House Judiciary Republicans take on California fires

By Jennifer Yachnin | 02/03/2025 06:34 AM EST

Lawmakers will debate whether environmental regulations are to blame.

Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.) looks on during a press conference.

Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.) will lead a hearing this week on regulations affecting water and forest management. Francis Chung/POLITICO

A House Judiciary subcommittee this week will discuss recent wildfires that ravaged parts of Los Angeles, with an eye to the impact of federal regulations on natural disasters.

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust will meet Thursday for a hearing titled, “California Fires and the Consequences of Overregulation.”

Wisconsin GOP Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, who chairs the subcommittee, alleges that California failed to adequately manage lands burned in the recent Palisades and Eaton fires. It’s a claim California leaders deny.

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The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports the fires consumed more than 37,000 acres, including thousands of homes.

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