WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Arizona’s first Latino Senator, issued the following statement to commemorate the start of Hispanic Heritage Month: “Each year, from September 15 to October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to honor the history, culture, and contributions of the Latino community to the United States. “Latinos have greatly added to the richness and diversity of our country. For so many of us, Hispanic culture is about the music, food, and rich traditions that bring us together. “As the son of a Colombian mother and a Mexican father, this month is also a powerful reminder of the sacrifices and resilience of generations

WASHINGTON – Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ),  Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) demanded the Trump administration ensure federal wildland firefighters are adequately protected from wildfire smoke as these heroes risk their lives to protect the American people and our public lands. “Every day, wildland firefighters risk their lives to combat wildfire and keep us safe from longer and more extreme fire seasons. This often requires multiple days and weeks – and sometimes months – being exposed to the smoke and other products of combustion generated from these fires. Experts have clearly stated that ‘there is no safe

Trump’s administration is pushing forward on plan to overturn protections on nearly 60 million acres of pristine National Forest lands, despite massive public pushback WASHINGTON – Today, Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) led 54 of their Congressional colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Tom Schultz urging them to extend the public comment period for a proposal to repeal the Roadless Rule. The Roadless Rule, enacted in 2001, protects 58.5 million acres of untouched U.S. Forest Service land from wasteful new road construction. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a notice in the