In a surprising display of bipartisan cooperation, Spencer Pratt, a former Los Angeles mayoral candidate and a Republican, lauded Democratic Senator Adam Schiff for his role in the passage of crucial disaster relief legislation. The new law benefits wildfire victims, including Pratt, who lost his home in the devastating Palisades wildfire of 2025.
Pratt expressed his approval via social media, crediting Schiff and Republican Senator Rick Scott for their efforts. “Major props to [Sen. Adam Schiff] and [Sen. Rick Scott] for working across the aisle to get this done,” Pratt stated. He emphasized that while disaster recovery poses significant challenges, effective leadership plays a critical role in offering financial assistance.
“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.” – Spencer Pratt
The Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act, which the Senate approved on August 7, now awaits President Donald Trump’s decision. The legislation proposes changes to the rules regarding disaster relief tax deductions. Currently, those impacted by a federally declared disaster can only claim tax deductions if their property’s damage is at least 10% of their adjusted gross income. For example, a person earning $100,000 annually must face damages of at least $10,000 to qualify.
If enacted, the new law would remove this threshold for disasters occurring between December 28, 2019, and July 4, 2025. This includes the California wildfires that destroyed Pratt’s home and affected many of Schiff’s constituents. Additionally, the bill ensures that wildfire relief payments remain untaxed.
Senators Schiff and Scott worked together on the legislation, a collaboration praised by many affected by the wildfires. After a meeting with Pratt at his devastated property, Scott pushed for the bill, commending Pratt’s role in advocating for victims’ relief. The 2025 California wildfires left nearly 13,000 homes destroyed and caused damages ranging from $28 billion to $53.8 billion.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has forecasted that the bill will decrease federal revenue by $408 million from 2026 to 2036.
Praise for Schiff came from other conservative Californians as well. James Johansson, a Republican farmer and candidate for the California State Assembly, thanked both Scott and Schiff for their determination in passing the legislation, and acknowledged the contributions of the bill’s namesake, the late Doug LaMalfa.
LaMalfa represented a northern California district in the House of Representatives for 13 years and was a strong advocate for the agricultural sector before his passing in January. The Washington Post described him as “affable, approachable, and pragmatic.” Despite numerous attempts, Schiff’s office did not provide comments on the recent developments.
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