Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) announced Monday that they are launching a Senate investigation into the Palisades Fire in January, and are demanding Gov. Gavin Newsom’s cooperation.
The fire, in the northwestern portion of the City of Los Angeles and parts of Malibu in Los Angeles County, was one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States. It burned for more than three weeks and destroyed nearly 7,000 structures. Crucially, the local reservoir was dry; state and local authorities failed to pre-deploy firefighters to the area; and there were no police on hand to manage the evacuation process.
In a statement, Scott and Johnson announced:
Today, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Rick Scott and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s (HSGAC) Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) Chairman Ron Johnson announced a congressional investigation into the deadly Palisades Fire that ravaged the Pacific Palisades community in Los Angeles, California, and took the lives of 12 people. The investigation will examine the failures surrounding the preparation for and response to this disaster which allowed unacceptable loss of life and the destruction of more than 6,800 structures, including thousands of homes.
Chairman Scott and Chairman Johnson believe the Palisades Fire was more than just a horrific tragedy, it was an unacceptable failure of government to protect the lives and property of its citizens. Families in this community deserve answers and accountability. As members of the HSGAC’s PSI, they are launching a congressional investigation today to uncover and expose the truth. Over the years, billions upon billions of federal taxpayer dollars have been directed to California to support fire management and disaster mitigation efforts. Yet, on the day of the Palisades Fire, reservoirs were empty, fire hydrants went dry, and innocent people, including many vulnerable seniors, perished while thousands more lost their homes, businesses, and everything they owned. While nothing can undo the damage done by the Palisades fire, they are committed to advocating for the victims, their families, and this community to get answers and make sure this never happens anywhere in our great country ever again.
In response to the announcement, Gov. Newsom responded that California had “’mounted one of the most aggressive wildfire responses in American history’ and that he welcomed the congressional attention,” the New York Times reported.
Sen. Scott responded on X that he looked forward to Newsom’s “full cooperation.”
Scott was recently the guest of local celebrity Spencer Pratt, who lost his home in the fire and guided the Senator around Pacific Palisades.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Zionist Conspiracy Wants You, now available on Amazon. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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