(The Center Square) – U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday that he supports adding conditions to any federal aid to California over the Los Angeles wildfires, citing his position that state and local leaders were “derelict in their duty.”
With the state’s insurers already on the brink of insolvency before the massive wildfires, and the state nonpartisan legislative analyst’s office saying the state faces rising multibillion dollar budget deficits and has “no capacity for new commitments,” a federal bailout may be the state’s only option.
But for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, that may mean giving up on key policy priorities, whether that includes the state’s high speed rail program, 2035 ban on new gasoline-powered vehicles, sanctuary state laws limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, or the state’s providing of taxpayer-financed health care for illegal immigrants.
“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 a gaggle of reporters as he traversed the U.S. Capitol. “I think there should probably be conditions on that aid. That’s my personal view. We’ll see what the consensus is.”
Johnson had issued an earlier communication describing the “feckless leadership” in the state, pointing out Newsom had “blocked water policy that reserves water from the north to be available in times like this” and “failed to manage CA’s forests effectively.” He also said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had not only made major cuts to the fire department budget, but that she “left for Africa” as a member of a Biden administration delegation to Ghana “despite advanced warnings about the fires.”
California has 15 million acres of land at high risk for uncontrolled wildfires, but the state has made only slow progress in the brush removal, prescribed burns, and other methods used to limit the risk of deadly wildfires. After two years of near-record precipitation have been followed by an ongoing drought, overgrown vegetation from those rains has since dried up and become highly flammable.
In response to President-elect Donald Trump’s ongoing comments about the state’s fire and water management, Newsom said he’s “not interested in politicizing a natural disaster” while inviting Trump to come visit the state.
Trump is yet to accept the invitation.
California Republicans, citing the governor’s budget documents, said the state has cut fire prevention funding since the 2021-2022 fiscal year by 80% — back to historical, albeit low levels of $200 million, including a $100 million cut last year in wildfire and forest resilience.
In response, Newsom claimed California has “increased forest management ten-fold” since taking office, and launched a new public website called California Fire Facts to combat “misinformation.”
This new website notes that the forest management budget was $200 million in 2018, and the state now spends “$200 million annually.” After accounting for U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ measured inflation between January 2018 and November 2024, the current $200 million budget is an effective 21.4% lower than $200 million in 2018.
Absolutely there should be conditions !! Handing money over to liberals is akin to handing a box of syringes over to a drug addict.
I would like to see Pres Trump appoint an overseer to watch where and who the money goes to.
Also, ANY such funds should be STRICTLY MONITORED BY the feds, to ensure CA doesn’t misuse those funds..
As usual the lies, cons, deceptions, dishonesty and corruption of this treasonous Democrat Party know no bounds.
Do you think that the citizens of California will ever wake up to see that voting for the self-serving, corrupt, incompetent, dishonest, Democrat Party IS NOT in their best interest??……
Probably not, Democrat Party supporters are subjective. To Democrats, Truth, Facts, Reality, Gender and History are all irrelevant, if the Democrat does NOT WANT to believe them.
Democrats will just make up their own Truth, Facts, Reality, Gender and History that they WANT to believe or fit into their Con or Deception that they are running at the time.
Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sanctuary state laws limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, or the state’s providing of taxpayer-financed food, clothing, housing, health care for illegal and college immigrants. Is more important than the city’s fire dept. which had a budget cut of 18 million dollars a year approved by Democrat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
ANY such handouts to ca, should come with “THOSE IN CHARGE must be fired”.
It’s not like they couldn’t see this coming. Eventually the “it wont happen to me, not here!” attitude runs headlong into reality of life on earth.
They should stew in their own juices and think about how they got there.
You have to hit rock bottom sometimes before you make better choices.
They should have to give up their beloved boondoggles. Including but not limited to:
1 the state’s high speed rail program,
2 2035 ban on new gasoline-powered vehicles,
3 sanctuary state laws limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities,
4 the state’s providing of taxpayer-financed health care for illegal immigrants.
Don’t forget, funds for Prisoners to gender transition.
There have to be some strings attached. So very little of the CA bailout will probably go the deserving victims. Most will go into the pockets of LA “officials” (asa – crooks) and Grewsome (number one crook). And somebody at a responsible level with a few brain cells needs to monitor the whole process.
OR all the rich..
President Trump promised that “We” will build LA back better than ever.
How do I opt out of financing that?
Natural disasters are one thing. Disasters that are man..er…person manufactured through ignorance, laziness or political agendii should not be license to take my tax money.
What a great “real world” learning experience this could be for all Democrat voters. With a bailout, not so much.