Friday, 17 July 2026, 7:03
Los Angeles leaders are ramping up pressure on Congress to approve $15.7 billion in federal aid for long-term recovery from the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires. Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger sent joint letters Tuesday to congressional leaders, emphasizing that the scale of rebuilding requires continued federal partnership.
The letters were submitted to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, as well as the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and members of the Los Angeles County congressional delegation. The correspondence was also sent to California's U.S. senators, including Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, as well as numerous House members from the Los Angeles region, including Reps. Nanette Barragán, Julia Brownley, Judy Chu, Gilbert Cisneros, Laura Friedman, Robert Garcia, Jimmy Gomez, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Ted Lieu, Jay Obernolte, Luz Rivas, Linda Sánchez, Brad Sherman, Norma Torres, Derek Tran, Maxine Waters and George Whitesides. Similar letters went to the leaders of the Appropriations Committees: Sens. Susan Collins and Patty Murray and Reps. Tom Cole and Rosa DeLauro.
"From Los Angeles to Sacramento to Washington, Supervisor Barger and I have worked together to fight for the resources wildfire survivors need and deserve -- and we won't stop until every family has returned home and every business has reopened its doors," Bass said in a statement. "The scale of this recovery requires continued assistance from every level of government to rebuild our communities and the critical infrastructure that supports them, and that's what we're calling for today," she added.
Barger said her focus remains on ensuring communities have the federal resources necessary to rebuild stronger. "Our families, businesses, and neighborhoods have shown extraordinary resilience, but they cannot complete this recovery alone. Continued federal partnership is essential to helping our communities rebuild and move forward," Barger said in a statement.
The requested $15.7 billion would be used to restore critical infrastructure, rebuild parks, schools, and senior centers, provide housing and financial assistance to residents, and revive damaged commercial corridors. The letters were addressed to leaders of the House and Senate appropriations committees and the LA County congressional delegation.
President Donald Trump requested an additional $87.6 billion in supplemental federal spending in June, mostly to further support the Pentagon in the war against Iran. That request did not include disaster relief for the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires. Bass and Barger noted in their letters that the request did not reference disaster relief related to the fires. "President Trump has conveyed the administration's commitment to assist with our collective disaster recovery efforts," according to the letters. "While provisions were not included in the administration's funding request, we are reaching out to seek your support and guidance to ensure that legislation is written to advance a supplemental disaster appropriation aligned with both Los Angeles County's and city's combined request of $15.7 billion to cover the infrastructure and rebuilding needs associated with the Eaton and Palisades fires." Bass and Barger are asking Congress to include the region's pending wildfire recovery needs when supplemental appropriations legislation is first drafted.
The letters, dated July 10, follow on the heels of related letters that local congressional leaders including Reps. Judy Chu and Brad Sherman sent to the same leaders last week. In addition, last month, U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla decried the lack of L.A. wildfire recovery aid in the Trump administration's request. Going back to last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom has been asking the Trump administration for more than $30 billion for the recovery effort.
That echoed similar concerns made by the region's congressional representatives, who in the case of the House of Representatives last week urged congressional leaders to withhold funding for the Trump administration's Iran war supplemental until funding is carved out for L.A.'s disaster relief and that of other states to help them rebuild.
The officials thanked lawmakers for their prior support in the wildfire recovery and highlighted President Trump's stated commitment to assist with disaster efforts. However, they noted the absence of specific provisions in the administration's proposal. "These funds will be used by the local governments to restore critical infrastructure, rebuild parks, schools, and senior centers, provide residents with much-needed housing and financial support, as well as revitalize economic and business corridors needed to support our communities," the letters state.
The Palisades and Eaton fires caused widespread destruction in Los Angeles County, affecting thousands of residents and businesses. The recovery effort is expected to take years, and local officials stress that without federal aid, many communities will struggle to rebuild.
The January 2025 wildfires were among the most destructive in California history, burning thousands of acres and destroying hundreds of structures. Previous disaster recovery efforts in the state have relied heavily on federal assistance, including after the 2018 Camp Fire and 2020 wildfires.
The fate of the $15.7 billion request now rests with Congress. Bass and Barger are urging swift action to ensure that wildfire recovery funds are included in the next supplemental spending bill, warning that delays could hinder rebuilding efforts for families, businesses, and neighborhoods across Los Angeles County.
