Overnight Energy: Trump, California leaders clash over fires | Trump says oil prices should be ‘much lower’ | Zinke criticizes media coverage | Officials consider new truck pollution rule

by Timothy Cama - 11/12/18 5:51 PM ET

TRUMP VS. CALIFORNIA OVER WILDFIRES: President Trump and California’s political leaders are engaging in a war of words over the cause of wildfires that have devastated the state, killing at least 31 people.

Gov. Jerry Brown (D) blamed climate change at a press conference Sunday, days after Trump pointed the finger at the state’s forest management programs.

“Managing all the forests everywhere we can does not stop climate change, and those who deny that definitely are contributing to the tragedies that we are witnessing and will continue to witness,” Brown said in remarks directed toward the president.

Trump’s argument, that extensive logging and a change in California’s water practices could alleviate its fire problems, is regularly touted by Republicans who support logging industry groups out West. Those lawmakers include California GOP Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Devin Nunes, who have long fought for more water access in their districts in California’s Central Valley.

“There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor,” Trump tweeted late Friday, threatening to withhold federal funds even as firefighters in the state grappled with the blazes.

“Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!” Trump tweeted.

California lawmakers and fire experts quickly denounced Trump’s comments as partisan posturing.

“Lives have been lost. Entire towns have been burned to the ground. Cars abandoned on the side of the road. People are being forced to flee their homes. This is not a time for partisanship. This is a time for coordinating relief and response and lifting those in need up,” California Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom (D) tweeted.

Others pointed out that many of the fires scorching the state are not in fact burning in forests at all, but on hillsides near city centers and coastlines.

Appropriations coming?: Despite Trump’s threat to cut off federal funding to California over its forest management, Congress might appropriate some extra money to the wildfire effort.

Congress is facing a Dec. 7 deadline to pass legislation to fund most of the government, and lawmakers could attach special disaster funding to that bill.

A spokesman for Rep. Nita Lowey (N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee and its likely chairman when the party takes over in January, said Democrats will insist on money for the wildfires and other recent natural disasters.

“Congress must build upon the down payment agreed in September by swiftly passing an emergency supplemental appropriations bill in the lame duck session that will assist the communities affected by Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, Typhoon Yutu, and the wildfires burning throughout the West,” the spokesman said.

Blair Taylor, a spokesman for Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), left the door open for disaster funding for the wildfires, saying the panel’s priority is the Dec. 7 funding deadline.

“As we set about that work, we will keep a close eye on this and other areas with a disaster declaration and remain in close contact with those states and the administration regarding need,” he said.