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

WASHINGTON – Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) sent a letter to Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth condemning the Air Force’s decision to grant January 6 insurrectionist Ashli Babbitt with military honors.   “We write to demand that you immediately reverse your Department’s shameful decision on August 15, 2025 to grant military funeral honors to former Air Force Senior Airman Ashli Babbitt,” the senators wrote. “This decision is not only indefensible and inconsistent with 10 U.S. Code § 985, but also deeply disrespectful to the service members who have honorably worn the uniform of the United States.” Babbitt, a former airman, was an active, weapon-carrying rioter in