Why does it take six years to get a permit to prevent catastrophic wildfires? On this episode of 72 & Sunny, Congressman Scott Peters sits down with Matt Weiner, founder and CEO of Megafire Action and former head of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation.

They dive deep into the legislative gap between passing bills in the House and getting them through the Senate—focusing on the Save Our Sequoias Act and the Fix Our Forests Act. Together, they break down why 50-year-old environmental process laws are delaying urgent forest restoration, how mega fires undo decades of climate progress, and what needs to happen during the lame-duck session to protect our communities.

Plus, Congressman Peters answers Constituent Mailbag questions covering: 
How Congress can address the $40 Trillion national debt through bipartisan fiscal reform. 
The foreign policy and financial costs of unauthorized military actions. 
Protecting San Diego’s power grid, water supply, and utility rates from data center expansion.

 

Timestamps
00:00 - Intro: The Crisis Facing California's Giant Sequoias
01:03 - Welcome Matt Weiner (Megafire Action)
02:00 - Why Wildfire Bills Get Stuck in the Senate
05:07 - The Save Our Sequoias Act & Environmental Law Obstacles
08:00 - Timber History vs. Modern Fire Threats: Smoke & Carbon Emissions
10:44 - Forest Management vs. Chaparral Defensible Space in San Diego
11:48 - What Caused California’s Forest Management Crisis?
13:03 - Breaking Down the Fix Our Forests Act: Streamlining Permits & Planning
16:35 - How to Pass Fire Legislation in the Lame Duck Session
21:45 - Episode Takeaways: Actionable Bipartisan Governance
22:50 - Mailbag: Tackling the $40 Trillion National Debt & Fiscal Reform
24:30 - Mailbag: Military Strategy, Defense Budgets, and Foreign Policy
26:50 - Mailbag: Protecting the Energy Grid and Water Supply from Data Centers
28:15 - Constituent Services & Closing

Why does it take six years to get a permit to prevent catastrophic wildfires? On this episode of 72 &amp; Sunny, Congressman Scott Peters sits down with Matt Weiner, founder and CEO of Megafire Action and former head of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation.
They dive deep into the legislative gap between passing bills in the House and getting them through the Senate&mdash;focusing on the Save Our Sequoias Act and the Fix Our Forests Act. Together, they break down why 50-year-old environmental process laws are delaying urgent forest restoration, how mega fires undo decades of climate progress, and what needs to happen during the lame-duck session to protect our communities.
Plus, Congressman Peters answers Constituent Mailbag questions covering:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>How Congress can address the $40 Trillion national debt through bipartisan fiscal reform.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The foreign policy and financial costs of unauthorized military actions.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Protecting San Diego&rsquo;s power grid, water supply, and utility rates from data center expansion.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Timestamps
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">00:00 - Intro: The Crisis Facing California's Giant Sequoias</li>
<li aria-level="1">01:03 - Welcome Matt Weiner (Megafire Action)</li>
<li aria-level="1">02:00 - Why Wildfire Bills Get Stuck in the Senate</li>
<li aria-level="1">05:07 - The Save Our Sequoias Act &amp; Environmental Law Obstacles</li>
<li aria-level="1">08:00 - Timber History vs. Modern Fire Threats: Smoke &amp; Carbon Emissions</li>
<li aria-level="1">10:44 - Forest Management vs. Chaparral Defensible Space in San Diego</li>
<li aria-level="1">11:48 - What Caused California&rsquo;s Forest Management Crisis?</li>
<li aria-level="1">13:03 - Breaking Down the Fix Our Forests Act: Streamlining Permits &amp; Planning</li>
<li aria-level="1">16:35 - How to Pass Fire Legislation in the Lame Duck Session</li>
<li aria-level="1">21:45 - Episode Takeaways: Actionable Bipartisan Governance</li>
<li aria-level="1">22:50 - Mailbag: Tackling the $40 Trillion National Debt &amp; Fiscal Reform</li>
<li aria-level="1">24:30 - Mailbag: Military Strategy, Defense Budgets, and Foreign Policy</li>
<li aria-level="1">26:50 - Mailbag: Protecting the Energy Grid and Water Supply from Data Centers</li>
<li aria-level="1">28:15 - Constituent Services &amp; Closing</li>
</ul>

72 & Sunny is a podcast hosted by Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50) about the issues shaping San Diego and the country. The conversations are substantive, solutions-oriented, and grounded in facts and local impact. No partisan talking points. No abstract lectures. Just honest conversations about what’s happening, why it matters, and what we can do about it.

72 &amp; Sunny is a podcast hosted by Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50) about the issues shaping San Diego and the country. The conversations are substantive, solutions-oriented, and grounded in facts and local impact. No partisan talking points. No abstract lectures. Just honest conversations about what&rsquo;s happening, why it matters, and what we can do about it.