Struggling federal firefighters could see pay increase in new energy package
Alicia Victoria Lozano
As wildfires rage across much of the West in what experts call an “extreme” fire season, federal firefighters are inching closer to receiving increased pay after decades of lobbying Congress.
The Senate energy and natural resources committee voted 13 to 7 this week to advance the bipartisan Energy Infrastructure Act, which would authorize more than $100 billion for initiatives such as expanding the power grid, building out supply chains for clean energy technologies, upgrading water infrastructure for drought-plagued states and moving away from reliance on fossil fuels.
These funds would be wrapped into the larger $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.