California Gov. Gavin Newsom is enlisting veteran Republican lawmaker Ken Calvert to help push his $40 billion wildfire aid request through Congress and secure President Donald Trump’s backing for rebuilding efforts.
Calvert, 71, a longtime member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, has emerged as a key proponent of Newsom’s relief efforts, even as some of his Republican colleagues work to derail it. Calvert’s support runs counter to a broader push within his party to attach conditions to the funding, including changing voter identification laws and rolling back California’s coastal regulations.
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