WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson was adamant that any wildfire aid for California will include conditions aimed at preventing future blazes — because, he said, “bad policy choices” hurt prevention efforts.

The Louisiana Republican told The Bee on Friday that conditions are “part of our discussion, for sure” as he, Republican leaders and the White House continue discussing how to proceed on future budgets. The Southern California wildfires that began a month ago have killed at least 29 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

Johnson’s criticism of how California has handled wildfire prevention and containment came the day after Gov. Gavin Newsom wrapped up two days of meetings with Republican and Democratic members of Congress and President Donald Trump. He apparently left Washington without a concrete deal in place.

The speaker talked outside his office Friday to The Bee. He said of his views on wildfire aid, “I think it comports with common sense and I think the American people are going to demand and deserve that bad policy choices exacerbated the scope of that disaster.”

Johnson was highly critical of California policy. “Had they been careful stewards, had they managed their forests, had they managed their water, it would have been a different outcome and I think there needs to be some accountability for that,” he said.

Asked whether the state would ultimately get federal wildfire aid, the speaker said, “We’re gonna take care of the American people as we always do. We’re going to make sure that bad, intentional deliberate policy choices are not rewarded. That is not fair to taxpayers all around the country.”

Trump last month set different sorts of conditions, including requiring voter ID laws for Californians — the state already requires people to show their ID before voting — and an overhaul of the state’s water flow.

Trump last week ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to open dams that allowed water to reach areas of the San Joaquin Valley. The Los Angeles area, hard hit by the wildfires and drought, usually does not get water from those sources.

Johnson would not discuss specifics of any talks involving aid, but there appears to be little sentiment in Congress for attaching conditions not directly related to wildfire management.

“I would not condition disaster relief on things unrelated to it,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla.

Cole met Thursday with Newsom and told the governor aid legislation “is not a weapon.”

Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., maintained that Trump has already painted himself as a hero in this crisis.

“He has signed executive orders for water in California. He can say I’ve already done it. We don’t need conditions,” Sherman said.

Republicans contended that attaching conditions to disaster aid legislation is not uncommon.

“There have been conditions,” said Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., on matters such as clearing brush and other prevention matters.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., whose state has been battered by hurricanes over the years, said, “We had many conditions put on our disaster aid. That’s not new.”

He cited the Road Home grant program created after hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated Louisiana in 2005. The federally funded program provided money to state residents to rebuild or sell their damaged homes. The program was controversial because of certain criteria it used for providing the help.

Most Republicans appear to want what Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., called “safeguards” to make sure any aid money is used in what they see as a proper manner.

“My bottom line is we need to get aid to the victims. We need to get it there quickly,” he said. “And we need to make sure they’re actually the ones who get it.”

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