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Newsom Presses Congress in D.C. for $34 Billion L.A. Wildfire Recovery Package as FEMA Spurns Meeting

Appropriators signal movement depends on a formal request from the White House.

Overview

  • Gov. Gavin Newsom met with lawmakers from both parties, including appropriators and California’s delegation, to push a roughly $33.9–$34 billion supplemental package nearly a year after the Palisades and Eaton fires.
  • Newsom says FEMA declined a requested meeting and that the administration has not advanced a recovery proposal since his initial February request, leaving long‑term aid stalled.
  • Several members of Congress say supplemental funding is unlikely without White House buy‑in, reinforcing the procedural hurdle to moving a package.
  • The White House pushed back in comments reported by the New York Post, criticizing Newsom and pointing to rapid debris cleanup and prior federal assistance; DHS and FEMA did not comment.
  • The January fires killed at least 31 people and destroyed thousands of structures; survivors have received immediate aid and billions in SBA loans, while congressional investigations into the state’s response continue.