Washington Delegation Calls on FEMA to Finish Process That Determines Who Gets Disaster Aid

Statement

Today, Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and Representatives Jim McDermott, Adam Smith, Rick Larsen, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Dave Reichert, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Derek Kilmer, Suzan DelBene, Denny Heck, and Dan Newhouse, sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, expressing concern over the slow pace of FEMA's progress to update its criteria for Individual Assistance. After Hurricane Sandy, Congress passed legislation directing FEMA to review, update, and revise its process for how it determines whether assistance to individuals and households is approved; however, this process remains unfinished. For the past two years, FEMA has denied citizens in communities devastated by wildfires from receiving this particular type of disaster assistance. While updated criteria will not affect past events, the lawmakers are concerned that with wildfires only continuing to increase in severity, this unfinished business will affect Washington citizens' ability to receive aid in the event of future disasters.

In their letter to Administrator Fugate, the lawmakers wrote: "Despite cumulatively burning close to 1.4 million acres and destroying over 400 homes, FEMA denied Individual Assistance for both disasters. As a result, entire communities -- many of them already dealing with stubbornly high unemployment rates and low median incomes-- have been left to grapple with additional job losses and severe housing shortages without critical forms of Federal assistance… Like many of our constituents, we are frustrated by the glacial pace of this process, especially given the serious implications it has for disaster victims."

Source