Democrats and Republicans agree — President Biden should approve more California storm aid
It’s not often that federal California lawmakers across parties and congressional chambers unanimously agree.
But amid months of catastrophic weather in California, every member of the state’s delegation asked President Joe Biden to declare another major disaster and lend more federal support.
“State and local resources that were already strained due to response and recovery efforts have now been pushed to the limit responding to the current crisis,” read a letter signed by all 52 California members of the House of Representatives and Sens. Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein.
Since December, they wrote, flooding, storms, winds and atmospheric river systems damaged and threatened critical infrastructure, roads, homes and lives. As extreme weather resurged once again this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom requested Biden to declare another major disaster that would allow federal resources to immediately aid state and local responses.
“Over these past months, state, local and federal partners have worked around the clock to protect our communities from devastating storms that have ravaged every part of our state,” Newsom said in a release about the request on Tuesday. “We will continue to deploy every tool we have to help Californians rebuild and recover from these storms.”
Earlier this month, Biden issued an emergency declaration for California that allowed federal agencies to spring into immediate action helping state and local officials with relief efforts. The president also had visited California in late January to assess storm damage.
California has spent more than $60 million in response and recovery works, according to the governor’s office. The state deployed the California National Guard and other state personnel to perform rescue missions, help supply essential items and fortify levees and roadways.
Newsom too expanded the California’s own state of emergency to Alameda, Marin, Modoc and Shasta counties, meaning that 47 counties total are under the order for state assistance since late February.
The governor’s federal request sent Tuesday specifically asks for support in the counties of Calaveras, Kern, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Tulare and Tuolumne. He pressed for long-term assistance programs, such as federal small business loans designed for disasters, and hazard mitigation statewide, which aims to reduce risks from future weather events.
California’s congressional delegation urged to president to “expeditiously approve California’s request for a major disaster declaration and provide all categories of public assistance, individual assistance, and direct federal assistance for all counties set forth in the Governor’s request, along with hazard mitigation statewide.”
This story was originally published March 29, 2023 at 11:55 AM with the headline "Democrats and Republicans agree — President Biden should approve more California storm aid."
