Congress passed a bipartisan bill co-authored by a Santa Barbara congressman to improve the nation’s aerial firefighting capabilities.
The legislation allows the Department of Defense to sell surplus military aircraft and parts to companies with government contracts for firefighting. A previous law allowed these sales, but it expired in 2017.
The companies say the law is essential because parts shortages for older aircraft mean some end up grounded. Without the law, some surplus aircraft and parts were scrapped because they couldn’t legally be resold.
The bill is now on the President’s desk, waiting for his signature. Democratic Rep. Salud Carbajal of Santa Barbara co-authored the legislation with a fellow Democrat and two Republican members of the House of Representatives.
