Davidson (R-Ohio) calls for withholding CA disaster aid until forestry management is corrected [View all]

A Republican US congressman from Ohio has called for federal disaster relief to be withheld from California unless the state reforms its forestry management practices that some blame for the rapid spread of wind-fanned fires that broke on Tuesday.

Warren Davidson’s remarks to Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Friday came as California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, urged officials to avoid politicizing the response to the blazes which had killed people and destroyed thousands of homes.

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The congressman said that Congress will “need to address fires” as it had with the previous hurricane damage, “but … if they want the money, then there should be consequences where they have to change their policies” with respect to forestry management.

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Joe Biden has already approved a disaster declaration for the southern California fires, committing the federal government to covering all of the fire management and debris removal costs for six months. But with days left in Biden’s presidency, the federal recovery assistance that California receives will soon be up to Trump and a Congress controlled by his fellow Republicans.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/11/warren-davidson-republican-disaster-relief-california-wildfires