Congressional Republicans are outlining conditions for federal disaster aid to California, emphasizing policy changes to prevent future wildfires.
Los Angeles: With wildfires still raging in Southern California, Republicans in Congress are getting serious about how to handle disaster aid for the area. They’re talking about potentially tying billions in federal aid to certain conditions.
Some House Republicans recently met with President Trump and suggested using this funding as leverage in negotiations with Democrats over the debt limit. They believe some policy changes are necessary to prevent future wildfires.
Speaker Mike Johnson made it clear that while they don’t want to play politics with disaster aid, they think California’s local decisions have made the situation worse. He said these factors need to be considered when discussing aid levels.
Other Republicans echoed this sentiment, with Rep. Byron Donalds stating that if a state is poorly managed, it’s their responsibility to ensure future disasters are less likely. Rep. Carlos Giménez added that rebuilding should focus on reducing fire risks.
They pointed out that Democrats have previously linked federal funding to climate resilience in their “Build Back Better” initiatives. However, critics argue that disaster aid should be unconditional, as seen in past responses to disasters in Louisiana and Florida.
Some Republicans from disaster-affected areas agree, like Sen. Thom Tillis, who said conditioning aid isn’t a good idea. Rep. Young Kim from California stressed the need to get aid to affected communities quickly, without getting bogged down in policy debates.
As fire crews continue to battle the blazes, any aid package is still in the works. Republican leaders are considering including disaster aid in a government funding package expected in March.
There’s also the looming debt ceiling issue, with some suggesting that disaster funds could help secure Democratic votes for raising it. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart noted that it’s tough to pass such measures with only Republican support.
This kind of deal-making could set a new precedent for politicizing the debt ceiling. Former Rep. Peter King warned against tying disaster aid to the debt ceiling, saying it could jeopardize Americans’ financial stability.
While some Republicans are open to adding conditions to aid requests, they haven’t specified what those might be. Donalds mentioned better forestry management and reservoir systems as potential areas for improvement.
However, many believe these policy changes wouldn’t really address the immediate issues in urban areas like LA, where the fires are currently happening. Johnson admitted that linking disaster funding to policy changes is a new approach, but he thinks it’s necessary for balancing interests.
Californians, however, are more focused on the immediate crisis than on discussions about the national debt or forest management. Rep. Salud Carbajal expressed frustration, calling it shameful to play politics while people are suffering from the disaster.
Emily Ngo contributed to this report.
