Congressional subcommittee to hold hearing about overregulation in California following devastating wildfires

By Fox News (Politics) | Created at 2025-01-30 22:51:04 | Updated at 2025-01-31 02:51:22 4 hours ago
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The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust will hold a hearing next week addressing overregulation in California following the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, stating California’s "onerous regulatory regime" may have worsened the disaster, Fox News Digital has learned.

The "California Fires and the Consequences of Overregulation" hearing will examine the real impacts of regulatory policy on the prevention of natural disasters, particularly in the case of California's wildfires, according to a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

It will also address how excessive regulation on insurance and permitting serves as a roadblock to those recovering from disasters.

Cal Fire reported more than 12,000 homes, businesses and schools were lost to the fires and more than 100,000 people have had to leave their homes.

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Altadena Eaton Fire

Homes in Altadena, California, lay in ruins less than two weeks after the Eaton Fire devastated the area. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, described current disaster regulations as a "nightmare."

"Democrat-run California's excessive regulations make preventing and recovering from natural disasters a nightmare," he said. 

Rep. Jim Jordan

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, will be looking into the handling of the California wildfires. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

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Jordan added that California needs a streamlined process, as suggested by President Donald Trump, to remove regulation and ensure citizens can rebuild and prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said the wildfires were a preventable tragedy, and Congress must examine whether California’s "onerous regulatory regime" worsened the disaster.

Palisades Fire

Aftermath of fire in Pacific Palisades, California. (David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)

"For years, California’s liberal government has prioritized environmental activism over effective forest management and disaster mitigation. Meanwhile, the politicization of their state insurance regulator has driven insurers out of the state and forced taxpayers to foot the bill," Fitzgerald said.

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Split image showing the U.S. Capitol in a split with LA wildfires

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust will hold a hearing to examine California overregulation after the deadly Los Angeles wildfires. (Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images | AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Witnesses will include Steve Hilton, founder of Golden Together; Steven Greenhut, resident senior fellow and western region director of state affairs for the R Street Institute; and Edward Ring, director of water and energy policy for the California Policy Center, according to the statement.

The hearing is scheduled for Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. 

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.

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