Schatz Leads Bipartisan Group Of 10 Senators In Calling For Urgent Disaster Relief Funding

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of 10 bipartisan senators in calling on Senate leadership to move quickly to pass additional funding to help states recover from ongoing disasters. Schatz was joined by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).

“We write as members representing states with ongoing disaster recovery needs to request additional disaster relief funding through a supplemental appropriations package, including additional funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) and Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR),” the senators wrote in their letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine). 

The senators continued, “Our states experienced varying degrees of damage and have unique recovery needs. While we appreciate the federal support through existing permanently authorized disaster recovery programs, there is no one federal program that will directly address the distinct unmet needs of our communities in these difficult times. That is why over the past 30 years, Congress has allocated nearly $100 billion in CDBG-DR funding to disaster-impacted communities in nearly every state and territory. This tried-and-true program provides flexible financial support that communities can use to address unique outstanding needs unmet by other federal streams of assistance. Our states require this federal support to rebuild.”

The full text of the senators’ letter can be found below and is available here.

Dear Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Chair Murray, and Vice Chair Collins:

We write as members representing states with ongoing disaster recovery needs to request additional disaster relief funding through a supplemental appropriations package, including additional funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) and Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR). 

We appreciate your efforts to support disaster recovery thus far this Congress, but urgent and pressing needs in our communities require more support.  The additional $16 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster relief fund (DRF) that Congress approved last year as part of the September continuing resolution has gone a long way towards supporting the immediate needs in many disaster-impacted communities.  However, new and ongoing recovery efforts require further DRF funding to ensure core disaster response needs are addressed.  In addition, other recovery needs that cannot be addressed through FEMA disaster recovery funding persist.  To ensure that disaster recovery progress continues, and that communities can truly begin to rebuild, CDBG-DR funding is of paramount importance.

Our states experienced varying degrees of damage and have unique recovery needs.  While we appreciate the federal support through existing permanently authorized disaster recovery programs, there is no one federal program that will directly address the distinct unmet needs of our communities in these difficult times.  That is why over the past 30 years, Congress has allocated nearly $100 billion in CDBG-DR funding to disaster-impacted communities in nearly every state and territory.  This tried-and-true program provides flexible financial support that communities can use to address unique outstanding needs unmet by other federal streams of assistance.  Our states require this federal support to rebuild.

The futures of our communities depend on the Senate’s action this year.  Thank you for working with us to provide relief to our states.

Sincerely,

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