Amid the Los Angeles wildfires, Senator John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican, said on Sunday that he expects there to be “strings attached” when it comes to aid funding for Californians.
Newsweek has reached out to Barrasso, President-elect Donald Trump‘s transition team and California Governor Gavin Newsom‘s office via email for comment on Sunday afternoon.
Why It Matters
Los Angeles has been battling a series of devastating wildfires since Tuesday. At least three blazes are currently active in the region as of Sunday, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire). This has left at least 16 people dead, according to the Associated Press and over 12,300 structures have been destroyed according to Cal Fire. According to Newsom, the fires are said to be one of the costliest disasters in recent U.S. history.
Meanwhile, prominent Republicans, including Trump, have since blamed California’s governor for the wildfire disaster with the president-elect commenting “it’s all his fault,” and urging Newsom to resign in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. Trump has previously suggested he may withhold aid to California unless the state overhauls its water policy.
What To Know
In a Sunday interview with CBS News’ Face the Nation, Barrasso, a Trump ally and the Senate majority whip, spoke about the wildfires and was asked by host Margaret Brennan if he expects “Congress and Republicans will still help these Americans in need even if they don’t like their local politics.”
“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,” Barrasso responded.
He added: “In addition to the tragedy on the ground, you’re also seeing gross mismanagement in California by elected officials.”
Barrasso’s remarks come after President Joe Biden announced a Major Disaster Declaration for the areas affected by the wildfires, freeing up some federal funds to help residents begin the recovery process.
Biden said during a press conference Thursday that the federal government will cover 100 percent of costs connected to the declaration for 180 days, including for the removal of debris and hazardous material, temporary shelters, first responder salaries and “all necessary measures to protect all life and properties.”
It comes after Congress included $110 billion in disaster relief assistance for states affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters. The funding included $29 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s disaster relief fund, which was depleted as FEMA sought to deliver aid to residents affected by those hurricanes.
FEMA is among the federal agencies responsible for helping the recovery efforts for Californians affected by the wildfires.
Tensions Between Newsom and Trump
While it is unclear if an additional aid package for California will be approved once Trump is in office later this month, tensions still remain between Newsom and Trump.
California has long faced challenges with water management, balancing the needs of agriculture, residents and environmental conservation.
Newsom, a Democrat, in 2023 introduced measures to improve water storage and infrastructure, including expanding desalination projects and reservoir capacity. However, his administration has also faced criticism for not acting quickly enough to address the state’s persistent water issues, especially in light of worsening wildfire seasons.
In September while speaking amid his presidential campaign, Trump took aim at Newsom and his policies and said, “The water coming here is dead. And Gavin Newsom is going to sign those papers. If he doesn’t sign those papers, we won’t give him money to put out all his fires. And if we don’t give him all the money to put out the fires, he’s got problems.”
While Trump did not specify what papers he is referring to, during his first term Trump signed a memorandum that redirected millions of gallons of water to farmers living in the Central Valley and Southern California, pumping it out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
Newsom responded to Trump in September on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote: “Every voter should be made aware of this. @realDonaldTrump just admitted he will block emergency disaster funds to settle political vendettas. Today it’s California’s wildfires. Tomorrow it could be hurricane funding for North Carolina or flooding assistance for homeowners in Pennsylvania. Donald Trump doesn’t care about America—he only cares about himself.”
Trump also claimed that Newsom refused to sign a “water restoration declaration” that would have allowed millions of gallons of water from excess rain and snow to flow into California. Newsom and other officials have stated that no such declaration exists. Most water used in Los Angeles does not come from Northern California but from local aqueducts and groundwater. Moreover, the fire severity was compounded by high winds and smoke, not water shortages.
In response to the ongoing wildfires, Newsom rejected criticism of his handling of them as he called on Trump to visit the disaster area in person to “understand the magnitude.”
In his Friday X post, Newsom wrote: “I’m not interested in politicizing a natural disaster.”
“I’d like to have that conversation with the next president of the United States. Let’s turn the page as it relates to the incoming president. We’d like him to have the spirit of the current president and have the backs of people so we can recover. I want him to visit and understand the magnitude of this scope,” Newsom said during an interview.
What People Are Saying
President-elect Donald Trump on Truth Social: “Governor Gavin Newscum should immediately go to Northern California and open up the water main, and let the water flow into his dry, starving, burning State, instead of having it go out into the Pacific Ocean. It ought to be done right now, NO MORE EXCUSES FROM THIS INCOMPETENT GOVERNOR. IT’S ALREADY FAR TOO LATE!”
California Governor Gavin Newsom on X: “@realDonaldTrump, as you prepare to assume the presidency once more, I invite you to come to California. The hundreds of thousands of Americans – displaced from their homes and fearful for the future – deserve to see us all working together in their best interests, not politicizing a human tragedy and spreading disinformation from the sidelines.”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said on CNN on Thursday: “What we need to work on now from the FEMA perspective is how do we help those people who have lost everything? How do we help them understand what’s going to be the next step of the process? How do we help them understand how they’re going to jump-start their recovery now that they have lost everything?”
What Happens Next
Fire crews are continuing to fight the wildfires as the Santa Ana winds in Southern California are expected to pick up again over the weekend and potentially into next week.
It’s unclear what Trump will do once in office but the debate over California’s water policies is unlikely to subside, especially as the fires continue to rage.
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