House Speaker Mike Johnson hinted at the possibility of tying federal wildfire assistance for California to the implementation of stricter voter identification regulations in the state. This follows President Trump's suggestion of such a measure during his visit to fire-stricken Los Angeles.

While acknowledging he hadn't yet discussed the matter directly with the President, Johnson expressed concerns about California's election procedures and policy choices that he believes contributed to the wildfires. He specifically cited delays in ballot counting in the 2024 House races, although no evidence of fraud has been reported. He criticized Governor Newsom's leadership, particularly in the context of the disaster.

Democrats have strongly condemned the proposal to connect wildfire aid with voter ID laws. Many have pointed out that Louisiana, Johnson's home state, has received substantial federal aid for hurricane recovery. Johnson countered this criticism by framing the discussion as a matter of common sense and fiscal responsibility, arguing that the majority of Americans don't want to support what he termed "crazy California leftist policies." He emphasized that the specifics of any such arrangement would need to be worked out, but that voter ID requirements align with common sense.

These remarks were made during the House GOP's annual issues conference held at Trump's Florida golf course. Johnson indicated that the topic of conditional wildfire aid would likely be discussed when Trump met with House Republicans. Governor Newsom, when questioned about Trump's proposal, expressed confidence that a resolution could be reached.