Senators on a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee clashed Wednesday over how far the federal government should go to help localities prepare for and respond to natural disasters.
With the federal government trillions of dollars in debt, states and communities should expect less help from Washington — especially when their own preparation and response is lacking, said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chair of the Subcommittee on Investigations.
The conflicting views emerged as lawmakers discussed the aftermath of last January’s Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, which destroyed thousands of homes and other buildings and led to 13 deaths. The wind-whipped fire was the reignition of an arson fire, according to authorities, and exposed missteps by fire agencies and local officials.
Responding to Democratic criticism that the Trump administration hasn’t relayed California’s request for $33 billion in fire-related assistance, Johnson said, “Let’s make something clear. The reason California is requesting $33 billion in after-action support is because of the utter incompetence and failure of California’s elected officials.”
