With wildfires scorching the West and bipartisan Senate talks on reform picking up steam, Sen. Tim Sheehy is turning up the heat on former President Donald Trump to wield his executive pen and shake up the nation’s sluggish wildfire response system.
Sheehy, Montana’s freshman Republican senator, has been a relentless force in the fight to overhaul how the feds tackle wildfires. Since storming into office, he’s thrown his weight behind 15 bills—many with Democratic buy-in—targeting everything from faster federal response times to better pay for wildland firefighters and even a new, all-in-one federal wildfire agency. But with Congress moving at a snail’s pace and fire seasons growing fiercer, Sheehy’s done waiting.
He’s now rallying Trump to bypass the gridlock and use executive orders to fast-track critical changes. “This isn’t just policy—it’s people’s homes, lives, and our forests going up in smoke,” Sheehy said in a fiery press release. “The President has the power to act now, and we need him to deliver.”
The call reflects mounting urgency as devastating blazes continue to ravage states like California, Oregon, and Montana. Sheehy’s push for Trump’s intervention signals a broader Republican demand for swift, decisive leadership to cut through bureaucratic knots and protect vulnerable communities.
By: Montana Newsroom staff
