No federal aid for LA fires without policy change

On By Littum

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The US Rep. Warren Davidson says California lawmakers must make policy changes to get federal disaster aid from Congress — a position critics say hurts victims of the deadly Los Angeles fires.

The Ohio Republican, who represents the state’s 8th congressional district, joined other Republicans in criticizing California’s mostly Democratic legislature’s handling of the fires on Fox News.

“People are losing their home insurance because of fire because of policies that the state government is making,” he said on Friday. “If they (California lawmakers) want the money, then there should be consequences where they have to change their policy.”

California lawmakers are taking steps to counter the state’s home insurance crisis. This was announced by the state insurance ministry new rules last month, requiring insurers to increase coverage in high-risk areas. Insurers will also be able to pass on reinsurance costs to customers, which California previously did not allow, which the state hopes will persuade companies to take on new customers in high-risk areas.

Davidson also said California needs to manage its water and forests better. A water reservoir in Pacific Palisades, a scorched Los Angeles community, was out of service when the fires first struck, and some hydrants dried up.

“California wants the money without changing the policies that make the problem bad or worse, and I don’t see how Republicans could possibly support that,” Davidson said. “We support the people affected by disasters, but we need to put pressure on the California government to change course here.”

In contrast, Davidson praised Republican-led Florida for its hurricane preparedness. Florida has received more direct relief funds from FEMA than any other state since 2015, Axios reported using data from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Disaster Dollar Database

“When it comes to congressional funding, the idea that we’re going to have an open checkbook, no matter how bad your policies are, is crazy,” Davidson said. “Florida is prone to hurricanes, so they do a lot of things to reduce the risk of hurricanes. California is prone to fires, and they do things that make the fires worse instead of responding to make them more resilient.”

Democrats have instead pointed to climate change as the cause of the fires’ deadly destruction.

“The fires have been devastating for people — and whether it’s Florida, North Carolina or California, we all help when Americans are in trouble,” said Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman in Ohio for The Enquirer.

Davidson’s comments on Fox News drew some backlash from Democrats and X-users over the weekend, with critics saying federal aid with strings attached would hurt victims. The congressman responded to criticism of X, saying he supports providing aid and pushing California lawmakers to change policy.

“I support disaster relief for people in California affected by the fires, and I support addressing the policy failures that exacerbated the crisis,” he wrote.

The Inquirer’s request for comment from Davidson was not returned Monday. Ohio’s 8th Congressional District, which Davidson has represented since 2016, includes the western suburbs outside the city of Cincinnati, as well as Butler, Preble and Darke counties.