Oregon senators call for federal firefighters to be exempt from hiring freeze

Oregon U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have joined over a dozen other lawmakers, all Democrats, in calling on the administration to issue an exemption for thousands of seasonal firefighters so federal agencies can prepare for “what’s expected to be another devastating wildfire year.”

“The Administration must not sacrifice the safety of the American people for the benefit of implementing a political agenda,” their letter reads.