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Senate

Unanimous Consent Request--S. Res. 811 (Executive Calendar)

2026-07-22 Issue 120 Showing 1–4 of 4

Official Congressional Record ↗

John Hoeven

Republican

“I want Canada to do more to stop wildfires. The smoke comes to the United States. It is bad for people's health. Canada and the United States are friends. We help each other. But Canada needs to do more to stop the fires. I introduced a resolution. It says Canada should take responsibility. It says our countries should work together to stop the fires. I ask that the Senate pass this resolution.”

Official Congressional Record

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. Over the past several days, more than 100 million people nationwide 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. The United States and Canada have a longstanding and close 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. So we feel for those in Canada whose homes and communities are 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. But 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 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. 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. So with that, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule 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.

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John Hoeven

Republican

“I think you did not listen to my speech. I did not say what you think. I said that we want to work with Canada to stop wildfires. That will be good for both countries. I want more work on wildfires. You can say bad things about the President. But you should not mischaracterize my speech.”

Official Congressional Record

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. The United States and Canada--this is what I said, so I can't think 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. So I am going to reiterate what I said just a minute ago for the record. I even referenced the fact that I grew up 50 miles from the Canadian border. I went back and forth to Canada so many times I couldn't even count. But, and I go on, with a shared border between the United States and Canada, we want to manage it to the benefit of people residing in both countries. I am reading from the speech I just wrote; I was listening to the mischaracterization. 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. So, again, you know, I think it would be--if my colleague wants to 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. Now, if she feels we don't need more action on these wildfires, it is 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. And with that, I would yield the floor to my colleague the good Senator from Ohio.

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John Hoeven

Republican

“You are my friend. We work together on many things. We both know that our states are close to Canada. I respect Canada. I want to work together with Canada. This is about helping each other.”

Bernie Moreno

Republican

“This resolution is not about insulting Canadians. It is about calling out bad leaders in Canada. I respect the people of Canada. They are victims of bad leaders. Leaders in Canada dumped a year's worth of auto pollution on our states. It is man-made. It is not natural. Canadian leaders stopped our firefighters from helping them. This is a man-made disaster. It is not made by the people of Canada. It is made by the leaders of Canada. Shame on them. Shame on anyone who apologizes for what they are doing to our people.”

Official Congressional Record

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. To just turn a blind eye to the fact that they just dumped in your 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. So this is completely a manmade disaster, but it is not made by the 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.

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