Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) announced that Captain Vincent Culliver, a 25-year federal firefighter for the Vandenberg Space Force Base Fire Department, will be his guest to President Donald Trump’s first congressional address on Tuesday, March 4. Captain Culliver served on the frontlines responding to the Eaton Fire and serves as the president of the union of the International Association of Firefighters at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
“Captain Culliver is a hero – to his family, to our state, and to our country. I am honored that he will be my guest next week,” said Senator Schiff. “The Captain and his colleagues were on the frontlines of protecting us during the terrible LA fires, and we cannot fully express our gratitude. Our firefighters need additional support to continue carrying out the crucial work they do to keep our communities safe. I will keep fighting to ensure California receives the federal aid necessary to rebuild and to reduce the risk of future fires, for our residents and for people all over the country.”
“I am grateful for the invitation from Senator Schiff to represent my fellow firefighters and to shine a light on the challenges federal firefighters face, as well as the need for federal aid in California. For the past 25 years, I’ve fought fires up and down the state, including in the Eaton fire, and it’s never been more important for Congress to support the work I and others do to keep our communities safe. As the recovery process continues in Los Angeles, I hope to convey the urgency we feel in our state to support survivors of these devastating fires and deliver the assistance needed so that when the next one hits, we’re adequately prepared to do our jobs. California stands united for Los Angeles, and we hope that that unity will inspire similar cooperation from our representatives in Washington,” said Captain Culliver.
Background:
Senator Schiff has been steadfast in his response to supporting communities impacted by the recent Los Angeles-area fires. Senators Schiff and Alex Padilla led 47 bipartisan members of the California Congressional delegation in successfully urging former President Biden to grant Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration in response to these fires to expedite timely relief to help Los Angeles residents recover and rebuild.
Amidst the Trump administration’s reckless federal funding and hiring freezes, Schiff has urged the administration to exempt federal firefighters from these freezes, which have stalled the onboarding of thousands of seasonal firefighters. Schiff also proposed an amendment to the budget resolution that called for reinstating firefighters laid off by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and exempting federal firefighters and Forest Service employees from the ongoing hiring freeze instituted by President Donald Trump.
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