Colorado Boulevard Newspaper: Lawmakers Demand Federal Disaster Aid for California Communities Devastated by 2026 Wildfires
U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (CA-28), Norma Torres (CA-35), Brad Sherman (CA-32), and California Democratic Congressional Delegation Chair Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) led members of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to congressional leadership urging lawmakers to delay consideration of any supplemental funding package until Congress approves long-overdue federal disaster assistance for California communities devastated by the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires and other disaster-affected communities nationwide.
The lawmakers highlighted the extensive destruction caused by the January 2025 wildfires, which displaced more than 100,000 Californians, destroyed more than 13,000 homes and properties, killed more than two dozen people, and caused an estimated $275 billion in economic damage.
Despite the scale of the devastation, the delegation said the Administration has not submitted a supplemental disaster funding request to Congress. The lawmakers also criticized delays and denials of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) emergency aid, citing FEMA data they said demonstrates that disaster survivors are facing greater challenges accessing assistance and experiencing slower support compared with previous administrations.
In the letter, the members wrote that it was “deeply disappointing” that, since January 2025, the White House had not taken steps to request federal disaster aid for California or for more than 30 states, tribes, and territories with major disaster declarations.
The delegation also argued that federal priorities should center on helping Americans recover from disasters. The letter stated that the Administration requested more than $67 billion for military operations related to President Trump’s war in Iran while failing to request disaster assistance for California wildfire recovery and other communities affected by major disasters.
“Instead of taking up the June 24, 2026, Iran War supplemental request, we believe that Congress should immediately draft a federal disaster aid supplemental to help Americans rebuild their communities from the most deadly and costly wildfires in recent history,” the members wrote.
The California Democratic Congressional Delegation said it remains committed to advancing a bipartisan disaster relief package to provide support for families, businesses, and communities rebuilding after catastrophic events.
Additional members who signed the letter include Reps. Pete Aguilar, Nanette Barragán, Ami Bera, Julia Brownley, Salud Carbajal, Gilbert Cisneros, J. Luis Correa, Jim Costa, Mark DeSaulnier, Laura Friedman, John Garamendi, Robert Garcia, Jimmy Gomez, Josh Harder, Jared Huffman, Sara Jacobs, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Ro Khanna, Mike Levin, Sam Liccardo, Ted Lieu, Doris Matsui, Dave Min, Kevin Mullin, Jimmy Panetta, Nancy Pelosi, Scott Peters, Luz Rivas, Raul Ruiz, Linda Sánchez, Lateefah Simon, Mark Takano, Mike Thompson, Derek Tran, Juan Vargas, Maxine Waters, and George Whitesides.