Newsom Says White House Declined Wildfire Recovery Meeting as California Pushes for $33.9B

California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the Trump administration of turning down a routine wildfire recovery meeting as he presses Congress for $33.9 billion in emergency aid after devastating blazes swept parts of Los Angeles earlier this year.

Newsom’s office said the Department of Homeland Security — which oversees FEMA — told the governor’s team that FEMA’s acting director was unavailable and did not offer another senior official to meet while the state seeks federal assistance. A Department of Homeland Security official did not immediately respond to the Newsom administration’s account.

Why the Meeting Matters

The meeting request came as California approaches the one-year mark after fires that destroyed roughly 13,000 homes in Los Angeles County. Survivors have begun to return to some neighborhoods, but many continue to face uncertainty due to limited leadership and a lack of long-term funding for rebuilding.

Newsom’s Funding Request

Newsom revised his federal request to include:

• $2.0 billion to build new affordable housing developments;
• $9.9 billion for long-term housing and infrastructure needs;
• $11.8 billion in public assistance for school repairs, emergency staffing and other community needs.

While major federal disaster funding often arrives months or years after events, state and local governments rely on reimbursements to sustain recovery operations and planning.

Politics and Partisan Strains

The refusal to make a senior FEMA official available, Newsom’s team says, highlights the erosion of relations between the governor and the White House. What began as an attempt at bipartisan outreach — including meetings and efforts to unite California’s congressional delegation behind the aid request — has hardened into mutual hostility.

“The Trump administration refused a routine wildfire recovery meeting — a rejection we’ve never seen before — even as LA families near a year without long-term federal financial help,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon said. “The message to survivors is unmistakable: Donald Trump doesn’t care about them.”

Republicans, meanwhile, have pushed back, amplifying local concerns that state agencies failed to prevent the fires or have been slow to rebuild. Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida has called the state’s response an “unacceptable failure of government,” led a field hearing in Los Angeles and is spearheading a federal inquiry into how California handled the disaster. He has urged transparency about prior federal spending before Congress approves additional aid.

What’s Next

The standoff increases the chances that partisan politics will shape approval of any federal disaster package. Newsom continues to press lawmakers for swift action while state and local officials try to address immediate recovery needs for displaced and underinsured residents.