Republicans, Trump discuss tying wildfire aid to debt ceiling

By Meredith Lee Hill | 01/13/2025 06:37 AM EST

The current California fires could become the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

The remains of the Altadena Community Church.

The remains of the Altadena Community Church that was destroyed in the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles County last week. Nic Coury/AP

A group of House Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump talked about tying wildfire aid to a debt ceiling increase Sunday night, as the fires spreading across huge swaths of Los Angeles are estimated to become one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.

Of the nearly two dozen House Republicans who attended the Sunday dinner at Mar-a-Lago, where this option was discussed, several are caucus leaders and appropriators with major influence in upcoming budget reconciliation and government funding negotiations.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was not at the dinner, and no final decisions were made about the way forward, according to two people with direct knowledge of the private meeting, who were granted anonymity to discuss it.

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Yet addressing the looming debt cliff will be one of Johnson’s biggest challenges in the coming months, especially as Trump continues to agitate for lawmakers to address it quickly.

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