So, respectfully, to my
colleagues, understanding that time on the Senate floor is precious,
here are my suggestions: Maybe we should pass legislation to rehire all
of the red card holders that Trump fired. Those are the Forest Service
employees who are trained here to help fight wildfires.
Or how about we pass legislation to stop the Trump administration's
so-called reorganization of the Forest Service, which would actually
shutter offices across our country, including the research labs that
helped us study the wildfires and pushed out even more Forest Service
employees.
Or maybe instead of entertaining Trump's outrageous requests for a
$1.5 trillion war budget, Republicans could work with us to adequately
fund our needs here at home.
Our Forest Service, right here in the United States, is understaffed
and underresourced. Maybe my colleagues don't realize it, but Trump's
chaotic funding cuts and freezes, along with the chaotic mass layoffs,
have actually hurt our public lands and leave us here less prepared to
prevent and respond to wildfires here at home.
I remember speaking with a Forest Service ranger last year. He was a
longtime dedicated employee. He was a former marine. He served our
country in more ways than one, and he did an incredible job. He
literally saved people's lives on forest trails, and he fought
wildfires here and even saved a small rural town in my State from being
burned to the ground. Know what happened to him? Trump and DOGE fired
him. No cause, just fired him. That was a huge loss for our State and
for our country.
So I do want my colleagues to get serious about the wildfires. And I
will just say this, the President should actually apologize to our
Canadian neighbors for the many threats and insults and, of course,
drop those absurd tariffs he is imposing on these wildfires. I am not
holding my breath, so enough with gimmicks, Mr. President. You want to
work together to prevent wildfires? My door is wide open, and I hope we
can all work together to do that.
But I will tell you what I am not going to do: insult our Canadian
friends to suck up to a President who does nothing but threaten our
neighbors.
Thank you, Mr. President, I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, if I could, I am wondering if my colleague
heard the speech I just gave. I guess I want to repeat it because maybe
she might have missed it.
The United States and Canada--this is what I said, so I can't think
of a bigger mischaracterization of what I just said. And I am not even
sure why. If she wanted to come down and criticize our President, that
is fine. She can do that, I guess, whenever she wants if that is what
she wants to do. But to completely mischaracterize what I said, I don't
think is fair.
So I am going to reiterate what I said just a minute ago for the
record.
The United States and Canada have a longstanding and close
relationship based on our shared values and common interests.
I even referenced the fact that I grew up 50 miles from the Canadian
border. I went back and forth to Canada so many times I couldn't even
count.
But, and I go on, with a shared border between the United States and
Canada, we want to manage it to the benefit of people residing in both
countries.
We feel for those in Canada whose homes and communities are
directly impacted.
I am reading from the speech I just wrote; I was listening to the
mischaracterization.
We also recognize and thank the thousands of firefighters
and emergency responders who are working to combat wildfires
and protect lives and personal property under dangerous
conditions.
At the same time, we need responsible forest management,
including hazardous fuels reduction, timber harvesting,
grazing, and other forest restoration practices that help
reduce the severity and the frequency of catastrophic
wildfires.
With more than 3,640 wildfires in Canada this year alone,
it is clear that more action needs to be taken to prevent and
stop these fires.
That is what I am calling for. And in the resolution itself, I make
it very clear that this is something that is important to benefit both
countries.
So, again, you know, I think it would be--if my colleague wants to
object, I understand she has that right. But I think it is unfair to
characterize that other than I am saying we need more action on these
wildfires.
Now, if she feels we don't need more action on these wildfires, it is
just fine, OK. But she shouldn't misrepresent what I am trying to do,
which is call attention to the fact that we need more work done so we
can avoid these wildfires in the future and that that is something that
is mutually beneficial for both of our Nations.
And with that, I would yield the floor to my colleague the good
Senator from Ohio.
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, if I could respond quickly. If the
Senator would just let me respond quickly before you pass it on.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, let me just say to my friend, and he is a
friend, and I do hear his quiet, calm tone. I appreciate it. It is not
something we all often hear here. But I will say this, in the words
that you hear from this resolution, if you are a Canadian, it is that
we are insulting them by saying you are not trying to fight your forest
fires.
And I will tell you this, I am working my tail off to help us fight
our wildfires; our Canadian friends are as well. And I think, in this
very heightened time--when I know I don't live far from the border
either; we have a lot of trade with our Canadian friends; we go back
and forth--they feel very insulted by a lot that is going on. So I
think this adds fuel to that fire.
So what I say to my friend, let's work on our country, making sure
that we are fighting our forest fires, which I outlined in my response
to you, of some of the things we can do, and I believe that our
Canadian friends are doing the same. But that is why I object at this
time.
Mr. HOEVEN. And to my colleague from Washington, we work together on
many things, important things. I appreciate that. I think we both come
from border States and recognize the importance of this incredible bond
and relationship that we have with our friends in Canada, and I want to
make clear, I have tremendous respect, appreciation, and admiration for
our friends and allies and that this is about working together for
mutual benefit.
And with that, I would yield to my good friend and colleague from the
State of Ohio.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Banks). The Senator from Ohio.
Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, very briefly, let me make a couple of
things clear. This resolution isn't about insulting Canadians; this
resolution is about calling out inept leaders in Canada. I have total
and complete respect for the people of Canada. Unfortunately, they are
victimized by terrible leaders.
To just turn a blind eye to the fact that they just dumped in your
State and my State the equivalent of a year's worth of auto pollution
in America, on the Midwest, and pretend it isn't manmade--they don't
have centralized response.
This idea that they helped us is totally false. They charge us to
come to the United States to help put out our forest fires that, by the
way, are also created by ineptitude in Washington, Oregon, and
California. And then when our firefighters ask to go to Canada to help
them, they prevent them from coming in.
So this is completely a manmade disaster, but it is not made by the
people of Canada; it is made by the leaders of Canada. And shame on
them, and shame on anybody apologizing for what they are doing to the
people of our States.