WASHINGTON — California Gov. Gavin Newsom pleaded with President Joe Biden for more federal support in combating forest fires Friday during a virtual White House meeting with Western governors.
Following the governors of Montana and Washington, Newsom offered some of the most pointed criticism of the federal government’s handling of the issue during the public portion of the meeting.
“We just simply need, No. 1, more boots on the ground. We can’t do it without you guys,” Newsom told Biden, saying that the state’s resources are already stretched thin months before the peak of wildfire season.
