When the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history devastated our communities, I held the federal government accountable for starting the fire. This was not a natural disaster, it was a man made disaster and the federal government must pay for the damages they caused. I secured resources to battle the wildfire, ensured that families displaced had emergency help and long-term solutions. In Congress, I worked to increase firefighter pay and ensure firefighters get health care when their work damages their health. My Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act to fully compensate the families that have been harmed has passed the House and is now working its way through the Senate. I also secured investigations into US Forest Service policies that allowed the control burn to happen under dangerous conditions that ultimately turned some of our most beautiful land into a 340,000 acre burn scar.  I’m working with the USFS to update their policies so that a tragedy like this never happens again.