WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins thanking her for the great work she and the USDA are doing to respond effectively and quickly to natural disasters, including the California wildfires earlier this year. In his letter, Senator Scott also requests additional transparency on funding allocated to California over the past ten years, noting that, despite California receiving ample federal funds for wildfire management, repression, and response, these funds do not appear to have been used wisely or appropriately by California and the city of Los Angeles this year.

This letter follows a letter from Senator Scott to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on federal funding California has received through FEMA, and builds on Senator Scott’s work to get answers and support for the victims of the California wildfires in January 2025. Last week, Senator Scott joined Spencer Pratt (media personality and co-host of the 'Fame Game’ podcast) in the Pacific Palisades for a tour of destruction from these deadly fires, and is working on Congressional action to get answers and support victims, including new legislation to provide disaster tax relief for victims, and has requested a briefing on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team’s investigation of the causes and contributing factors of the wildfires.

Read the full letter HERE or below.

Dear Secretary Rollins,

I first want to commend you for the excellent work you have done with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). From securing our nation’s food supply to coordinating response efforts to natural disasters, USDA’s mandate is broad. But under your and President Trump’s courageous leadership, the USDA has excelled in every respect by putting American farmers, ranchers, and rural communities first.

Since you took over the USDA, not only has your agency responded to catastrophic natural disasters in North Carolina, Texas, California, and New Mexico, but it has done so in a way that cuts through red tape and streamlines processes. For Florida, you have utilized state block grants to administer timely aid to farmers impacted by hurricanes, something the Biden Administration refused to do. This has allowed the USDA to deliver rapid, efficient, and mission-focused relief in record time.

While relief is often quickly dispatched to states and affected areas as needed, states and local governments often vary in how they manage and request these resources. After visiting the Palisades recently with Mr. Spencer Pratt, a wildfire victim who lost his family’s home and has been displaced, I witnessed the destruction that the January 2025 wildfires left in their path. I was heartbroken by the wreckage, and I became concerned as people within the Palisades community shared their perspective on how much Los Angeles and California have mismanaged funds that were supposed to be directed to preventing and responding to these wildfires. It has been reported that California in general, and Los Angeles, in particular, have received seemingly endless flows of federal funds from the USDA and other federal agencies for wildfire management, repression, and response. Yet these funds do not appear to have been used wisely.

Natural disasters happen, regardless of state or political party. And we should all rally around those who experience calamity through no fault of their own. But those in government also have a duty to responsibly manage funds that have been allocated to prevent and respond to these disasters.  That does not appear to have been the case in California.

Accordingly, I have been conducting oversight of the contributing causes of the Palisades fire, the Eaton fire, and the adequacy of the response efforts. To advance that oversight, although I acknowledge your incredibly effective response to the Palisades fire and the Eaton fire, I write to request an update on the funding that has been allocated to California in the past ten years, starting on September 1, 2015. In particular, how much money has the USDA given to California for wildfire response, prevention, and recovery? Are there any federal or California laws, rules, or regulations that hinder the USDA’s ability to adequately prevent wildfires or recover from wildfires? Additionally, how much money did California receive from the USDA in response to the Palisades wildfires and other California wildfires that occurred in 2025?

I know you share my concern that all taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, transparently, and in the public interest. To assist you in your ongoing efforts, I hope that we can shed light on California’s waste, mismanagement, and inefficiency in order to foster a more responsive and transparent use of funds by the states. The people of California deserve it, and the American people demand it.

I would be grateful if you could provide an answer to me by September 19, 2025. I look forward to your response.

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