Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and colleagues have celebrated the passage of the Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 to strengthen the aerial wildfire suppression fleet and better combat the year-round threat of catastrophic wildfire.
The legislation introduced by Kelly and Senators Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) passed the House of Representatives and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Alongside Kelly, Sheehy and Heinrich, the legislation is supported by Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), James Risch (R-ID) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).
In the House, it was led by Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02) alongside Representatives Jake Ellzey (R-TX-06), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01).
Senator Kelly shared: “In Arizona and across the West, wildfires are more frequent, more intense and no longer confined to a single season. Our response capabilities need to reflect that new reality.
“Strengthening our aerial firefighting fleet by making more aircraft and parts available is a smart, proven way to help firefighters respond faster and keep communities safe.
“I’m excited to see this bipartisan effort to support our firefighters heading to the President’s desk to be signed into law.”
The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 has been passed to the House of Representatives and will soon be signed into law, a decision Senator Mark Kelly and colleagues are celebrating.
