Claudia Brancart

The memorial was in Chico, a rural city about 90 miles north of Sacramento.

Speaker Johnson said he arranged to take Air Force Two to make the service as a winter storm grounded thousands of flights across the U.S.

LaMalfa was a longtime ally to President Donald Trump.

His death narrows House Republicans' hold on the chamber.

And the Republican seat will remain empty for months.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was also at the memorial, scheduled a special election to fill LaMalfa's seat for August 4th.

For NPR News, I'm Claudia Brancart in Chico, California.