Republican former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt is praising Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff after the California senator helped push through bipartisan disaster relief legislation benefiting wildfire victims like Pratt.
"Major props to [Sen. Adam Schiff] and [Sen. Rick Scott] for working across the aisle to get this done," Pratt wrote late last week. "Disaster recovery is hard enough as it is. A little bit of financial relief goes a long way. It's easy to complain, but good leadership is very rare."
Pratt, who lost his home during the Palisades wildfire in 2025, was referencing the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act, which the Senate passed on Aug. 7, sending it to President Donald Trump's desk for approval.
Under current rules, an individual must incur damages equal to at least 10% of their adjusted gross income before claiming a disaster relief tax break. Someone earning $100,000 per year, for instance, would need $10,000 in property damage to qualify for the deduction.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic legislators framed the legislation as essential support for constituents recovering from catastrophic wildfires. Sen. Adam Schiff's office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.
"California politicians completely failed their residents after the fires," said Republican Sen. Rick Scott, who co-sponsored the bill with Schiff. "I appreciate all of Spencer's work in helping us deliver much-needed relief for wildfire victims."
The bill designates all wildfire relief payments as untaxable income and would remove the 10% threshold for individuals who experienced disasters between December 28, 2019, and July 4, 2025. This period covers the California wildfires that destroyed Pratt's home along with roughly 13,000 other housing units.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative voices have largely supported the effort while noting concerns about fiscal impact. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, after whom the legislation is named, spent 13 years representing a northern California district and was described by the Washington Post as an "affable, approachable and pragmatic lawmaker" before dying in January from a heart-related medical emergency.
"Thank you [Scott] and [Schiff] for seeing this through," said James Johansson, a Republican farmer running for the California State Assembly. "With all that we've been through here in the North State we had no better champion and friend than Rep. Doug LaMalfa."
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the legislation would result in $408 million in reduced federal revenue between 2026 and 2036, a point some fiscal conservatives may scrutinize as the bill awaits presidential action.
What the Numbers Show
The 2025 California wildfires destroyed nearly 13,000 housing units and caused between $28.0 billion and $53.8 billion in damages, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.
Current tax law requires disaster-related property damage to meet or exceed 10% of adjusted gross income before claiming relief. For a median household earning approximately $75,000 annually, that threshold would require at least $7,500 in qualifying losses.
The CBO's projection of $408 million in lost revenue over the next decade represents the estimated cost of removing the income threshold and making wildfire relief payments non-taxable for affected individuals during the covered period.
The Bottom Line
The Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act now awaits President Trump's signature. If signed into law, it would provide immediate tax relief to thousands of California wildfire victims by eliminating the income-based qualification threshold that previously limited disaster deductions.
The legislation represents a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation between Schiff and Scott, two senators who typically occupy opposing political positions. The bill's passage comes after months of advocacy from wildfire survivors including Pratt, whose personal engagement with both legislators helped build momentum for the measure.