LA County Supervisors ask President Trump for wildfire aid. Will he answer yes, maybe or with conditions?
On Day 2 of President Donald Trump’s administration, he will receive a letter signed by all five Los Angeles County Supervisors asking for federal assistance for fire victims, as well as cleanup and rebuilding, according to a motion adopted by the board on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
In the motion, the supervisors remind Trump that former President Joe Biden said the feds would pay 100% of the cost for debris removal, temporary housing and the salaries of first responders for six months. But under the Trump Administration, that guarantee has been replaced by looming questions and uncertainty, political analysts said.
Will the president willingly fork over full funding to a blue state, and the bluest county in the country? And then there’s the question of a Republican-majority Congress drafting bills for long-term disaster relief: Will there be strings attached?
“With Trump being the mercurial character and a vindictive character that he is, who knows,” said Hal Dash, president and CEO of Cerrell Associates, a public policy and communications firm with clients such as Microsoft and SoCal Gas.
President Trump announced he will be visiting the fire zones in Los Angeles County. Also, at his inaugural address, Trump mentioned some supporters lost their homes in the fires. These comments led to some political watchers saying aid for disaster recovery could be expected.
“I think he will give some money, sure. For some people who lost their homes, he knows some of those people. He will probably hear their cries for help,” said Joel Fox, adjunct professor at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Public Policy. “Will there be strings attached? There may be.”
The county is also asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to make good on a pledge made on Jan. 13 to provide $2.5 billion in additional aid to help advance recovery efforts from the Eaton fire in Altadena and Pasadena, and the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, something that the Democratic governor and California State Legislature seem likely to provide. Some bills are already moving through the legislature.
The two fires have killed 28 people. Together the fires have damaged or destroyed more than 17,000 structures, according to estimates released on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
In discussing the funding request, county supervisors said many residents who lost their homes want the county to expedite the rebuilding process.
“People were asking even before the fires were out, ‘What can I do to rebuild?’” said Fifth District Supervisor and Board Chair Kathryn Barger. “We need to keep that momentum going.”
Just clearing out debris — much of which contains hazardous materials — will be extremely costly. And estimates for rebuilding thousands of homes will be in the billions of dollars.
To augment Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) funding, which comes with a federal and county emergency declaration, the county is asking for additional federal and state dollars. “More resources will make this recovery more effective,” said Kevin McGowan, director of L.A. County Office of Emergency Management.
As part of the motion, the supervisors ordered the county’s Department of Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations to ensure “the county’s voice must be present at the table” when funding bills are being drafted.
“The devastation experienced from this month’s wildfires is unprecedented. The destruction is unbelievable. The hard and lengthy work of restoring our communities must begin,” said Third District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, whose district includes Pacific Palisades and Malibu.
Already, some members of Congress are talking about adding conditions to fire aid for the wildfire disaster in L.A. County.
“I don’t think they will give them a blank check,” said Joel Kotkin, the Roger Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University in Orange. “Obviously people need assistance, but they will have to come up with changes in the future.”
Some changes the Congress may ask for include fixing inoperative reservoirs that hampered fire responses; increasing water pressure in hydrants after some went dry; and do more forest management such as brush clearing, Kotkin said. “President Trump may say these are some emergency things they will have to do immediately. They have to be accountable.”
Newsom’s “war of words” played out over the last few years with Trump may hamper federal aid, Kotkin noted.
“Was it the best technique to say he would ‘Trump-proof’ the administration and wage war on Donald Trump, and now get on bended knee asking Donald Trump for money?” Kotkin asked. Newsom held a special Legislative session to put forth bills, and prepare lawsuits, to fight upcoming Trump executive orders.
“If I were California, I’d keep Newsom away and let Barger be the charm for Republican members of Congress. She is a moderate Republican and has shown good leadership,” said Dash.
Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn has heard the criticisms directed at the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County for the fire responses and said the county needs to make its case to Trump and the U.S. Congress, and answer the criticism.
Barger said she’s not expecting a blank check. “I’m looking forward to working with this (Trump) administration. I would hope we come at it from the standpoint of what we need from us, to justify on what we are asking for.”
Fox said there was talk about Congress tying the federal disaster aid to whether or not the Congress should raise the federal debt limit. This is something the California congressional delegation does not want to see happen, he said. On the other hand, Fox said the federal government has given aid to people affected by other disasters, such as relief from hurricane damage in North Carolina.
Trump “has an obligation to see the federal government does its job in helping the people affected by these tragedies,” Fox said. “Of course, the opportunity for Trump to stick it to California is there. Whether he will do it or not is up in the air.”