Bill of the week: Heat emergencies
- Jael Holzman, author of Axios Pro: Energy Policy
A power station in Glendale, Ariz., this week. Photo: Ash Ponders/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Ruben Gallego wants the president to declare heat "emergencies."
Why it matters: Gallego's trying to find bipartisan solutions to get more support for Arizona amid a dangerous heat wave (and for his Senate campaign).
Driving the news: Gallego's bill, which has backing from Nevada Republican Mark Amodei, would add "extreme heat" to the list of emergencies the president can respond to under the Stafford Act.
- A Gallego spokesman said the lawmaker is working on getting a Senate companion bill and that his office is engaging on the details with FEMA and the House T&I Committee.
The big picture: Arizona is sustaining record heat. Phoenix will break the record 18-day streak of 110-plus-degree days if those highs continue through Tuesday, the NWS said.
Between the lines: Bipartisan climate policy responses like these don't come around all the time, a testament to the dire heat in the West.