Severe storms resulted in extensive damage to critical infrastructure, parks, cultural sites, schools, public buildings, and more, resulting in over $34 million dollars in damages across six counties
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the Trump administration’s denial of Washington state’s appeal for a Major Disaster Declaration to unlock Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance for recovery from the devastating windstorms, heavy rainfall, flooding, and mudslides caused by a bomb cyclone that struck Washington state in November 2024.
Last month, Senator Murray led Washington state’s entire bipartisan Congressional delegation in sending a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to reconsider the denial of Washington state’s initial, January request to President Trump for a Major Disaster Declaration in response to the November bomb cyclone. Senator Murray also led Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in a previous letter urging President Biden to grant the state’s request.
“It is outrageous that President Trump is denying Washington state’s request for a federal disaster declaration, supported by our entire bipartisan Congressional delegation, for one of the most destructive storms in our state’s recent history. This is exactly the kind of catastrophic event federal disaster aid was designed for. County governments cannot be reasonably expected to shoulder $34 million dollars in damages from the bomb cyclone that caused tremendous damage to public infrastructure and left hundreds of thousands of people without power.
“Make no mistake, what we are seeing under Trump is an unprecedented and dangerous politicization of disaster assistance that cannot continue. Storms and disasters don’t discriminate between red and blue communities and neither should our President. There is simply no justification for this betrayal that leaves local communities and residents of Washington state shouldering painful disaster recovery costs when the federal government was supposed to have their backs.
“Every Member of Congress should be extraordinarily alarmed by this administration’s insistence on playing politics with disaster aid, no matter the consequences for our constituents. Do Republicans want a future Democratic President denying their constituents disaster aid over politics?”
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