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President Joe Biden has decided to provide monetary assistance to the victims of the California fires. He announced the federal aid on January 13, 2025, while discussing the fire situation with federal officials in a White House meeting.
As per the latest updates, the death toll rose to 24 and the government has already announced that it would cover the full costs. The president said:
“And I want to be clear. We are not waiting until those fires are over to start helping the victims. We are getting them help right now. As you all know, people impacted by these fires will receive one-time payment of $770.”
Biden’s announcement has drawn reactions from social media users. While many were unhappy over the payment being a one-time affair, others referred to his assistance to Ukraine. One X user commented:
“Bro gave $700 billion to Ukraine, and $700 dollar to American citizens.”
Netizens pointed out that the president’s monetary relief for the victims of California fires would need approval first.
“The president needs Congressional approval to send more, for those who don’t know,” a person pointed out.
“That should cover it,” a social media user opined.
“Biden said, “Don’t spend it all in one place!” a netizen reacted.
Social media users noted that the amount was insufficient to cover costs as it does not support long-term needs.
“That’s crazy. I’ve been to cali before $770 ain’t getting you far,” another X user expressed.
“Damn that hurt me and I don’t live in Cali. Government just ain’t right,” an online user opined.
“770 helps today, but what’s the plan for tomorrow? Recovery isn’t just about survival, it’s about thriving again,” an online commentator wrote.
Biden said the amount would help them purchase basic resources
The meeting was also attended by VP Kamala Harris and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Biden added that the one-time payment would help individuals purchase essentials like water, baby formula, prescription drugs, etc.
He mentioned that 6,000 people affected by the California fires have registered for the grant and $5.1 million has already been disbursed. Biden encouraged everyone who has been impacted to get assistance from this initiative. 33,000 people have reportedly signed up for the aid.
During the meeting, Kamala Harris said the incident was ‘truly heartbreaking’, mentioning:
“There is an extraordinary amount of trauma that so many people are experiencing through loss of life, loss of their homes, loss of normalcy and what I would ask is that on this day, seven of the fires in the midst of the extraordinary exhaustion that everyone is feeling on so many levels that we stay vigilant. The next 48 hours, as we hear, are very critical.”
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According to reports, the federal government will handle all firefighting expenses for the next 180 days. President Biden previously noted that restoring Los Angeles would require tens of billions of dollars and called on Congress to provide the necessary funding. Regarding the fire situation, the weather conditions are expected to get better by January 17, 2025.
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