John,

January 7 marks one year since devastating wildfires tore through communities across Southern California. And Altadena and the Palisades will forever be known not just for their beautiful communities and people, but for the tragedies that happened there. Dozens of our fellow Californians lost their lives. Thousands of homes were destroyed. Families were, and still are, displaced. Entire communities were changed forever. For so many Californians, that day is seared into memory, not only for the destruction but for the hardship that followed.

Meeting with the firefighters who fought those blazes, I saw what courage looks like. I spoke with one firefighter who described a wall of flames on both sides of him, a true inferno that he wasn’t sure he would survive. “The closest thing to hell that he could imagine,” is how he described it.

And it wasn’t just the first responders who demonstrated heart. Neighbors opened their doors to one another. Community organizations mobilized overnight to provide food, shelter, and care. And people throughout our state and across our country gave what they could to help strangers begin to rebuild their lives.

I am incredibly proud of how this grassroots team, our community and state rallied around those in need. I asked you to join me in donating to aid organizations, and you did. Big time. Together, we also secured initial federal disaster assistance, delivered critical resources, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with families as they took the first steps toward recovery. And I introduced my first bill in the Senate — a bipartisan bill — to help with the cost of making our homes more resilient to natural disasters in the future.

But a year later, we are still fighting to get the federal relief California needs and deserves. One year later, the President has still not sent a request for additional federal disaster aid — of which over $30 billion is desperately needed – to Congress. And without that request, Congressional Republicans have thus far refused to act.

We’re going to continue to fight like hell to get that aid to families, businesses and communities. Because when disaster hits, it shouldn’t matter whether it’s an earthquake, flood or fire, or whether your state is Blue or Red. What matters at that moment is that we are all Americans, and we help each other out. I know that whenever a disaster has struck other states, I immediately pledged my support for their recovery. And California provided more help to other regions than any other state in the Union.

As your Senator, I remain committed to ensuring California has the support it needs, not just in moments of emergency, but in the months and years that follow. That means continuing to fight for resources, resilience, and policies that help our communities prepare for and recover from disasters like these.

The fires tested us. And Californians answered with courage, generosity, and resolve.

Thank you for being part of that response, and for standing with our communities as we continue the work of rebuilding, together.

With gratitude,

Adam