House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Los Angeles) told reporters that “there will likely be conditions” on additional federal aid to address the devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires.
“We have to have a serious conversation about this,” Johnson told CNN on Capitol Hill. “Clearly there has been mismanagement of water resources, mistakes in forest management, all kinds of problems. And it comes down to leadership. It seems to us that state and local leaders have been derelict in their duty in many respects. And that's something that needs to be taken into account. And I think it's Perhaps there should be conditions on that aid.
“That's my personal view. We'll see what the consensus is. I didn't have a chance to share that with any of the members over the weekend, because we were all very busy, but it will definitely be part of the discussion.”
Johnson's comments chime with long-standing criticism of California's Democratic leadership to the right. At the end of the year, Congress passed a $100 billion disaster relief package, including money to address the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helen and Milton, which affected the southeastern United States, including North Carolina and Florida. This package did not come with conditions that forced the state government to change the policy.
President-elect Donald Trump criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom, calling him “incompetent” in his handling of fire dangers in the state. Newsom invited Trump to tour the affected area but received no response. But in an interview with Meet the Press, he said Trump spread lies about the fires.
“I don’t think this misinformation and disinformation is helping or helping any of us,” Newsom said. “To respond to Donald Trump’s insults, we will spend another month. I'm familiar with them. “And every elected official who doesn’t agree with him knows them well.”
President Joe Biden said that for the next 180 days, the federal government will cover 100% of the costs of initial recovery efforts, for things like debris removal and temporary shelters. But given the scale of the devastation, federal emergency relief efforts will likely need to replenish resources.
