In the wake of historic floods that devastated Mountain Maryland, the Administration has— nonsensically—continued to defund the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As some of us have come to know personally, weather emergencies don’t care about your zip code, personal circumstances or party affiliation. Especially in rural communities, FEMA is there to fill gaps for services local governments cannot provide. With floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and wildfires increasing each year, disaster relief isn’t optional, it’s a critical part of our country’s infrastructure.
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However, recently, the head of FEMA
admitted he did not know that “hurricane season” existed. After extreme
blowback, he then reversed to say that he was making a joke. But this is
no time for jokes—we need leadership. Sadly, as reported in the Washington Post
this morning, “Hundreds of Federal Emergency Management Agency veterans
have left the agency, and those who remain will no longer go door to
door in search of disaster victims who need financial aid.”
I am all for reforming FEMA to make it work better for the American
people, but defunding the agency and laying off federal workers with
decades of institutional knowledge will only cause chaos, destruction,
and God forbid, loss of life. I deeply believe that this cause could and
should be bipartisan.
I will keep fighting for Marylanders’ access to federal disaster
relief and call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the
same.
Warmest regards,
April McClain Delaney
Member of Congress
Frederick District Office | 30 W. Patrick Street, Ste 505 | Frederick, Maryland 21701 | Phone: (301) 926-030
