After meeting with President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend, Republican lawmakers began talking publicly about a plan to make aid to California for the devastating Los Angeles fires conditional.
House Republicans believe they will need bipartisan support to raise the debt limit, an item Trump has pushed but some Republicans are staunchly against. Attaching that provision, along with assistance to Southern California, would give Democrats a reason to vote in favor of increasing the debt limit and help Republicans push through Trump’s request. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) additionally blamed California leaders as his reason for attaching the aid.
“It appears to us that state and local leaders were derelict in their duty in many respects. So that’s something that has to be factored in,” Johnson told reporters. “There should probably be conditions on that aid. That’s my personal view. We’ll see what the consensus is.”
Other Republicans appear to support Johnson’s idea.
“I expect there will be strings attached to money that is ultimately approved, and it has to do with being ready the next time because this was a gross failure this time,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) said on CBS News’s Face the Nation.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said the fires are the “fault” of the decisions of California Democrats.
Though fires are less predictable than other natural disasters, such as hurricanes, Democrats are facing criticism for failing to address factors that could make them worse. Much of Southern California is regularly at a high risk for wildfires and the winter season brings strong, high-speed winds to Los Angeles known as the Santa Ana winds — weather patterns that have ignited and spread fires in the past.
California leaders have been criticized for their response, including the state legislature for convening a special session to “Trump-proof” California while the fires still rage.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) pushed back on criticism that policies in the state under his leadership have contributed to the fires.
He has carried on a public feud with Trump online, criticizing the president-elect’s focus on the Delta smelt fish and arguing he doesn’t understand how water plans in the state work.
Democrats have rejected the GOP’s tentative plan.
“We have to oppose that vigorously,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) told Politico. “Disaster aid should never be tied to the debt ceiling, which I think is a crazy approach.”
“I appreciate Johnson telling everybody he doesn’t have the votes to raise the debt ceiling by telling us he wants to link it to disaster aid,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (R-FL) told the outlet. “If he wants to raise the debt ceiling, he’s going to have to talk to Democrats, not try to condition disaster aid.”
The Republican-controlled Congress must pass a funding bill to avoid a shutdown by March 14, and Johnson said conditional aid is being discussed to add to the legislation. On Tuesday, Johnson confirmed he wants to extend the debt limit for the entirety of Trump’s presidency.
When Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina and other parts of the Southeast late last year, there was no talk within the House GOP or with House Democrats of making aid to those states at all conditional. Moskowitz warned of creating a new precedent in conditioning such aid, saying, “Congress is like high school: When one side breaks the norm, the other side will return the favor.”
“This is a mistake,” he posted on social media. “If you start this, it will never end,” he said. “When Dems retake the House, they will condition aid to Florida and Texas. Disaster Aid must stay non partisan. I would fight democrats should they try and do this. The Speaker can find many other ways to hold people accountable.”
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At least 24 people have been killed in the fires, which have destroyed thousands of homes, businesses, and schools, with threats to burn more this week.
President Joe Biden announced last week that the federal government will cover the cost of wildfire response measures necessary to protect lives, including debris removal, shelter, and salaries for first responders for the next 180 days.