- 7/7/2025
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) holds an event to mark the six-month anniversary of the Los Angeles Wildfires.
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00:00My name is Victor Gorlo, and I'm the proud mayor of the city of Pasadena.
00:06It's an honor and a privilege to have all of you here with us at my alma mater, Pasadena
00:12City College, and in our beautiful city.
00:15I'd like to welcome everyone, each and every one of you, for being here today, particularly
00:23Governor Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, sorry, for being here today.
00:33You were here during the fire.
00:37You were both here present and in our community, and I'd like to thank you for all of your efforts.
00:44I tell people there are moments in time, there are moments in life, you know, moments in life
00:50or birthdays, the passing of people, things that change in our everyday life, but then
00:56there are moments in time, and what we have experienced in our region and in the state
01:02of California is a moment in time.
01:05And everyone in this room played a role in helping us get through that moment in time.
01:14But we're not finished, and the Governor is here to mark the day, the six months, when
01:23our world changed here in our community, and tell us what's coming before us.
01:29And so, Governor, on behalf of residents of Pasadena and all of Southern California and California,
01:34I'd like to thank you and the first partner for your efforts on behalf of each family and
01:40all of us collectively.
01:47Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the Governor Newsom for being here with all of us, our Senators
01:56and all of the public representatives that are here.
02:01And we're going to thank you for everything that they did to help our families, to help our
02:07community in a time that is not in our lives, but in the time of our history.
02:17And thanks to all of you, individuals, and collectively we've survived and we're going to
02:25continue to survive.
02:26Here is the Governor with us to explain what is the next step.
02:33And I want to thank you to the Governor from all of our families in our community and all
02:41of us as a community.
02:43Thank you, Governor.
02:45With that, I introduce you to Bishop Dorsey.
02:49Good afternoon, everyone.
02:54My name is Bishop Dorsey.
02:56I'm Senior Pastor of Lifeline Fellowship Christian Center.
02:59We lost our church and we lost our van to the Eden Canyon Fire.
03:04And I do also want to thank our outstanding Governor and all elected officials for being
03:10here.
03:11As the Mayor mentioned, this is the six-month midterm.
03:14So I want to pray a blessing over our meeting and our press conference here today.
03:19Just bow your heads, if you would, please.
03:22Lord, we just thank you for allowing us to just be here first safely.
03:27You've ordained this day.
03:29You brought us here, Lord, and we just speak a blessing over this press conference.
03:36We speak a blessing as we go forth, Lord.
03:39You've declared through your word that the steps of a good man are ordered by you.
03:44And the heart of leadership is in your hand.
03:46So we just thank you for each of us being able to just make it here right now.
03:51Lord, bless us as we go forth.
03:53Your proverb tells us to acknowledge you in all our ways and you would direct our path.
03:58So we pray for love, empathy, compassion, and leadership.
04:02In Jesus' name we pray.
04:03Amen.
04:04Amen.
04:05With that, I do want to also thank our wonderful governor again.
04:09We met him in January this year, directly after the fire.
04:14He's come out consistently to meet with us, places, people of faith, and we are appreciative.
04:21We just got our debris removed and now we are pressing forward to continue to rebuild in the great city of Altadena.
04:28So at this time, let's give the Lord a hand of praise for Governor Newsom.
04:31Thank you, Mayor.
04:37Thank you, Mayor.
04:38Bishop, thank you.
04:39Mr. Mayor, thank you so much to all of you assembled here today.
04:44A lot of dignitaries, a lot of leaders, particularly men and women in uniform that are here that have helped us advance the cause that we're highlighting here today, members of the Assembly and the Senate, members of my own team.
04:57But in particular, I just want to thank Senator Padilla for being here, Congressman Sherman, and, of course, Congresswoman Chu.
05:05I want to thank Supervisor Barger.
05:07We'll speak all of them in a brief moment.
05:10But I wanted just to briefly sort of mark this moment, this six-month anniversary, with a very short presentation to sort of highlight foundationally where we've been.
05:23I think it goes without saying that disasters test us.
05:27And I think at this moment it's appropriate to remind ourselves that there are people that are not here, 30 lives that were lost because of this tragedy.
05:38And I should just highlight we're Pasadena Community College.
05:42I'm grateful that we're here.
05:44Altadena, in particular, is a special community.
05:47Altadena, the average life lost was 77 years old.
05:51You had great-grandparents, not just grandparents.
05:54You had a father and a son that died.
05:57You had brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles that perished in this fire, 30 lives lost.
06:03It, I hope, puts in perspective the moment we're in.
06:08And I hope it also puts in perspective how blessed, Bishop, we are to be here, to be members, many of you, of this remarkable community, and to have the opportunity to be part of this recovery.
06:28Recovery, after all, is what defines us.
06:32It's not what happens to us.
06:33It's how we respond to what happens to us.
06:36And it's that response that I wanted to just briefly highlight here today.
06:42As was noted, Bishop, one of the beneficiaries of some debris removal, this has been the fastest fire recovery in terms of debris removal in modern history.
06:55I'll remind you that this process began to unfold the second phase of debris removal after the hazardous debris removal was removed within 30 days after the initiation of the fire.
07:09That second phase began on February 11th.
07:12I'd, by the way, be remiss if I didn't highlight, in particular, Bob Fenton, who's here from FEMA, who understandably deserves that recognition.
07:22Thank you, Bob.
07:26No one better.
07:28He committed to a 30-day process in partnership with the EPA on the first phase, and concurrently was working to advance in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps Phase II, beginning just in February 11th.
07:44This process that unfolded over the course of the last six months is put, I think, in perspective as it relates to this slide.
07:53Over 2,000 homes per month that debris was removed.
07:58Put that in perspective.
07:59You can look.
08:00Lahaina, of course, is unique in every way because of the difficulties of taking debris off an island.
08:08But you can compare just a fire very familiar to many Angelenos, the Woolsey fire, 132 homes per month.
08:15Compare that to 2,000 homes per month, 15x faster in terms of that overall debris removal.
08:2312,048 homes, not structures and not damaged, but completely destroyed, 12,000 homes.
08:31We had an opt-in process that people, I think, are very familiar with, this ROE process, the right to entry.
08:38There were just less than 2,000 people that opted out, which I think is extraordinary.
08:44The time we anticipated a substantially higher number of people would do it themselves.
08:49But the overwhelming majority had confidence in the work that Bob and his team and the Office of Emergency Services in partnership with our Army Corps.
08:59And they opted in, 9,576.
09:02You can see the number of parcels cleared.
09:05Just a few hundred haven't been cleared.
09:08And they're in the process, as we speak, of being cleared.
09:11All told, 96% now of all the debris has been removed.
09:17We could say it's substantially complete.
09:20A few hundred parcels that are in the process, in some cases, of just getting the final notification.
09:27A few hundred that are in the process of actually having to go through a little bit of extra work.
09:34And this was all advanced because of the support that we were afforded.
09:40The confidence that we were provided early on with President Biden, who was here at the ignition of the first flames of this fire.
09:51It was a stone throw away from the fire palisades and the Eaton fire scar.
09:59And he stayed in town, stayed in town to secure that 100% reimbursement, 100% support from the federal government.
10:08Said the answer is yes before we even asked the question.
10:12And I just want to honor that because that's something I assure you we can't take for granted.
10:19And I just want to thank President Joe Biden for being there and initiating this process and affording us the opportunity to be in the position we are today.
10:38The baton was passed to the Trump administration and they have honored that commitment.
10:43As a consequence of that, we went through phase one and phase two with over two billion dollars of federal resources invested.
10:52We secured an additional three plus billion dollars.
10:56For many of you in this room, those that couldn't be in this room today, three billion dollars of SBA loans.
11:03Those are the businesses and nonprofits over three hundred and seventy million dollars in direct assistance that also has been provided.
11:11Three plus billion dollars specifically has been committed in that process.
11:16Two and a half billion dollars was committed members of the legislature that are here to the speaker and the pro tem.
11:21I want to thank you for your leadership and stewardship.
11:24I want to thank the members of the L.A. delegation in particular, many that are here today, members of the Assembly and the State Senate.
11:30I want to thank all of the work that was done on congressional delegation to support the efforts at the state level.
11:39And particularly, two and a half billion dollars was secured as part of our special session to support relief here in the burn scars and communities impacted.
11:49We advanced twenty-three executive orders, specifically around accelerating permitting, to work more collaboratively with state and local partners,
11:58to advance partnerships by the federal government, to advance the debris removal, to suspend many onerous regulations and address some of the tenant protections.
12:07I just had a small community meeting just a moment ago only reinforcing the anxiety that renters are feeling that still haven't been able to find permanent housing or at least permanent extended housing are still living month to month, in some cases week to week.
12:24And the importance of having secure tenant protections for those individuals is not lost on me, particularly after that update meeting a moment ago.
12:33We extended property tax deadlines. We did some mortgage forbearance. We did some other things that I'll highlight in a moment.
12:41We continue to do more in partnership with the cities and counties, but also in partnership with the private sector and JPL and NASA and the folks that we partnered to address some of the contamination issues and air and soil monitoring.
12:54The work that UCLA has done in Loyola, Marymount, has done Purdue University, also part of a consortium of folks supported by L.A. County Health addressing water, air and soil monitoring.
13:10We got all nine water systems reactivated. Head of our EPA is here. Thank her and her team for an outstanding job.
13:18We were very mindful and we continue to be vigilant, not naive about coastal issues, the beaches and ongoing monitoring around contamination, making sure it's safe, not just for people, but for marine life and the like continues.
13:33We advanced a lot of innovative strategies and created the first of its kind digital disaster recovery center.
13:38We've never advanced a digital recovery center in our state's history that came from an innovative mindset as it relates to our engagement, not a substitute for in-person, but a complement.
13:50We created the first direct democracy engagement tool, Engage California, to hear from the community, a community-led effort, bottom-up, not top-down.
14:00It's not the state, the federal government, talking about what comes next, informed at the local level by local community.
14:08We put a new website up, ca.gov backslash LAfires, which is all around accountability, transparency and data, trying to connect to all of the resources that are being available by the cities and county, the federal government and local nonprofits.
14:25But I want to just briefly close and turn this over to the supervisor.
14:30I want to compliment the county.
14:31I want to compliment Supervisor Bargar.
14:33I want to compliment the work that they just put forward earlier today around a new blueprint moving forward to rebuilding.
14:41As the U.S. Army Corps demobilizes, we are now entering the next phase, and again, at a historic pace.
14:51And we have to maintain that same mindset, that same intentionality, the same deliberative focus.
14:57And we have to be, I think, mindful with humility and grace of the magnitude of what is being asked of us going forward.
15:06But one thing that is critical is that we go forward together.
15:12And I want to thank the supervisor for her partnership in particular, and allowing the state to work collaboratively on the LA blueprint to maintain a cohesive framework where the state's plan and the county plan have come together.
15:31And that plan prioritizes many of the things that many of you have asked and tasked us to do.
15:38And that's around the issue of financial issues associated with those that are underinsured or uninsured, the financial stress and anxiety, those gaps that need to be addressed to get people back home.
15:52To talk about affordability and designs and pre-approval of designs, talk about bulk purchasing of materials, to hire builders and to leverage their strength, to look at logistics as it relates to where we are able to literally store many of those materials.
16:12Obviously, doing more on permitting, and we're mindful, more work has to be done on permitting.
16:19And I'll briefly highlight that in a moment as I turn it over to the supervisors.
16:23But issues around permitting are foundational, as well as addressing public infrastructure.
16:29If you're going to come back home, you want to come back home knowing that a lot of the infrastructure has been secured, that you are able to turn on the gas.
16:38You're able to turn on the water.
16:40You've got the sewage system that you can connect to.
16:43You've got the Internet that you can connect to as well.
16:48How do we provide for a workforce?
16:50We're here at Pasadena Community College.
16:52I want to thank the president of the Pasadena Community College.
16:55We learned a lot from Santa Rosa Community College, from the Tubbs Fire, and their workforce development program.
17:03Pasadena Community College is replicating that and taking it to the next level.
17:08Again, lessons learned, opportunities to do more, train more, and advance a more comprehensive focus to make sure we have enough workers to advance this cause.
17:20The reference to California Jobs First references the resources that Jobs First is putting into those partnerships and those programs.
17:31But community is about just that.
17:34We were talking a moment ago to community leaders.
17:36It's about getting the grocery stores up so you've got something to come back to.
17:40It's getting those cafes and coffee stores back up.
17:43It's about getting those childcare facilities and making sure the healthcare facilities are secure.
17:49We're focused on parks.
17:50We're focused on playgrounds, sense of community, neighborhoods.
17:55And I think perhaps that's the most vexing and challenging thing.
17:59I've talked to people that are rebuilding that did get their permits.
18:02Some still struggling to get their permits but are committed, but they're also anxious because they feel like they may build back, but no one around them has.
18:14And that sense of community is lost.
18:16And, you know, one thing I neglected when I talked about those lives lost was, you know, memories, photos, you know, architectural masterpieces, you know, historically black-owned businesses.
18:30You know, churches, temples, that, you know, sense of community, a loss, people's own personal belongings, all those Olympic medals that were lost, you've read about.
18:42And so the sense of community is so foundational and so part of the LA County plan, part of the state plan, foundational part, the pillars around exercising priorities for reconstruction beyond just prioritizing individual homes.
18:58But in order to do so, and I'll close, we need to do more.
19:03And we need to be better in terms of accelerating these efforts.
19:08And so today I'll be signing another executive order addressing some of the issues that the city and county have requested of me to address as it relates for like-to-like reconstruction beyond the 110% footprint,
19:23to address some new codes that are non-life safety related that the city and county want to waive in order to reduce the cost of construction.
19:32At the same time, we advance our support in partnership with new technologies, particularly this Archistar, this new AI technology for permitting that I don't want to get ahead of myself,
19:48but that the city and county will be announcing, I believe, later this week to fast track the delivery on the promoted promises of a one-stop shop.
19:59So new executive order that we'll be putting out more in the queue as we continue to iterate and do more moving forward.
20:08So it's time now for me to move forward, and we have a number of speakers, but I just want to conclude by thanking all of those that I just met with.
20:18Thank you again for reminding me the work we have to do.
20:22I didn't talk about the insurance market.
20:24There's so many things we can talk about today, but one thing I just want to highlight is all the outstanding leaders.
20:33I mentioned Bob Fenton. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Nancy Ward, head of the Office of Emergency Service, who's a pro.
20:42She's next level. To the 2,500-plus general, I think it was over 2,500 of your men and women, the National Guard,
20:49that were tasked for purpose, not for politics, that secured the communities. I want to thank them.
20:58I want to thank all of those that worked day in and day out.
21:05Reese Williams, other members of our team that were so foundational and important to this disaster recovery.
21:13But again, in the spirit that I began, let me end by introducing a great partner.
21:21It's about partnership. You want to go fast, you go alone. You want to go far, you go together.
21:28In that spirit, we have a champion of partnership who's just been extraordinary, without exception, throughout the last many months.
21:41And we count on her going forward. It is my honor to introduce Supervisor Barger. Thank you.
21:48Well, thank you, Governor. It really is an honor to be here.
22:04Today's six-month anniversary is an opportunity to reflect and really to look ahead.
22:11I applaud the extraordinary, and I cannot emphasize it enough, the extraordinary collaborations that have fueled our recovery progress.
22:19I want to thank our federal partners, the Environmental Protection Agency and the incredible U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
22:28for their swift and effective work to clear more than 10,000 properties, 10,000 properties in six months.
22:36I express my deep, deep appreciation to Governor Gavin Newsom and his entire administration for helping our county meet recovery challenges head-on.
22:48Since day one, Governor Newsom and I shared a core commitment that I made clear.
22:54Rebuilding our communities is not and will not be the sole burden on our survivors.
23:01The state of California has been a true partner, helping our county remove unnecessary regulatory burdens,
23:08bringing resources along with funding and quickly moving with practical people-first solutions.
23:18I also appreciate Mayor Karen Bass's partnership.
23:21We've worked hard to lead concurrent efforts across both the Palisades and the Eaton Fire areas.
23:28I want to acknowledge my colleague, Lindsay Horvath, who represents the Palisades area impacted by these fires.
23:36As chair of the board, my responsibility is to the entire county.
23:41But I want to be clear.
23:43My heart belongs to the community of Alcadena and Pasadena.
23:48I'm focused on supporting Alcadena's recovery with urgency, compassion, and coordination.
23:56We have a roadmap to help us navigate the next phase of recovery for all.
24:02We're calling it LA County Forward Blueprint for Rebuilding.
24:08It's going to be available and this is going to be something that is going to help people navigate the rebuilding effort.
24:15Our recovery plan has six core pillars.
24:19The first pillar is making rebuilding financially possible.
24:25The Board of Supervisors recently approved my motion to defer permit fees for homeowners rebuilding in unincorporated areas.
24:33County permit fees can often exceed $20,000 and that represents a significant obstacle for wildfire survivors.
24:42I'm confident that we'll be identifying long-term funding solutions to permanently waive these costs.
24:48But that finding is going to be on me, not on the survivors.
24:53Our blueprint's second pillar is accelerating permitting and inspections.
24:58We've launched a faster permit review, self-certification for licensed professionals, and deployed a public dashboard for transparency.
25:07With the state's partnership and resources, we are launching an AI-powered software on July 15th and are adding more staff to keep pace with the demand.
25:18This is going to be front and center for me moving forward.
25:22Our third pillar is expanding access to builders and materials.
25:27Together, with state leaders and private sector partners, we're scaling up the pool of builders, promoting pre-approved designs, and working to stabilize supply chains so that no one is left waiting for a contractor or for their materials.
25:46Our fourth pillar is investing in infrastructure.
25:49Again, in coordination with the state and utilities, we're undergrounding over 150 miles of power and telecommunications lines.
25:58This is significant in the Altadena area.
26:02This is a generational investment in safety, reliability, and resilience.
26:07We've also been focusing on rebuilding our critical utilities, including Altadena's water systems.
26:14Our blueprint's fifth pillar is mobilizing the workforce.
26:19We're partnering with the state workforce development programs to ensure that we have trained workers ready to meet the moment.
26:26This includes logistics support, so rebuilding doesn't stall from preventable delays.
26:33Our blueprint's sixth and final pillar is bringing back community services.
26:39We're working to restore schools, parks, businesses, services for seniors, and childcare.
26:46Everything that makes a neighborhood whole.
26:49I want to look to you, Governor, and thank you for your partnership.
26:53You have been incredible.
26:55And this is what happens when you work together and put the needs of your community first.
27:01So I want to give you a round of applause.
27:03Your leadership and that of your entire administration has been essential to making this all happen.
27:17Los Angeles County is proud to stand with you.
27:21To the residents of Altadena and surrounding regions, know this.
27:25You are front and center in my thoughts every single day.
27:32I and the federal, state, and local partners that have gathered here today are committed to delivering the support that you deserve.
27:41We are not and will not waver from this promise.
27:46Now, I would like to introduce the deputy mayor for the city of Los Angeles, Rachel Freeman. Welcome.
28:07Thank you, supervisor.
28:08And good afternoon, everyone.
28:10Due to an emerging event, unfortunately, Mayor Bass is not able to join us today.
28:15But I'll be providing some remarks on her behalf, and it's an honor and a privilege to be here with you all today.
28:21I first want to take a moment to acknowledge the devastation in Central Texas right now
28:26and the heartbreak that communities experienced after what should have been a celebratory July 4th weekend.
28:33Our hearts are with all of Central Texas right now.
28:38I think we all woke up this morning with the same thought, that it's truly hard to believe it's been six months since one of the worst natural disasters in state's history.
28:48And although six months have passed, we cannot thank our firefighters and first responders enough for their ongoing bravery and dedication.
28:56They are LA's true heroes.
28:59On behalf of Mayor Bass, I want to thank Governor Newsom, Supervisor Barger, for every step of the way they have been collaborative and collective in our approach on this recovery.
29:10And to Senator Padilla and Congresswoman Chu and Congressman Sherman for always fighting for us in Washington.
29:17And to Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire for always fighting for us in Sacramento.
29:22Our recovery effort has been truly an all-hands-on-deck approach at every level of government.
29:28And we're here today because six months ago, our city was hit by a massive firestorm that brought hurricane-force winds on the heels of months of drought,
29:38devastating the Palisades and sweeping through Malibu and Altadena with catastrophic results.
29:45And in those early days in January, many wondered how we could possibly come back.
29:50But we stand here today after six months of resilience, six months of neighbors supporting neighbors, six months of government, philanthropy, the private sector,
30:01community organizations, neighborhood councils, chambers of commerce, and the countless members of the community that have come together to care and nurture one another.
30:12They've come together to innovate and push the envelope to deliver what is on track to be the fastest disaster recovery in our state's history.
30:20The fastest hazardous materials cleanup in EPA history and the restoration of utilities in record time.
30:28Debris removal that is months ahead of schedule, speeding up the timeline to get families back home.
30:34We have forged new partnerships to rebuild key community spaces like the Palisades Rec Center and Palisades Playground, which will reopen later this month.
30:44And with more than 640 plan check applications submitted, construction is well underway in the Palisades and LA is moving beyond the initial emergency response firmly into the rebuilding phase.
30:57Make no mistake, the magnitude of the loss here is really earth shattering.
31:02And losing a home is not just about losing property or a physical space, it's about security, it's about belonging, and it's about the memories and keepsakes that families will not get back.
31:13It's the place where we as a collective foster community and connection.
31:18Our hearts continue to break for every family who lost their home and for those who lost their lives.
31:23Through this process, our office has met some of the strongest families and small business owners that we have known over the course of the last few months.
31:32And we owe it to them and the rest of Angelinos to continue working around the clock to do everything in our power to rebuild as quickly and safely as possible.
31:42It's our sacred duty.
31:44Together, we've set the pace and as you've heard today, we will continue collaborating at all levels of government until our communities are rebuilt stronger and better than they were before.
31:54The City of Los Angeles is ready for this moment and we are LA strong.
31:59Thank you, everyone, and I'd like to take a moment to welcome Senator Padilla up here to the stage.
32:20Well, good afternoon, everybody.
32:22I agree.
32:24It's hard to believe it's been six months.
32:27Los Angeles has been through a lot.
32:32Our country's been through a lot.
32:36Our communities are going through a lot.
32:41But if the teamwork of this year to date is any indicator, I know we'll continue to get through.
32:53We're going to get through and we'll be stronger and more resilient than ever in so many ways.
33:02You hear a lot of thank yous today and it is indicative of the partnerships that have really risen to the occasion, not just federal, state and local agencies and all the expertise at the federal level from FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers and EPA and others that I'll talk about here in a minute, but so many state departments and agencies, county departments and agencies, city departments and agencies, and yes, even elected officials.
33:29I think a lot of times constituents can be a little cynical when they witness a lot of finger pointing on TV and nowadays through social media.
33:38But that's not what you have right now.
33:41You have embracing.
33:42You have embracing.
33:43And people truly working together.
33:45And so in that spirit, I too want to thank the leadership, the tirelessness of Governor Gavin Newsom.
33:52And if my marriage is any indicator, I need to also acknowledge and honor the love and support and patience of first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
34:11Our county supervisors, our mayors, not just Mayor Bass, Mayor Gordo, so many others, and like I said, the true professionals in government, proud public servants at all levels.
34:30I know many, especially at the federal level who feel a little bit under the gun in the political climate that we're in, but are nonetheless stepping up to do the job with the professionalism that the American people deserve.
34:45All of you.
34:46And I too want to take a moment to acknowledge what's going on in Texas right now.
34:51I think our hearts go out as Californians to the people in Texas who have suffered so much this last weekend.
35:00Those who have lost loved ones because of the flash floods and those that are just so anxious waiting to account for missing friends and family.
35:15It is an absolute reminder that Mother Nature does not discriminate.
35:23Natural disasters can impact any state, any region in the country, regardless of your political leanings.
35:34Californians have risen up and stood for other Californians who stood up for neighbors across the country time and time again.
35:42And I know we will continue to do so after this tragedy.
35:50Can't believe it's been six months, six months when we all woke up literally from one day to the next, to the largest disaster imaginable.
36:00Won't go through the conditions that led to not just the fires, but the quickly growing fires.
36:07In talking to my colleagues in the course of the last six months, jaws literally drop in the halls of Congress.
36:13I want to describe the scale of the impact, not just the intensity, because you see the intensity of it from the images that we've all seen repeatedly over the last six months.
36:22But when I describe to my colleagues that yes, this was more than three times the size of Manhattan.
36:28That was burned.
36:30It is truly unprecedented.
36:34When the fires broke out, we saw so many first responders, local law enforcement, fire department personnel, and others quickly jump to the scene.
36:47And through mutual aid, so many from throughout the state and throughout the country come to the aid of Southern California.
36:55I don't know if we'll ever be able to quantify how many lives were saved as a result, how many properties were saved as a result.
37:06And so six months later, we continue to say thank you, thank you, thank you.
37:13Again, an acknowledgement of the federal departments and agencies from FEMA to the Army Corps of Engineers and EPA for the record cleanup and recovery and assistance that the governor mentioned earlier.
37:27We're proud of the response and recognize that there's still a very long road ahead for so many families and for so many communities.
37:39And it's because of the importance of the recovery, the importance and the urgency of the need to rebuild, that I have to call out what else is happening.
37:53You see, because we're entering the next peak fire season, fire season is now year round in California, but peak fire season is just beginning.
38:03These fires took place in wintertime, not in the hot dry months of summer.
38:10So our National Guard troops have been taken away from critical preparation activity for the next peak wildfire season to do other work.
38:20150, I understand, are coming back. We need them all to come back because they have important mission work to do.
38:27This is the time to be investing more in FEMA and empowering FEMA, not attacking FEMA or threatening to eliminate FEMA.
38:43Because the people of Texas are relying on FEMA as we speak. We've come to appreciate FEMA even more.
38:53Again, no region of the country is immune.
38:56And this is also the time, as California has done for so long, to respect and honor the contributions of so many immigrants in our communities because many of them work in construction.
39:10They're the construction workers that we need to continue the rebuilding process for our communities.
39:17This is absolutely not the time to threaten or terrorize construction workers and their families in our community.
39:30I say this because I'm proud to represent California. California will always answer the call to help our neighbors.
39:38And we'll figure out a way through the budget reconciliation impacts, not just in the health care space, but in so many other areas of the federal budget that are so critical for communities in times of disasters and in recovery from disasters.
39:59And I'll continue to fight for the communities of Pasadena, Altadena, the Palisades, and others that have been impacted this year.
40:08And before I turn it over to our next speaker, just a few remarks in Spanish for the Spanish language press that is here.
40:15We are here recognizing the six months that have passed since the enormous incendios of this January of the past.
40:28We have been through very much as a community, as a region of Los Angeles, and as a country of the United States of America.
40:40But the progress in rebuilding, preparing our communities to rebuild, has been possible by the collaboration of so many levels of the government,
40:53so many officials and so many departments and agencies that know that the number one commitment is to the residents of our communities.
41:03We have a long way in front of our communities.
41:04We have a long way in front of our communities.
41:05We have a long way in front of our communities.
41:06We have a long way in front of our communities.
41:09But we are still united, we are going to take those steps and rebuild not only our homes, not only our residents, but our lives.
41:20We recognize the suffering that is occurring right now in the state of Texas.
41:26And we support them as possible.
41:29We support them as possible.
41:31But we recognize that this disaster, the disasters of January here in California,
41:37and in other regions of the country,
41:40to remind ourselves the importance of investing more in the departments and agencies
41:46that come to help us in moments of disaster.
41:50We will not try to cut the funds as this administration has proposed and is doing.
41:58It's time to invest more and empower the professionals of the federal and state and local government,
42:04because we understand the residents of Texas in this moment,
42:08and other regions of the country in their moments of crisis.
42:13I will continue to make sure that the resources necessary come to our community
42:18to continue, not only to rebuild, but to recover as a community.
42:25And with that, I want to introduce another fearless and tireless champion for this region,
42:33one of our main partners and leaders in the House of Representatives,
42:37someone who is celebrating a birthday as well, I understand,
42:42Congressmember Judy Chu.
42:45Thank you, Senator Padilla.
42:58And thank you, Governor Newsom, for bringing us together today
43:04and for your incredibly strong and unwavering leadership over the last six months.
43:12The night of January 7th was one of the darkest moments our communities have ever faced.
43:19In my district, which includes Altadena and Pasadena,
43:23the Eaton Fire destroyed nearly 9,500 structures, displaced over 20,000 people,
43:29and claimed the lives of 18 of our neighbors.
43:33But in that time of immense fear and uncertainty, we saw our communities come together like never before.
43:43Heroic first responders risked their lives to protect ours.
43:48Regional and national advocates and organizations, including PCC, opened up emergency food and donation banks
43:56for the many survivors who fled with only their clothes on.
44:03And the brave survivors of this wildfire showed their encouragement.
44:09I heard from so many people who, despite having their own home burned down,
44:16helped their neighbors through the most trying of times.
44:20And I was so grateful for the response of our federal agencies, from the SBA Disaster Assistance Program,
44:29to EPA, to our U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and of course, FEMA,
44:35which has been nothing short of lifesaving.
44:38Since January, FEMA has delivered more than $140 million in direct federal aid
44:45to the survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fire.
44:48Thousands have received temporary housing and other life-saving services.
44:53But I'm continuing to push FEMA to use every tool available,
44:58including the direct lease program, to make sure that every survivor has a roof over their head
45:11as they continue to rebuild their lives.
45:15But while our communities are still picking up the pieces,
45:20President Trump has threatened to eliminate FEMA entirely,
45:24slash funding for local firefighters and emergency responders,
45:28and withhold federal aid from California.
45:32And this is why I have to say right this minute,
45:37wildfires have no political affiliation.
45:42Disaster recovery should never be used as leverage,
45:47whether the disaster is in California, North Carolina, or Texas.
45:53I certainly will not stop fighting in Congress to fulfill Governor Newsom's request
45:58and pass a $40 billion supplemental disaster package with no strings attached.
46:05This funding is so critical to rebuilding homes, reopening businesses, and restoring our communities.
46:20This is the United States of America.
46:24We help our citizens when disaster strikes, no matter where they live or who they voted for.
46:30So to both the Palisades and Eaton Fire survivors, I say,
46:35we are still here.
46:37We are still fighting.
46:39And we will not stop until you have everything that you need to recover and rebuild.
46:46So thank you, and now I have the pleasure of introducing my amazing partner in our fire recovery efforts,
47:03Congressmember Brad Sherman.
47:05Hello, I'm Brad Sherman from America's best named city, Sherman Oaks,
47:23and I represent the San Fernando Valley and the Pacific Palisades.
47:28I first want to acknowledge two disasters that are on our minds right now.
47:33The first are the terrible floods that afflicted Texas,
47:36and the second is the man-made disaster occurring right now in MacArthur Park.
47:41Governor, thank you so much for all you've done,
47:46starting by pre-positioning firefighting resources in Southern California before the first spark.
47:59I want to thank the Biden administration for funding FEMA and SBA back in December so that it would have the resources necessary to deal with whatever afflicted us in 2025.
48:14And as a result of that and Biden declaring this a federal disaster area,
48:21the federal government has been able to do a fair amount.
48:2511,000 loans totaling $3 billion at roughly 3% interest.
48:3335,000 households receiving assistance grants totaling $150 million.
48:39$2.5 billion for debris removal so that that at least is a cost that homeowners do not have to face.
48:48And $7 billion to reimburse state and local government for firefighting and to rebuild public infrastructure.
48:56But frankly, that isn't enough to deal with the uninsured businesses, but particularly homeowners.
49:06And that is why we have got to do far more.
49:10Now, President Trump came to the Palisades just hours, days before, after the fires.
49:19And I thought he would come out to applaud and thank FEMA, the workers who were doing 12, 15 hour shifts.
49:27Instead, he proposed abolishing FEMA, a bad idea.
49:31And then he put forward the idea that we would hold hostage the victims of the LA fires until California changed unrelated laws.
49:42Never has that happened in history and never would Alex or Judy and I think of voting against hurricane aid because we didn't like Louisiana abortion laws.
49:56Though, of course, we would very much hope that those laws would change.
50:01So, the basic package which is provided for in law is always supplemented when you have a major disaster.
50:11And AccuWeather values this disaster in terms of its economic cost at $250 billion, making it one of the largest disasters,
50:21perhaps the largest disaster in American history, certainly the largest fire disaster in American history.
50:28Yet, individual homeowners are eligible to get grants of $87,000.
50:35That's good.
50:37But if you're uninsured or underinsured, it's certainly not enough to rebuild.
50:42That is why Alex and Judy and I and the entire delegation support the governor's $40 billion package.
50:49And we've got to get it passed, perhaps as a supplemental that also includes the Texas disaster and other disasters that we have faced.
51:00And we, I couldn't have, well, I do want to point out that we can assure the country that we're going to build back better.
51:11The new building in the Palisades will be subject to the 2008 State Fire Code.
51:16That code was so successful in the Paradise Fire that the structures there, majority of them survived if they met that code.
51:26But, of course, the code didn't apply to buildings built before that date.
51:30So we are going to rebuild.
51:32We are going to have great communities in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades.
51:37And we're going to build back better.
51:39And we're going to get the federal aid that California is entitled to, given the size of this disaster.
51:46And I couldn't have better allies and partners in fighting for that aid than Senator Padilla and Congresswoman Judy Chu.
51:55And the governor couldn't have a better partner than first partner, Jennifer Seibel Newsom.
52:05Please come on.
52:16Buenos dias.
52:19Cuando visité a Los Angeles durante los incendios conocà a muchas personas que, a pesar de enfrentar tanto sufrimiento y pérdida,
52:31to their neighbors, like Judy, giving food, giving clothes, rescuing pets, and opening their houses to those who had lost their houses.
52:45Public servants of all kinds, religious leaders, educators, and entire communities, including our immigrants.
52:58They united so that our children returned to the schools, our libraries opened, and our parks, businesses, and carreteres continued to work.
53:13The work continues, and in this way, you continue showing to each one of you and to the whole world the best of that community.
53:27California received a lot of criticism, but its success is very clear.
53:34The californian dream and this city still being the biggest success story in the world.
53:44California is all that because we support new ideas and new voices, not even though they are.
54:01No cremos que si ganamos otras personas tengan que sufrir. Que si protegemos a nuestro clima o a las comunidades inmigrantes, nuestra economia fracasara.
54:16No vemos al mundo ni a nuestros vecinos como enemigos. Los vemos como amigos.
54:27Somos el centro de inclusión, innovación y libertad en todo el mundo.
54:38Y una fuerza cultura y económica, porque nos apoyamos en nuestra creatividad y nuestras diferencias.
54:50Y siempre, siempre miramos hacia el futuro.
54:56TodavÃa tenemos mucho más por hacer y un largo camino por delante en la reconstrucción.
55:03Pero yo sé que los californianos y los angelinos harán lo que siempre han hecho.
55:13Arremangarse y mirar hacia el futuro con soleado optimismo.
55:21Tratar a nuestros vecinos con amabilidad y tolerancia.
55:28Y seguir soñando en grande.
55:30Porque cuando nos unimos y seguimos viendo hacia el futuro, nada nos puede detener.
55:41Este es el amor de California.
55:44Y juntos, somos la fuerza de California.
55:48Buenos dÃas.
55:53And I just wanted to share again briefly that visiting LA during the fires, I met with so many
56:00who despite facing so much suffering and lost themselves, were out helping their neighbors.
56:08Delivering food, donating clothes, rescuing pets, opening their homes to those who had lost theirs.
56:14Public servants of all kinds, faith-based leaders, educators, entire communities, including our immigrant community,
56:22came together to get our kids back to school, open our libraries,
56:27get our parks and businesses and roads back up and running.
56:31The work obviously continues, and in it you keep showing us, and each other, and the world, the very best of us.
56:40As we continue to face more and more climate-related disasters, like these devastating fires, and the flooding tragedy this past weekend in Texas,
56:49it is more important than ever that we build resilience in our communities.
56:54There are a lot of critiques aimed at California, but it's hard to argue with success.
56:59The California dream and this city, its heartbeat, is still the world's greatest single-success story.
57:11California, let's not forget, is the fourth largest economy in the world, home to the most beautiful coastlines, mountains, and public lands on the planet.
57:22The center of the world's creative and innovation-based economies, from Hollywood to Silicon Valley, and Silicon Beach, just here in LA.
57:33The state with the most educated, diverse workforce due to our top public universities.
57:40The number one manufacturing state in the United States.
57:44The fifth largest producer of agriculture in the world, the largest in the country.
57:53The birthplace of the environmental movement, having led the charge for clean air and water, healthier foods, and organic farming.
58:03California is all these things because we embrace new ideas and new voices, not in spite of them.
58:10We're the opposite of zero-sum thinking that seems to have taken over some leaders in Washington, D.C.
58:18We don't think that if we gain, someone else must lose.
58:22That if we protect our climate or immigrant communities, our economy will fail.
58:27No, we don't look at the world or our neighbors as our enemies, we look to them as our friends.
58:33We are a beacon of inclusion, innovation, and freedom around the world, and a cultural and economic powerhouse.
58:48Because we lean into our creativity and our differences, and let's not forget, we always, always look to the future.
58:58We still have so much work to do, and a long road ahead of rebuilding.
59:05But I know that California and Angelenos will do what they've always done.
59:11They'll roll up their sleeves and look forward with sunny optimism to the future.
59:17They'll treat their neighbors with kindness and tolerance.
59:21And they'll continue to dream big.
59:26Because when we come together like this, and we keep looking to the future, nothing will stop us.
59:33This is California love, and together we remain California Strong.
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