'Gassing and poisoning the American people:' Claiming Canada is mocking US health concerns, officials demand tariffs, more

**Christy Strawser** (0:00)
This is On Deadline, where the biggest stories, the smartest journalists, and the conversations that matter come together from Audacy news stations across the country.
When news breaks, the story doesn't stop there. I'm Christy Strawser. Let's get started. The US is picking a lot of fights lately, most recently with Canada, a country who's out of control wildfires blanketed North America with smog and dangerous smoke last week. Congressman John James says Canada should have consequences if they don't address the over 900 active wildfires in their country. Here's the latest on our beef with Canada from WWJ in Detroit.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:38)
So what do you think of Michigan's air quality lately?

**John James** (0:41)
Oh, I think that it's pretty terrible, unacceptable. And I'm going to be working to adequately motivate our Canadian friends, family and allies to take our health and economic concerns seriously.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:53)
So what would you suggest Canada should do based on this? We've seen multiple years in a row where we've seen Canadian wildfires affect air quality, this one particularly bad. What would you suggest they do?

**John James** (1:05)
Well, first and foremost, again, just to remind everybody, Michigan, Detroit specifically, have the unhealthiest air in the world. I've sent letters to Canada's Prime Minister about the wildfires for the second year in a row. I've spoken with directly Canada's ambassador, and we're going to be dropping something today, authorizing the Secretary of State to sanction anyone who is in line to take care of this, who is not taking care of it. Among the many things that our friends in Canada can do, is more aggressively reduce the fuels before fires begin. Mechanical thinning, selected harvesting, prescribed burns. Indigenous peoples from all over Canada had been doing this for centuries, and only recently had they been prohibited from doing that. So again, Canada is a sovereign nation. They are a close ally, but allies and sovereign nations have responsibilities to their neighbors as well.
So early detection, using things like satellites, tech-assisted fire detection, drones, remote sensors.
The resources are only limited by imagination. They're willing to miss to cooperate. And so we're willing to cooperate with our friends and partners in Canada, but they have to ask for help and they have to compensate America for their years of scoffing at our health and economic concerns.

**SPEAKER_2** (2:27)
What if they don't?

**John James** (2:27)
Well, you know, they're a sovereign nation, but so are we.
I have, like I said, I'm dropping a bill for sanctions on, it will allow the secretary of state to determine anyone who is in line to fix this problem on Canada side.
And if they don't, then there will be consequences associated with gaffing and poisoning the American people. That is unacceptable from an ally or an adversary. And it's my job to protect Michigan and to defend the United States of America. Full stop, no apologies. So in addition, we're going to be providing additional motivation, authorizing the president for a tariff that will be used to help pay the cost of Michiganders and Americans' health issues. It's COPD, asthma, breathing issues. I got from one of my heart doctor friends, that stroke and heart attack increase, given the air, given poor air quality. And all of that cost would fall on the American taxpayer. And that is unacceptable. A lot of the tariff money would go directly to compensating American taxpayers and making sure that Michiganders are healthy. In addition to the economic detriment, we have plants that were shut down. We have tourism. There's a massive industry in the state of Michigan. And a lot of the Canadian leaders scoffed, laughed and mocked us when we brought this concern up over the past few years. That is unacceptable. Again, they want to be treated like a sovereign nation. We're cool with that. We're going to be treated like a friend. We're also cool with that. But they have responsibilities. And in continuing to mock, shirk, or smirk at American concerns, economic and health-wise, are unacceptable and I am duty-bound to defend Americans and Michiganders.

**SPEAKER_2** (4:17)
So you said you talked to some representatives up in Canada. Are they receptive to these requests? Are they looking like they're going to be making some changes in the future?

**John James** (4:26)
Look, I hope so, but the choice is up to them.
They're making their decisions and we're making ours. Again, we want to work in the full spirit of cooperation and in brotherhood.
But you know, you can't, you can lead a horse to water, you can't make a drink. It's very, very tough to hug a friend when they have their elbows up, so to speak. So we want to come together, we want to collaborate on this and many, many other issues. But we need to dispense with the egos, get rid of the emotions, and work together to address the concerns of their American neighbors. Again, continuing to mock our health and economic concerns is not going to work. So if they want to continue along that path, okay, that's their choice. But there will be sanctions and tariffs associated with that to make the American people whole. If they want to work together in a collaborative manner to handle their wildfire situation and also potentially help with ours. Because you know what? Michigan also has some very risky areas. I've been all over the state, and there's areas that have been hit hard with ice storms over the past few winters. And that leaves a lot of tender on the ground. Because of some of the lack of investment and leadership failures we've seen in the state of Michigan, we are very vulnerable to our own fires. So again, I would prefer to work very closely and collaboratively with the Canadian government, but again, I'm a combat veteran. I deployed to Iraq and I fought very closely with Canadians. I refuse to believe that wildfires are too big for America and Canada to come up with a solution with if we work together, but they have to be motivated to work with us and not against us and certainly not dismiss our concerns.