Congressman Correa Votes For Passage of the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act
Increasing Wildland Firefighters Pay and Benefits for California
Washington, D.C. — Today Congressman Lou Correa (D-CA) voted for the passage of the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act.
“California is experiencing record-breaking wildfires, which are causing mass destruction and devastation. Federal and state wildfire firefighters who continue to save lives and help save homes deserve to be compensated for their dedication and service. Today, I voted for the passage of the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act to highlight the hard work of our firefighters and advocate for their rights. This bill is one small step in the right direction towards climate advocacy and ensures we provide our wildland firefighters with the benefits they have earned while protecting southern Californians.”
Background: This year alone, over 53,160 acres of California land have been devastated by wildfires. This climate disaster is causing widespread destruction in the state of California. The Wildfire Response and Drought Resilience Act enhances the compensation and benefits of wildland firefighters. This measure includes provisions that will award paid mental health days to firefighters, eliminate premium pay limits, and more. It will allocate nearly $1 billion annually for firefighter salary and benefits, as well as create a new job classification for the first responders who battle the deadly wildfires that plague our state. In addition, this legislation will work to address the widespread droughts that are affecting California’s agriculture industry and the concerns facing residents of drought-affected areas.
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