The fight over wildfire aid in Los Angeles is quickly turning into a high-stakes game of chicken.
Many Republicans have accused California's Democratic leaders of worsening the crisis and are pushing for conditions on new emergency funding.
Democrats have flatly rejected the terms and accused Republicans of exploiting the disaster to score political points.
And both countries appear ready to take a firm stand, saying that if sectarian clashes delay aid to victims of the world's deadliest and costliest natural disasters, the other side will He is betting that he will bear the brunt of the public backlash. country's history.
“The facts are what caused this conflict,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York. “But sometimes you have to have principles and morals for what you stand for. And I think people are going to know who's playing the game.”
Republicans say the real fight is in California, where Democratic leaders have mismanaged fire protection programs and should be handed a blank check from Washington even in the midst of a disaster. isn't it.
“It has to be more than what they paid for it. They have to own it,” said Rep. Ralph Norman (RS.C.). “You can't borrow money that you don't have to pay for something that's really the law's fault, the governor's fault.”
It remains unclear what specific conditions, if any, Republican leaders will seek for emergency funding. But different factions in the House Republican conference have made their preferences clear.
Some Republicans want the new aid to be combined with a debt ceiling increase. Leaders of the far-right House Freedom Caucus hope to offset that cost with changes in other parts of the budget. Additionally, some argue that the new funding must be combined with certain changes related to California's fire mitigation policies, which they blame for further expanding the scope of damage.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) supports some conditions on the aid and has agreed to all of the options, although he has not responded to specific demands.
“Of course there are natural disasters, but if they are made worse by human error or deliberate policy (policy choices that were said to be unwise at the time), then that needs to be carefully considered. I think there is,” Johnson said.
If Republicans push for any conditions, Democratic leaders have already vowed to oppose the bill on uncertain terms, setting the stage for one of the earliest partisan battles under President-elect Trump. are.
“Members of California's delegation have been very vocal on this issue and have made it clear that this is a total non-starter,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Wednesday. and rejected any conditions regarding wildfire assistance. Never in our nation's 248-year history has we conditioned disaster relief on ordinary Americans whose lives have been upended by extreme weather events.
“It has never happened before and it should never happen.”
Of course, it remains to be seen which side will bear the brunt of the blame for the impasse. But if this happens, the voters' verdict could have far-reaching implications not just in Sacramento, where Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is believed to have presidential ambitions, but also in Washington. There is.
California is a Democratic stronghold. The party controls state legislatures, holding both seats in the U.S. Senate and 43 of the 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. But many of these House seats represent true battleground districts, with both sides fighting for dominance in the House every two years.
Republicans stand to gain politically if voters side with Republicans in condemning Newsom, former Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and other Democratic leaders in the Golden State. There is a possibility that it will stand.
But a prolonged stalemate over aid terms could backfire on Republicans if voters shift the blame for delays onto Republicans, a scenario that is not unprecedented.
In 2013, conservatives derided the federal government's emergency aid package in response to Hurricane Sandy, which hit the Northeast in late 2012. Deficit hawks said the aid package would have to be covered by other changes in the budget, a provision that infuriated New York Republicans. And New Jersey, the state hardest hit by the storm, sparked a fight within the Republican Party that benefited Democrats politically.
This time around, deficit hawks like Mr. Norman have expressed similar concerns about the budget impact of aid to California. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), chairman of the Freedom Caucus, said the emergency relief package must be offset “in full,” while new policy conditions should be imposed on California. .
“That's right,” Harris said.
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) is also a vocal supporter of new fire mitigation policies, calling for “policy reforms to ensure that land management practices that minimize these fires are put back in place.” is claimed.
Rep. Doug LaMalfa, also a California Republican, sought to distinguish long-term aid from immediate needs in Southern California, such as fighting fires that remain out of control. There should be no conditions attached to early assistance, he said.
But he said future federal aid to support rebuilding and other long-term projects should involve consideration of federal laws like the Endangered Species Act, as well as fire mitigation reforms at the state level. Ta. They are “engineered” to prevent proper water storage and forest management.
“It continues to be weaponized,” LaMalfa said. “But it's not unheard of for there to be conditions on how the money is spent, like after a fire or after an emergency. Because my colleagues from other states are excited just to give money to California. Because I haven’t.”
The threat of withholding any form of emergency funding due to partisan demands has already sparked a backlash from some California Republicans, who are tempted to ask their Republican colleagues to attach it to the aid package. I urge you to resist.
“What we need in California right now is to get federal aid as soon as possible. No matter what the situation is, don't worry about it until late,” said Congressman Young Kim. (R-Calif.) said.
“Now is not the time to play politics here,” she added. “Receive only the support you need.”
Contributed by Michael Schnell.
