[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7197]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           U.S. FIREFIGHTERS GO TO MEXICO AND FLY OVER TEXAS

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the administration is fighting 
wildfires. In December, the United States sent two firefighting planes 
to battle fires in Israel. In April, two specially equipped U.S. Air 
Force C-130 cargo planes and 30 personnel were sent to battle wildfires 
in Mexico. The fires in Mexico burned about 380 square miles near the 
Texas border. The United States came to the rescue.
  But not everyone gets help from the United States. A wildfire 
epidemic has also occurred in Texas, with more than 9,000 fires. Two 
million acres have been burned. That is the size of Rhode Island and 
Delaware combined and ten times the size of the fires in Mexico. And 
the State is still on fire.
  Texas Governor Perry requested Federal help, but the administration 
summarily denied the Governor's request. The administration, it seems, 
is more concerned about taking care of foreign nations while ignoring 
Americans in Texas. Why does the administration despise Texas? 
Meanwhile, the fires continue.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________