Staff Reports
Reality-TV personality and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt did something most of us never expected: he publicly praised Senator Adam Schiff and Senator Rick Scott for working together on disaster relief. Pratt’s post on X highlights a small but meaningful victory in Washington — a bipartisan push to help wildfire victims and other Americans who lost homes and savings to disaster.
Pratt’s rare cross‑party shout‑out
Why does this matter? Pratt is a Republican and a high‑profile wildfire victim. He lost his home in the devastating Los Angeles‑area fires and has been vocal about the fallout. So when he called out Senator Adam Schiff — yes, the same senator conservatives love to vilify — and Senator Rick Scott for cooperating on disaster tax relief, it was more than a headline-grabbing stunt. It was a real person thanking lawmakers who moved to ease a painful financial burden.
What H.R. 5366 does for wildfire victims
The legislative vehicle at the center of this moment is H.R. 5366, the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act. In plain language, the bill would change tax rules so victims of major disasters can more easily claim casualty‑loss deductions and avoid unexpected tax hits from relief payments. It also clears up rules for disasters that occurred between December 28, 2019 and July 4, 2025 — the window that covers many of the recent California wildfires. That matters to people still rebuilding and waiting on settlements or relief money.
Bipartisan work worth noticing — and protecting
There’s a bigger political point here. For months the cable shows and social feeds have been full of grandstanding. This was a moment where lawmakers actually did the hard thing: compromise and pass a targeted fix that helps real people. Sponsors say they are moving to get this measure to President Donald Trump’s desk, though formal enrollment and presentation appear to be in process. Call it rare, call it refreshing — whatever you call it, it’s the kind of result voters understand and respect.
So yes, kudos where they’re due: to Spencer Pratt for speaking up, to Senator Rick Scott for pushing the bill, and even to Senator Adam Schiff for joining the effort. If Washington can produce more practical, bipartisan fixes like this — especially for Americans who lost everything in a fire or flood — conservatives should celebrate the outcome and demand more of the same. After all, politics is supposed to serve people, not just headlines.
