California Democrat on LA wildfire recovery: Officials doing ‘everything they can'
California Rep. Judy Chu (D) provided an update Friday on recovery efforts in Los Angeles following the deadly wildfires earlier this year, saying officials are doing 'everything they can' to revitalize the city.
Chu made an appearance on NewsNation's 'The Hill' Friday evening to discuss the reopening of an 11-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway — a major thoroughfare in the Golden State — ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
'The fact that it's open will bring relief to so many people in that area, but basically to All Angelinos as well as Californians,' she told host Blake Burman. 'So, it's a very, very strong symbol of recovery. But it's also going to be a concrete help to people's transport.'
The raging wildfires, including the two largest blazes in the East Palisades and Eaton neighborhoods, were estimated to cause more than $50 billion worth of destruction. More than 17,000 homes — including those of celebrities — businesses and other structures burned to the ground in the fires, per The Associated Press.
Burman asked the California Democrat about the more than 600 applications submitted for permits to rebuild in the days following the disaster — acknowledging that less than 200 were currently being processed and only 12 permits were issued.
'Is that satisfactory? Is it unsatisfactory? How do you view what's going on there?' the host asked Chu.
She replied, 'I just met with all the top officials of LA County. This is one of the issues that was raised, and they're doing everything they can to expedite the process so as it is as smooth as possible.'
Chu — who previously represented the area devastated by the flames — added later, 'I believe that there will be improvements, and I know that they are actively working on that.'
She lauded Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the Army Corps of Engineers for their work to remove debris following the deadly fires, explaining that they cut the recovery timeline down from 18 months following a slew of complaints.
'They have been doing an incredible job, and now we think it's anywhere between six to 12 months,' Chu said. 'So that is the next step towards rebuilding. And I believe that there will be a rapid improvement in the permitting process, but we do have to get that debris removed first.'
Her comments come as travel experts predict the holiday weekend to break travel records — with more than 45 million Americans expected to hit the road between Thursday and Monday. AAA projects 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home during the four-day period, representing an increase of 1.4 million travelers from last year.
It also comes after a group of Republican lawmakers put pressure on President Trump to implement 'immediate, decisive action' ahead of wildfire season, which typically begins in early spring and runs through late fall.
While both parties united quickly in December to provide more than $100 billion in emergency aid for hurricanes and other disasters, funding related to wildfires has seemingly been stalled on Capitol Hill.
Trump sought to cast blame on Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) amid his questions around California's water supply for the bulk of wildfire damage. Earlier this year, the president signed an executive order giving the federal government authority to override the state's water policy.
He later met with Newsom in Los Angeles — his first official trip after returning to the Oval Office in January — and the two suggested they could 'work together.' Newsom then visited the White House in February to discuss recovery efforts.
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