Issue Position: Disaster Relief

Issue Position

It has become all too difficult to access the necessary funds to deal with an increasing number of annual natural disasters. Americans deserve a President who will act in the face of natural disasters.

The politicization of the disaster relief process has made it more difficult for impacted communities to obtain timely federal relief. Congress has been regularly using disaster relief packages as political cudgels and it needs to end now. Hickenlooper knows first-hand how difficult it can be to get the necessary funding. As Colorado's Governor, he had to go to DC to repeatedly fight for disaster aid.

The number of billion-dollar natural disasters affecting this country is growing--between 2014 and 2018 it averaged 13 a year. From 2010--2014, in his first term as Governor, Colorado had the two worst wildfires in the history of the state and the worst flood in the history of the state -- it spanned 24 counties and left entire small towns under water. Hickenlooper helped to create a roadmap for resiliency in Colorado. It is not enough to say you are going to rebuild. You have to rebuild it better than it was before, meaning more resilient to future natural disasters.

As climate change intensifies the number and impact of storms and other disasters, we need to invest in disaster relief as well as preparedness. This includes reforming how disaster relief is funded so that communities are less reliant on Congress for extra funding in the case of a major disaster. We also need to review how we can cut red tape and streamline disaster recovery coordination efforts among local, state and federal agencies so that our communities get back on their feet faster.

We must ensure that our communities are prepared for future disasters. Hickenlooper's infrastructure plan will include targeted spending on climate change-related projects, including adaptation and mitigation measures for our communities. Preparedness also means that businesses and homeowners have insurance to cover their losses in the event of a natural disaster. This means reforming the National Flood Insurance Program and making sure that homeowners have access to affordable home insurance that covers wildfires.

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