Gov. Newsom Let Palisades Burn; Democrats Blocked $1 billion for Wildfire Prevention After Fires

One year ago a series of catastrophic wildfires burned Pacific Palisades, Altadena and much of Malibu to the ground. 12 months later, most of the area still looks the way it did after the fires, and most residents are still living in temporary housing, with only a handful of homes under construction.

Recent reports reveal that the fires raged due to the incompetence of state and local officials. Firefighters were ordered to abandon the smoldering underground fire that later became the devastating Palisades Fire, something the crews on the ground thought was a “bad idea,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

According to text messages, firefighters told their battalion chief that “the ground was still smoldering and rocks remained hot to the touch” at the site of the Lachman Fire, which burned on New Year’s Day 2025.

Despite that warning, “their battalion chief ordered them to roll up their hoses and pull out of the area on Jan. 2 — the day after the 8-acre blaze was declared contained — rather than stay and make sure there were no hidden embers that could spark a new fire.”

California State Senators and Assembly members unanimously passed two bills last January 23, 2025, to provide a total of $3 billion to help Los Angeles begin recovery and cleanup from the devastating wildfires.

But Democrats blocked $1 billion for wildfire prevention.

The proposed funding in Assembly Bill 4 and Senate Bill 3 by Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) and Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) was to provide $2.5 billion to help continuing fire fighting efforts as the fires were still blazing. Additionally, there was funding allocated for Los Angeles local governments for recovery efforts, as well as the removal of hazardous waste. And the funding was to go to provide ongoing shelter for survivors.

Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher introduced an amendment to AB 4 to increase the amount of funding by $1 billion. “These figures show that we’re not doing enough,” Gallagher said. “‘The next time’ is already here.”

The promise by the governor to treat 1 million acres a year has not happened, Gallagher warned, noting that ongoing fuel reduction and creating fire breaks must be continued.

“Congress is passing bills to strengthen fire management right now,” he said.

He noted that the state spent $5 billion on homeless programs in 2024.

However, Assembly Democrats killed Gallagher’s amendment, 59-19, blocking an additional $1 billion for wildfire prevention.

The bill’s author, Assemblyman Gabriel, promised that this bill is “part of a much larger discussion,” and dubiously warned that “no community in California is safe from these wildfires.”

But Democrats killed Gallagher’s amendment to increase the amount of funding…

Not everyone in the Assembly was interested in “much larger discussions” well into the budget year. “I don’t want a long conversation – we need to address this in the Special Session,” then-Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Riverside) said. “Do you intend to bring more wildfire bills in this special session?” he asked Assemblyman Gabriel.

“$2.5 billion is insufficient,” Essayli said. He said they don’t need to hear from fire fighters that their hands are tied by state regulations, and indicated the bureaucratic regulations impacting the environment need legislative fixes rapidly. “I support the environment, but there is nothing worse for the environment than wildfires.”

In November, two Republican Senators, Senator Rick Scott, as chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, held a field hearing in Pacific Palisades, California with Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

California’s two U.S. Senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, both Democrats, have not only been silent about the near-zero progress in rebuilding the Pacific Palisades following last January’s devastating fire which destroyed the Los Angeles neighborhoods, they have been MIA.

Notably, the Senators wanted to know how and why the fire happened and why city and state officials – all Democrats – haven’t expedited permitting and building.

“We have poured billions of dollars into California for fire prevention. What did they do with it? That’s got to be a key element,” said Sen. Johnson. “Any federal support has got to come with major strings attached to it to make sure this stuff can be prevented in the future.”

“Schiff didn’t show up for the official public hearing where the real hard questions are asked about government negligence,” Actor and Palisades resident Spencer Pratt posted to X. “Instead he staged his own hand-picked photo op the next day in Altadena.”

Schiff didn’t show up for the official public hearing where the real hard questions are asked about government negligence. Instead he staged his own hand-picked photo op the next day in Altadena. pic.twitter.com/DRcn0dDiZQ

— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) November 16, 2025

Flash forward to January 7, 2026, the one-year anniversary of the deadly Los Angeles fires.

Gavin Newsom, predictably went on MSNOW (formerly MSNBC) to spin a fairytale about his successful management of the Palisades cleanup and “rebuild.” Here is what one of his troll-employees posted to X:

Nearly 1 year since the devastating LA firestorms and we’ve had the fastest debris removal in modern US history. Ever since, communities have been eagerly awaiting the White House for the federal disaster relief they are rightfully owed as taxpayers as they seek to recovery and rebuild.

That’s some lie. The federal government handled the cleanup – FEMA, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers.

The Globe was in Pacific Palisades in February 2025 with Ric Grenell, special presidential envoy for special missions, and President Trump’s White House representative on the ground in California, making things happen with residents, and representatives from federal, state and local agencies.

Grenell and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin met with residents amid the fire devastation in the Pacific Palisades, as well as with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Major General Jason Kelly, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regional administrator Bob Fenton, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and colleagues and staffers.

Grenell facilitated discussion between residents, who were living in motels, hotels, VRBO and AirBNB rentals, and government officials, to solve residents’ immediate problems and prepare for long term concerns.

And notably, at one point, Grenell warned federal, state and local officials to cut the bullshit pushing DEI for subcontractors on debris removal. He told them to bring in all contracting teams who wanted to help.

Consider this perspective, as I posted to X Tuesday:

CA Gov. Newsom doth protest. This is his mess, not President Trump’s. Immediately after the CA Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, the civil construction bridge building contractor, C.C. Myers of Rancho Cordova, rebuilt two damaged bridges on Highway 1 near Watsonville under budget, and ahead of schedule. Caltrans allowed only 100 days for completion of the project, and offered Meyers cash incentives to make the project happen under budget, and ahead of schedule. Meyers finished the job 45 days earlier than the Caltrans deadline, and earned $1 million in incentives. That’s the free market at work. Myers rebuilt the Santa Monica freeway the same way after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and earned a bonus.

Newsom doesn’t know how to lead anything. His scattergun approach of blame is impotent.

CA Gov. Newsom doth protest. This is his mess, not President Trump's.

Immediately after the CA Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, the civil construction bridge building contractor, C.C. Myers of Rancho Cordova, rebuilt two damaged bridges on Highway 1 near Watsonville under budget,… https://t.co/MMaOiaL85k

— Katy Grimes (@KATYSaccitizen) January 7, 2026

In July, at a staged event, Gov. Newsom celebrated “Palisades Fire ‘Recovery” – except residents say “NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE,” the Globe reported. “This is political for the governor. This staged event ended up being a love-fest for Gov. Newsom and the First Partner, a launching for Newsom to go to South Carolina to begin his presidential campaign. The fire recovery was clearly secondary.”

And it was so obvious.

The Palisades Fire killed 12 people and destroyed 7,000 homes. Now the LA Times just exposed the biggest cover-up in California history.

Battalion Chief Kenneth Cook wrote the official LAFD after-action report – and REFUSED to sign the final version because they DELETED his…

— 🗑️ Last Beacon of Hope God Bless America 🦅🙏🇺🇸 (@CovfefeKatie) January 6, 2026

You had nothing to do with the EPA response or the Army Corps of Engineers response.

The cleanup was Donald Trump.

You literally will say anything! Shame on you.

Where is the @latimes? @DrPatrick https://t.co/kBMwW9pKFV

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) January 6, 2026