The Republican Party wants to use California’s disaster aid as political leverage in broader economic policy discussions.
Leading congressional Republicans want to impose conditions on aid to victims of the California wildfires. In exchange for billions of dollars in federal aid, Republicans want changes to Democratic policies.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson said on Monday The Washington Post stating that “there should probably be conditions on the aid” and pointed to disagreements over resource management in California and “forest management mistakes.”
Senator from Wyoming John Barrasso blamed “liberal administration politicians” for the fires in a Sunday interview with CBS Face the Nation in the program. Barrasso is the Republican’s second-in-command in the upper chamber.
– I believe that there are conditions attached to the money that is finally accepted. It’s about being ready for next time, because this was an abject failure, Barrasso said.
Disaster relief is not usually politicized
The financial costs of the fires in California range between 50 and 150 billion dollars, but a more precise amount cannot be said yet. In general, the legislators have approved the support packages without any other conditions for local politics.
House of Representatives By Zach Nunn the message is different.
– We will certainly help thousands of homes and families who have experienced destruction, but we also expect you to change your bad behavior, Nunn said on Monday Fox Business on the channel.
With bad behavior, he referred to the governor Gavin Newsom to the Democratic administration in California.
Trump and Musk blame the governor
Politico including the presidential swearing-in next week Donald Trump has been discussing with Republican lawmakers whether the urgent need for disaster relief could be used as leverage in broader economic policy discussions.
Trump is his partner Elon Musk’s with attacked Newsom on the men’s own social media channels. Both have blamed the governor for wildfires of more than 16,000 hectares, in which 24 people have died. A total of around 12,000 buildings have been destroyed.
Newsom said Sunday on NBC Meet the Press – program interview, that the future president’s “spreading misinformation and disinformation does not help anyone”.
Trump is scheduled to visit wildfire-ravaged California late next week. He will take the presidential oath next Monday.