'New level of shamelessness': Johnson slammed over response on California aid

13 January

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) faced significant on Monday after offering comments about what the US government's aid to California amid the LA fire crisis would look like.

CNN's Manu Raju reported via social media: "Asked Speaker Johnson about placing conditions on aid to California, and he tells us: 'I think there should be conditions on that aid.' Said that’s his personal view before talking with the conference. Also says 'there’s some discussion' within the House GOP about tying the debt limit increase to the aid 'but we will see how it goes.' Aid to rebuild after natural disasters often is approved without any conditions and with significant bipartisan support. But there could be a big fight over the California aid in the coming weeks."

CNN political analyst Bakari Sellers replied: "This is terrible and awful leadership."

Former DNC chair Jaime Harrison commented: "When you think these people couldn’t be more reprehensible. In no world should any politician from either party let alone the Speaker of the House (3rd most powerful role in our government) should ever think about putting conditions on aid and assistance to Americans from a natural disaster. Johnson saw the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to the people of Louisiana. There were no conditions placed on their assistance. The folks in CA have suffered enough and don’t need to be treated like political pawns!"

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) added: ".@SpeakerJohnson: Disaster aid should NEVER be conditioned or used as a bargaining chip—period. Using this tragedy for political points, then making it harder for people to get federal assistance? That’s shameful. Lives and people's entire livelihoods are at stake."

The Lincoln Project — formed by moderate conservatives and former Republican Party members — replied: "Doing a debt limit deal on the back of such overwhelming disaster aid is shameful."

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich added: "Using government aid for natural disasters as leverage to pave the way for more tax cuts for the rich is a new level of shamelessness I didn't think was possible — even for Mike Johnson."

Majority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) replied: "When disaster strikes, you don't ask for a community's party affiliation: you simply ask how we can help. We are all Americans and we are all in this together."

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