House Republicans and Trump are considering tying wildfire aid to the debt ceiling amid escalating costs from California’s wildfires.
Los Angeles: So, a bunch of House Republicans and Trump had a chat about linking wildfire aid to the debt ceiling. This was on a Sunday night, and it’s all happening while wildfires are wreaking havoc in California, potentially becoming one of the priciest disasters in U.S. history.
About two dozen Republicans were at Mar-a-Lago for dinner, including some key players in budget talks. They’re trying to figure out how to handle the upcoming budget and government funding issues.
House Speaker Mike Johnson wasn’t there, and no solid plans came out of the meeting. But he’s got a tough road ahead with the debt ceiling looming. Trump is pushing for quick action, and it seems like Republicans are scrambling for a solution before they hit their borrowing limit in June. But linking disaster relief to the debt ceiling might not sit well with some folks.
There’s also concern that mixing the debt ceiling with their big party-line bill on border and energy policies could derail everything, especially with divisions within the GOP. They might have to rethink their strategy again.
Right now, the federal disaster relief funds are looking good, thanks to a hefty $100 billion aid package from last year. But with the scale of the fires in Los Angeles, there’s chatter about needing more funds down the line.
Congress might soon be asked to approve long-term recovery efforts, like helping California with community development projects after the disasters.
And with Trump coming back to the White House soon, things could get trickier for federal aid, especially since he’s been butting heads with California’s Governor Gavin Newsom over wildfires and water issues.
Trump also had talks about the wildfires with some House Republicans from California, New York, and New Jersey over the weekend. They were all there to discuss the party’s big legislative plans, including a massive budget bill covering immigration, energy, and tax policies.
Jennifer Scholtes contributed to this report.
