California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) sent a letter to members of Congress requesting nearly $40 billion in funding to rebuild communities after wildfires devastated the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods of Los Angeles.
“It’s clear that recovery from these fires is beyond the capabilities of California alone and necessitates the support of the United States government,” the governor wrote in the letter addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Reps. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.).
“Make no mistake, Los Angeles will use this money wisely. California will ensure that funds will serve individuals, communities, property owners, and businesses that suffered losses from these devastating fires.”
He lauded the Trump administration for helping to clear debris and cited the state’s decision to nearly double the CAL FIRE personnel budget as a sign of their intentions to ramp up reconstruction efforts.
The write-up also proposes pulling relief funding from various agencies including the Small Business Administration, Department of Commerce, Department of Housing and Urban Development, among other grants, instead of solely using dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“Funding is also critical for the repair and restoration of healthcare facilities impacted by the fires. At their peak, fires forced the evacuation of 160 facilities impacting over 2,600 individuals,” Newsom outlined in the letter, obtained by The Hill.
“As of February 5, 40 childcare, 19 adult and senior care, five children’s residential, two skilled nursing facilities, two congregate living health facilities, two substance use disorder residential programs, and one federally qualified health center have been destroyed. Relief is needed for these facilities to address the impacts of the fires, which include infrastructure needs, temporary facilities, and lost supplies.”
Democratic California Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla have both spoken out in support of the measure.
The request comes just a day after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) removed the city’s fire chief, Kristin Crowley, in response to the region’s deadly January wildfires.
