The wildfires still burning in Southern California continue to thrust the state onto the national stage: Although President Donald Trump promised Friday to give Los Angeles the help it needs, he also has repeatedly threatened to withhold federal aid unless California aligns with his policies on water, or forestry management, or immigration or voter ID.
The situation has put California Republican members of Congress in a bind, writes CalMatters’ Yue Stella Yu: Should they fight for unconditional aid to quickly help California constituents at the risk of Trump turning against them? Or should they side with him and expose themselves to criticism that they didn’t rush to help Californians in need?
It’s unclear whether Trump’s potentially unprecedented demands to tie federal disaster aid with conditions will happen. But the state’s GOP House delegation is already splintering. Rep. Young Kim, whose district includes fire-prone parts of Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, said that conditional aid is a “slap in the face” to wildfire victims and first responders.
But Rep. Tom McClintock, whose district includes regions damaged by the 2022 Mosquito Fire, not only agreed with Trump, but said federal aid should bypass state officials and be administered “directly to the victims.”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana is also considering making the aid conditional.
