CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is bracing for a showdown with Congress if the government keeps running out of money to fight wildfires.
Year after year, the Forest Service has borrowed money from other programs to keep up with the ever-growing cost of fighting fires.
But Vilsack says he won’t keep raiding funds that are supposed to go elsewhere, and Congress will need to step in with emergency funding if firefighting funds fall short again.
The budget bill Congress approved Friday gives the Forest Service $1.6 billion for firefighting. That’s $610 million more than last year but still less than the record $1.7 billion spent this past year as wildfires destroyed hundreds of homes.
A spokesman for Republican Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), of Mississippi, points out next year’s firefighting funds will top the 10-year average by $593 million.
Comment count on this article reflects comments made on Breitbart.com and Facebook. Visit Breitbart's Facebook Page.