California’s two Democratic senators sharply criticized the Trump administration on Thursday after the president’s recent budget proposal failed to include funding for relief efforts related to last year’s wildfires in Los Angeles County. The administration requested $87.6 billion to address various national priorities but omitted allocations specifically aimed at supporting fire victims in the region.

Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff condemned the omission, accusing the administration of politicizing disaster aid. They argued that the wildfires affected residents regardless of political affiliation and asserted that federal assistance should likewise be impartial. “Donald Trump’s desire to punish Los Angeles and the state of California for not voting for him means thousands of Angelinos are left watching this administration fight for anything but them, their businesses, and their communities,” the senators said in a joint statement.

This development marks another episode in ongoing tensions between California officials and the Trump administration over federal disaster aid. Earlier this year, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger met with President Trump at the White House seeking $16 billion in assistance split between the city and county. This funding request was predominantly tied to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disbursements for communities affected by the wildfires and was part of a broader $33.9 billion wildfire relief proposal submitted by California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Despite President Trump’s apparent commitment during that April meeting to collaborate on recovery efforts, talks have made limited progress, with the requested funds notably absent from the latest budget request submitted Wednesday by the Office of Management and Budget. The budget primarily allocates funds to the Pentagon for Iran-related military expenses, alongside provisions such as $11.1 billion in aid to American farmers, $1.4 billion to combat the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, $500 million for restoration and construction projects in the nation’s capital, and $1 billion to enhance pensions for certain General Motors workers.

White House Budget Director Russell Vought urged Congress to act swiftly on the proposed funding and signaled willingness to discuss “additional relief for other urgent matters.” However, the administration did not immediately provide an explanation for excluding the Eaton and Palisades funds, which are crucial for wildfire recovery.

California officials have repeatedly accused the Trump administration of delaying and limiting wildfire aid. Governor Newsom met with federal lawmakers last December, pressing for disaster funding and reportedly attempted to engage FEMA directly, though he said those attempts were unsuccessful. It remains unclear whether the governor has sought direct discussions with President Trump on this issue following the Oval Office meeting in April.