• On Nov. 17, U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff (D-California) and John Curtis (R-Utah) introduced the bipartisan Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act. This legislation would create the first respiratory protection standards for wildland firefighters. According to Schiff’s office, federal firefighters were prohibited for decades from wearing respiratory protection, despite a growing body of evidence warning about long-term health risks of wildfire smoke. This bill would direct the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior to work with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to develop appropriate respiratory protections that take into account the needs of wildland firefighters. “Firefighters are heroes, and it’s critical that we do everything possible to ensure they’re protected from the health risks associated with wildfires,” Schiff said in a statement. “I am proud to introduce this long-overdue bipartisan bill, … to minimize the toxic exposures that firefighters face when they’re bravely defending our communities and public lands.” Schiff cited studies showing that exposure to wildfire smoke is linked to adverse health impacts, including more than a dozen kinds of cancer. According to a Stanford University study from 2020, the life expectancy of firefighters is 10 years less than the average adult due to lung damage. “Our wildland firefighters already face some of the most grueling, dangerous conditions imaginable. The least we can do is ensure access to materials that will protect them from the long-term health consequences of breathing toxic smoke,” Sen. Curtis said in a statement. The Federation of Federal Employees, National Fire Protection Association, International Association of Firefighters, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, and FireGen are among the organizations that endorse the Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced that California’s data from a new specialized methane-detecting satellite helped resolve 10 large methane leaks at oil and gas facilities across California since May—cutting pollution equivalent to taking 18,000 cars off the road for a year. The leaks were detected by sensors on the Tanager-1 satellite, which allows the state to notify oil and gas field equipment operators of leaks in close to real time. “California is advancing nation-leading technology and showing that our people, our economic future, and the health of our planet are worth fighting for,” Newsom said in a Nov. 13 statement. “Donald Trump’s trying to turn back the clock on cleaner air—silencing truth and gambling with our planet’s future. California won’t stand by and let that happen. We’re cutting pollution, fostering innovation, and proving that facts and science still matter.”
• In response to the Continuing Appropriations, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act’s recent passage, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) released a statement on Nov. 12. “Today, I voted against the partisan Republican funding bill that does nothing to bring down the cost of health insurance for millions of Americans, “ Carbajal stated. “Families across the Central Coast and beyond are already seeing that their health insurance costs could more than double next year if Congress fails to act. By refusing to extend the critical Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, Congressional Republicans are forcing Americans to choose between higher costs or no coverage at all. I won’t stand for that.” In October, Carbajal co-sponsored the Bipartisan Premium Tax Credit Extension Act, which aims to protect families, seniors, and small business owners from massive health care premium increases, according to Carbajal’s office.
This article appears in Nov 20 – Nov 27, 2025.