Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) made his way to the nation’s capital on Wednesday to lobby his state’s federal lawmakers and the outgoing Biden-Harris administration to help California prepare for President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.
Newsom was seen on Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning, where he huddled with the Golden State’s congressional delegation following a meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday.
Gavin Newsom just arrived in the Senate pic.twitter.com/ysoywYK5xt
— Meredith Lee Hill (@meredithllee) November 13, 2024
Newsom’s trip to Washington comes after the California governor called a special session of the state legislature to “safeguard California values and fundamental rights in the face of an incoming Trump administration.”
Newsom said he met with current and future California representatives to get everyone on the same page and organize their playbook for dealing with the next four years under Trump.
“We talked about the 122 lawsuits we were involved in during the Trump administration, we talked about the special session and how we are going to move aggressively to be proactive and not reactive to the incoming Trump administration,” Newsom said, speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon.
Newsom also emphasized that there needs to be immediate action on “specific waivers that are pending on the president’s desk.” The Democratic governor is pushing for a $5.2 billion reimbursement for emergency funding in addition to updates to the state’s Medicaid program.
“Three categories — healthcare, environment, and notably on behavioral health,” he said.
The Democratic governor said he did not meet with any Republican members while on Capitol Hill but said he was concerned that the state would not get the disaster relief necessary without conditions if his priorities were left to be handled under the next administration.
“It’s not just rhetoric, it’s not just threats, it’s actions by Donald Trump in the past; I guess that’s what people voted for. I gotta tell you that a lot of folks will be hurt if we don’t push back, and we are going to be firm,” he said.
Newsom’s office said he was in Washington, D.C., to “advocate for key priorities to advance the health and well-being of all Californians.”
“Governor Newsom will advocate for key priorities to advance the health and well-being of all Californians – including disaster funding, the approval of state health care initiatives aimed at improving access to health and mental health care for Californians, and crucial climate waivers,” a spokesman for the governor’s office said.
Newsom posted on social media following a meeting with Biden on Tuesday, calling it a “great day at the White House.”
“So, just left the White House, met with senior officials, and met with the president himself, talked about everything we need to do to prepare for this transition, to prepare California,” Newsom said in the video. “Protecting our environmental leadership in California, issues related to healthcare, disaster recovery, disaster relief, FEMA funding. It was a great day at the White House.”
Trump responded to Newsom’s special session by saying the governor is “trying to KILL our Nation’s beautiful California” in a Truth Social post last week.
“For the first time ever, more people are leaving than are coming in. He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election,” Trump said.
Newsom’s administration filed more than 100 lawsuits during Trump’s first term. The Trump administration reversed California’s ability to enforce tailpipe emissions standards. Biden later restored the state’s power, which was reinforced with a federal court ruling. Trump has criticized Newsom repeatedly, specifically slamming regulations that would transition cars from gas-powered to electric vehicles.
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The state has several climate rules that are still in limbo, awaiting waivers from the Environmental Protection Agency, which includes proposals to require all new cars sold in California to be zero-emission by 2035, update emission standards from heavy-duty vehicles and a transition away from diesel-power trains. In the past, California has been granted waivers to impose their own stricter emissions standards.
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Newsom reflected on a bright spot for California after incumbent Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA) conceded his race to Democratic challenger George Whitesides on Monday, flipping the 27th Congressional District blue and handing Democrats a long sought after House seat. A couple of other races are too close to call.
“You got the superstar in there, Nancy Pelosi; when you have Nancy Pelosi, that changes the rules of the game a little bit in terms of what’s possible. She’s done a magnificent job,” Newsom said. “We’ve got a few close races of folks in there that are right on the edge, but we are starting to feel some confidence, enough to get us to the magic number, that’s to be determined.”