Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) on Sunday argued California must do extra to forestall wildfires after former President Trump threatened to withhold wildfire assist from the state over its environmental guidelines.
CNN’s Dana Bash requested Donalds about Trump’s feedback on “State of the Union” Sunday, noting Donalds’ house state is coping with the fallout of two back-to-back hurricanes that requires a federal response.
“I think when you look at Florida versus California, taking in hurricane force winds and massive flooding is one thing. There’s not much the state of Florida can do to prevent that,” Donalds mentioned. “You compare that with California’s environmental policy, a lot of their forest fires are mostly caused because the state of California blocks the management of their lands, they don’t clear the underbrush.”
Donalds argued that taxpayers need to “foot the bill” when the state of California “doesn’t do the simple work” to forestall wildfires.
CNN’s Dana Bash pressed Donalds if he was comfy with Trump’s risk to withhold federal assist from California for fires, which he’d additionally made final month. Donalds mentioned that’s not what he was saying.
“I think Congress is going to weigh in on this heavily and of course, we’re going to do what needs to be done, but California does have to look at their land management issues in the future,” he mentioned, later including “we have to be responsible with the dollars that the federal government is going to be spending.”
The environmental coverage and funding dialog has been put underneath a microscope after Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton devastated the southeast inside weeks of each other. The Federal Emergency Administration Company’s (FEMA) finances has been scrutinized by Trump and others, as folks search for assist and restoration.
