WASHINGTON – With President-elect Donald Trump about to take office, federal aid to devastated Los Angeles has become embroiled in a political battle in Washington.
The catastrophic wildfires are some of the most destructive and costliest in American history, underscoring the need for continued funding for continued recovery efforts. But House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) indicated Tuesday that Congress could end a potentially lengthy political battle to continue aid funding, based on California’s liberal leadership during the crisis.
“If [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom and the local leaders made decisions that made this tragedy worse – which it seems there was – should there be consequences for that? ” Johnson said to reporters on Tuesday. “Why should the people of other states and other governors and other mayors – who manage their water sources and manage their forests much better – why should they care and compensate for bad decisions in California? I am not saying that we will leave anyone out. We will take care of our responsibilities, but we may have to think carefully about safeguards.”
Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who was overseas at the time of the Palisades fire, faced criticism for their leadership during the wildfire. Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said last week that Bass had failed her department.
California Democrats – especially those who represent areas devastated by the wildfires – blasted Johnson for politicizing the disaster.
“Speaker Johnson has not visited California,” said Rep. Luz Rivas (D-North Hollywood), who represents the area devastated by the Eaton fire. “When you see it, you will know that we need to send help immediately. There are people who have lost everything in certain parts of Los Angeles and it will take a long time for them to recover.”
With less than a week until Trump is sworn in, and Republicans lead the House and Senate, the impact on efforts to reverse the long-running Trump-California rivalry is already being seen. Liberal California has long served as a boogeyman for conservative leaders, and has often served as a punching bag during Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
The trend has continued in recent days, as Trump has publicly criticized California’s leadership for their handling of the catastrophic wildfires, writing on Truth Social on Tuesday morning, “GET OUT THE WATER, NEWSOM. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? DJT.” Trump repeated the dubious claim that he had given Newsom a deal when he was president years ago, to pump northern water — possibly from Canada — to fill California lakes.
Several Los Angeles leaders have invited Trump to assess the damage in the region, and he has indicated he will visit next week.
Politico reported Monday that Republican leaders who met with Trump over the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida discussed the future funding package amid a political battle to raise the debt. Johnson toyed with the idea at a news conference on Tuesday, telling reporters that there had been discussions about it among members of the House.
“How can we be good stewards of public funds, and fulfill the responsibilities of the federal government?” Johnson said. “A delicate balance.”
Trump and Johnson say they hope to increase the debt, to pay for other legislative purposes. With a slim majority in the House, Johnson can’t afford to lose more Republican votes — and Republicans traditionally refuse to increase government spending, instead advocating for spending. Johnson may need to win over House Democrats to secure the expansion. But “we will not support disaster relief,” House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands) said Tuesday.
“I think it’s wrong to impose a debt limit on California,” said Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), who represents the Westside district devastated by the Palisades fire, in an interview Monday. “Normally you don’t say, I’m only going to help a drowning person if I get a million dollar check and a free Dodgers ticket. So I am not at all happy with any connection.”
Sherman added that he would be happy to get rid of the debt in Congress once and for all, but he recognizes that it could be an important leverage tool if he gets future funding through a Republican-led Congress. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), vice chairman of the House Democratic caucus, called Johnson’s proposal to combine disaster aid with “unrelated concepts” like the debt ceiling “outrageous.”
“We should not exploit the pain and suffering of other Americans,” Lieu said. “If Mother Nature strikes, she doesn’t care about the team. At the end of the day, we are all Americans. “
California continued funding for a time through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. President Biden pledged 100% funding for disaster relief over the next six months, and California leaders staged a show to thank the president for his cooperation. But federal officials, including Biden, have stopped short of guaranteeing that federal funding will continue if Trump takes office on Monday.
The most Biden can say is that he “hopes” the aid will continue. His six-month funding pledge could be void if Trump begins his new term. When asked by a reporter if California will get the help it needs under the next administration, Biden replied, “I’m not in a position to answer that question. I pray to God that they will do that,” he added, adding that he hopes Trump’s officials will see that the Biden administration “has significant experience in this.”
While FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed that federal law allows Biden to make the funding commitments he has made, he will not guarantee that future administrations will not freeze funding.
“Anyone can decide whether they want to do something or not, but this has been done according to the law, and I think the law would have said that this is what should happen and it should not be like that.” it has been postponed,” he said at a press conference on Friday.
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