Letter to President Donald Trump - Washington State Lawmakers Urge Waiver of Cost Sharing Requirements for Coronavirus Emergency Relief Funding

Letter

Dear President Trump:

We write in support of Governor Jay Inslee's April 30, 2020 request to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to waive all cost-share requirements for assistance authorized under the Emergency Declaration issued on March 13, 2020 and the Major Disaster Declaration issued on March 22, 2020 for Washington State in response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Governor Inslee's letter echoes a similar request transmitted by the National Governors Association on behalf of all governors on April 2, 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption of normal community functions including lifesaving and life-sustaining services, and essential community services. As of April 29, 2020, Washington state has grappled with 14,327 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 814 fatalities. As of April 30, 2020, the State Emergency Operations Center has also reported $457 million in total expenditures for test kits, N95 respirators, ventilators, personal protective equipment among other related costs to prevent, contain, and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the Washington Department of Health has incurred an average cost of $231,000 per day with total non-budgeted costs having exceeded $10 million thus far.

While state and local authorities continue to implement policies and deploy services that are helping to ease the devastating effects of this crisis, federal support is urgently necessary to ensure the continuity and efficacy of these measures. Waiving applicable cost-shares would provide state and local authorities with the resources and certainty they need to sustain these measures in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic's exceptional breadth, demands, and duration.

Each day of this pandemic, our state faces public health and economic disruption that places compounding strain on Washington and its local, tribal and state governments. Subsequently we urge you to waive all cost-shares, where authorized, and provide 100 percent federal assistance under the Stafford Act for Washington state as soon as possible. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,