In mid-November, the White House asked Congress for $44 billion in emergency aid for states devastated by recent hurricanes along the Atlantic Coast. The request received bipartisan criticism in the House and Senate because it did not include funding for wildfire relief or meet the needs of Texas, Florida, or Puerto Rico. The White House seemingly ignored California’s request for $4.4 billion in wildfire relief funds, although the request included tax relief programs to assist communities in recovery.
Last week, Representative Mike Thompson (D-Napa) and the California Delegation urged Congress to accept California’s request for aid in a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee. “We strongly support the State of California’s current request for $4.4 billion in wildfire relief funds and respectfully request it be included in the bill” the letter reads. While the third disaster supplemental bill moves through the legislative process, Congress will continue to debate the FY 2018 spending package which currently includes $507 million in emergency firefighting funds.