Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) questioned Secretary of the Interior nominee Doug Burgum on his support for wildfire aid for California and increased wildland firefighter pay during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing.

As the Los Angeles wildfires continue to rage, Padilla emphasized that disaster aid has never come with conditions attached nor has it ever been a partisan issue. He noted that Burgum, North Dakota’s former governor, requested a major disaster declaration for historic wildfires in the northwestern part of the state last year, which President Biden approved quickly and unconditionally. If confirmed, Burgum committed to responding to wildfires regardless of which state they impact with all necessary resources and support possible.

Additionally, Padilla pushed Burgum to support a permanent pay raise for federal firefighters. Padilla highlighted his longtime work to ensure the federal government can recruit and retain a sufficient wildland firefighting workforce to keep communities safe. He has long sought to avert an automatic pay cut and protect the pay raise secured for wildland firefighters in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Interior Department currently employs more than 5,000 federal wildland fire personnel. The Office of Wildland Fire within the Interior Department supports wildland fire management by investing approximately $1.75 billion each year to reduce wildfire risk, respond to wildfires, support the wildland firefighter workforce, and bolster wildfire recovery.

At least 1,000 federal firefighters have been part of the disaster response to the Los Angeles wildfires. Burgum called federal firefighters “essential” and praised them for their work on the ground in Los Angeles and in North Dakota previously.

Key Excerpts:

• PADILLA: We’ve all seen the devastation of recent fires in Southern California. As we speak here today, more than 40,000 acres burned, 12,000 structures plus destroyed, more than two dozen people who have perished. That number is probably going to grow. It’s clear it’s been one of the most destructive natural disasters in Los Angeles history.

• PADILLA: For the record, there’s never been strings attached to disaster relief, and I certainly hope this is not the first case. So I would ask, as this plays out in Congress over the next several months, if you’re fortunate to be confirmed as Interior Secretary, you know, you wouldn’t be the one deciding on whether or not to grant disaster declarations, but the department is significant, particularly when it comes to wildfire response. Would you commit to responding to every disaster with as much support and resources possible, regardless of which state or jurisdiction the disaster is in?

• BURGUM: Well, absolutely, but I would say I would go a step further.

• PADILLA: Last session, I began another bipartisan effort with Senator Daines to permanently protect the pay increases for federal firefighters that Congress had previously approved. Side note, there’s currently about 1,000 brave federal firefighters that are part of the tremendous response. It’s not just locals, it’s not just state firefighters, but through mutual aid, a number of jurisdictions there, including federal firefighters. If confirmed, are you committed to supporting wildland firefighters because the recruitment and retention challenges, I mean, a number of reasons, but compensation has certainly been one of them?

• BURGUM: Well, it’s a dangerous and very hard job, but it’s an essential job. And I know again from my own recent experience, this was just October, early first week of October, we lost two lives in North Dakota as part of these raging wildfires that were tearing across the prairie. I had a chance immediately after that to meet with local volunteers and local firefighter units and our small state fire front team, our National Guard that was out and including at least a lot of citizens that jumped in, as they did in California, to try to save their own homes. I think we all have got a greater appreciation for that role.

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