1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,840
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Over
the last week historic

2
00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,840
wildfires have ravaged my home
state of Oregon. I have three

3
00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:12,080
major fires in my congressional
district alone. These fires

4
00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,760
continue to burn an alarming
rate. The extent of loss of

5
00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:20,720
life and property is still
unknown. However, without the

6
00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,600
heroic, lifesaving work of our
firefighters, police and

7
00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,960
sheriff's offices, the sheer
magnitude of that loss would

8
00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:31,520
have been far greater. First responders
from Lincoln, Marion, Polk

9
00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,160
Clackamas and Tillamook County have been
working around the clock to

10
00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:38,240
evacuate families while the
winds have changed most rapidly

11
00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,480
and dangerously putting their
own lives in peril. Currently Oregon

12
00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:45,520
experiences the worst air
quality in the world and has been

13
00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,760
enveloped in absolute dense
smoke for 1 week. Many of those

14
00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,400
battling these fires live in
impacted communities and have

15
00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,440
continued their work as their
families evacuate and their

16
00:00:55,440 --> 00:01:00,380
homes are lost. There are not
enough words of thanks to give to

17
00:01:00,380 --> 00:01:03,260
these heroes, but I know that I
speak on behalf of all

18
00:01:03,260 --> 00:01:07,740
Oregonians when I say that we
are forever grateful to you.

19
00:01:07,740 --> 00:01:12,860
Thank you.