With the clock ticking for President-elect Trump to be sworn in, Governor Gavin Newsom heads to Washington this week to urge the Biden administration to secure several major California environmental and disaster funding programs , which will likely be threatened after the Trump campaign. takeover.
The move is the latest in the governor’s highly visible effort to protect California from the second edition of the Trump presidency, which has drawn predictable anger from the Republican standard-bearer.
Last week, Newsom called a special session of the Legislature to “Trump-proof” the state. Trump responded by using his favorite nickname for the governor, slamming “Newscum” for “holding back all the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again.’”
Newsom will depart Monday morning and, once at the Capitol, will meet with members of California’s congressional delegation and key officials in the Biden-Harris administration this week.
At the top of his agenda: pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to greenlight waivers so the state’s stricter vehicle emissions standards can take effect.
Eight clean air rules are awaiting EPA approval, including a rule for small off-road engines that would ban the sale of gas-powered garden equipment, including leaf blowers, lawn mowers and other equipment, and a rule to eventually phase out diesel engines. in trains and guarantee trains will be emission-free in 2058.
The American Lung Assn. found that, if adopted, the eight clean air rules would prevent 11,000 premature deaths over three decades and deliver more than $100 billion in health benefits.
Biden has until January 19 to sign off. While some fear that a Republican-controlled Congress could try to thwart the approvals made in the final weeks of the Biden administration, a spokesperson for Newsom previously told The Times that California waiver approvals were not subject to the Congressional Review Act, citing a decision last year by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
In Washington, Newsom will also urge the Biden administration to endorse California’s efforts to use Medicaid funding to test new or expanded programs for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and have significant behavioral needs.
The governor will also advocate for disaster funding, including wildfires.
Trump has long promised to withhold disaster funding if state leaders don’t back his policies. During a recent campaign stop at Coachella, Trump threatened to turn off the tap on firefighting funds if Newsom did not make more water available to farmers.
“We’re going to take care of your water situation, shove it down his throat and we’re going to say, Gavin, if you don’t do it, we’re not going to give any of that fire money we’re sending you all. the time for all the fires and wildfires that you have,” Trump said at the Coachella event.
Times writers Tony Briscoe and Alex Wigglesworth contributed to this report.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
