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This section captures a formal floor step rather than a policy debate. It mentions legislation such as Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the adverse impacts on the United States of the recent Canadian wildfires and the importance of the Government of Canada to take responsibility for such impacts by increasing efforts to extinguish these fires and prevent their recurrence., members such as John Hoeven.
Official title: Unanimous Consent Request--S. Res. 811 (Executive Calendar)
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July 22, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. 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.
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.
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.
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.
including hazardous fuels reduction, timber harvesting, grazing, and other forest restoration practices that help reduce the severity and frequency of catastrophic wildfires.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
$1.5 trillion war budget, Republicans could work with us to adequately fund our needs here at home.
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.
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.
The United States and Canada have a longstanding and close
relationship based on our shared values and common interests.
border. I went back and forth to Canada so many times I couldn't even count.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.