Newsom returns to Capitol Hill, presses Congress for long-term recovery aid after Los Angeles disaster
Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom returned to Capitol Hill this week with Los Angeles still at the center of his message: communities hit by devastating firestorms need long-term federal recovery funding, and they need it soon.
The Governor spent the day in Washington, DC, meeting with congressional leaders and federal partners as part of a broader push for support for wildfire survivors.
Newsom said the biggest barrier facing many families is not the will to rebuild, but the cost of doing so after the fires left lasting damage across affected Los Angeles communities.
“This week I met with members of Congress and federal partners to advocate for supplemental recovery funding for last January’s Los Angeles firestorms. Survivors have made one thing clear: the cost of rebuilding is the biggest obstacle. California has always stepped up for this country in moments of crisis. Now we need the President and Congress to step up for the people of Los Angeles,” Governor Gavin Newsom said.
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The meetings also moved beyond disaster recovery. Newsom discussed what his office described as Republicans’ assault on voting rights, the economic fallout from Donald Trump’s illegal tariffs, and the war with Iran. But Los Angeles recovery remained a central thread throughout the day, especially in meetings with lawmakers who have direct roles in federal response and oversight.
Newsom met with New Jersey Senator Andy Kim, a member of the Homeland Security Committee, which oversees FEMA. Their discussion covered LA’s recovery needs, along with healthcare, foreign policy, and voting rights.
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The Governor also met with members of California’s Congressional Delegation, including Senator Alex Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff, Representative Brad Sherman, Representative Judy Chu, and Representative George Whitesides. Additional conversations continued through the afternoon with lawmakers including Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock and Delaware Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester.
Later in the day, Newsom joined the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for a roundtable focused on immigrant communities, voting rights, redistricting, and efforts by MAGA-aligned leaders that the group says threaten minority representation. During that discussion, the Governor and CHC members also returned to the urgent question of wildfire recovery and the need for Congress to approve long-term funding for Los Angeles.
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The Capitol Hill meetings followed another day of advocacy in Washington. Newsom had already met with U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to discuss wildfire recovery funding in Los Angeles, as well as contamination in the federally managed Tijuana River between San Diego County and Mexico. He also met with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus to discuss democracy and voting rights.
For Newsom, the message remained clear across both days: California has carried the weight in national emergencies before, and Los Angeles now needs federal leaders to answer with the same urgency.
More details, statements and videos are available on Gov. Newsom’s website.
