Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado’s U.S. senators decried the Trump administration’s denial of emergency recovery funds for the state and promised to fight a decision they called “political games.”
Democratic Gov. Jared Polis put in a request for a disaster declaration for the Lee and Elk fires in September and one for flooding in October in Western Colorado in November. Both were denied on Sunday.
A major disaster declaration would unlock federal funds for repairs, mitigation and recovery.
Polis and Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper urged President Donald Trump to reconsider, saying Coloradans deserved better.
“I call on the President’s better angels, and urge him to reconsider these requests. This is about the Coloradans who need this support, and we won’t stop fighting for them to get what they deserve,” Polis said in a statement the three issued jointly.
The decision comes after the administration said it would dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder and rescind a number of transportation and energy grants.
The White House countered that there was “no politicization" of the decision.
“The President responds to each request for Federal assistance under the Stafford Act with great care and consideration, ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement—not substitute, their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. “The Trump administration remains committed to empowering and working with State and local governments to invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes, making response less urgent and recovery less prolonged.”
Jackson also noted that during the Lee and Elk fires, the Trump Administration prioritized and mobilized two aerial firefighting systems. The two fires burned more than 150,000 acres in the state combined.
GOP Rep. Jeff Hurd’s district is impacted by both decisions. He noted that Western Colorado has long supported Trump, and now the same areas are “facing the real human and economic consequences of recent disasters.”
“Local leaders and residents are seeking a consistent application of FEMA criteria so recovery efforts can move forward,” Hurd said in a statement. He’s asking the Administration to work with the state on an appeal.
Since returning to office, the Trump administration has signaled a shift in the federal government’s response to disasters by putting more responsibilities on state, local and tribal governments.
The Trump administration has denied several declaration requests in the past, including ones from Oklahoma and Maryland. Others, such as Vermont, Illinois and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, are also in the appeals process.
The Trump Administration has been reviewing how FEMA does its job and is expected to receive recommendations on possible changes.
