U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said she believes there should be no strings attached to federal support for the wildfires sweeping Southern California. president donald trump Suggesting that he wants wildfire aid to come with conditions.
Chu represents a district that includes Altadena and northern Pasadena, which were affected by the deadly Eaton Fire.
“Never in American history have there been any strings attached to disaster aid,” Chu told California Politics Insider.
“I know I voted for disaster aid in red states and blue states,” she continued. “I never thought about whether they were Republicans or Democrats. What I’m saying is, the wildfires have nothing to do with politics. They have no political parties. “
Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif. During an Eaton Fire press conference at the Rose Bowl Stadium on January 9, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Getty Images)
This comes after Trump said on Friday that California must meet two conditions before the federal government can provide disaster relief aid. He said he hopes lawmakers approve the voter ID legislation and that water needs to be allowed to flow through the state.
“I want to see two things in Los Angeles: voter ID so people have a chance to vote, and I want to see water released and flowing into Los Angeles and across the state,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina. He was in the state to tour hurricane recovery efforts. “Those are two things. After that, I’m going to be the greatest president California has ever had.”
Trump visited Los Angeles late Friday wildfire damage and meet with local officials and residents.
U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visit fire-affected areas in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 24, 2025. (Mandel/AFP via Getty Images)
Chu said she hopes Trump tells working-class victims in her district that they will receive disaster aid only if qualified.
“I hope he sees how these ordinary Americans are being horribly hit, and I hope he hears their voices,” Zhu said. “In fact, I hope he looks the victim in the eye and says he will not provide assistance unless conditions are met.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, echoed Trump’s remarks about conditional aid. The governor’s office said several other states – including some won by Trump – generally do not require identification to vote, while California residents must provide identification when registering to vote. Newsom’s office also said the state would pump as much water as possible under Trump’s first-term policies.
Houses destroyed by the Eaton Fire on January 9, 2025 in Altadena, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Click here to get the Fox News app
Newsom’s office said on Day X: “Providing aid to American citizens is wrong.”
Republicans in Congress have suggested tying wildfire aid to raising the debt ceiling or changing California’s fire prevention policies, but Democrats oppose placing conditions on federal aid Southern California.
