Lawmakers are calling for him to reconsider after Donald Trump denied the federal disaster relief fund for Arkansas people who saw dozens of people die in a series of deadly tornadoes last month.
It was found that more than 40 people were killed after a series of tornadoes and severe storms struck Arkansas and neighboring states Mississippi and Missouri in March. CNN.
Given the scale of the disaster, state Republican governor Sarah Huckabee called for federal disaster aid as part of the emergency declaration. The request was later rejected by the Trump administration.
Huckabee and other Arkansas lawmakers have since asked Trump publicly to reconsider his decision. Huckabee sent an appeal of the decision on April 18th. U.S. Senators Tom Cotton and John Booseman from Arkansas and US leader Rick Crawford also asked him to “reconsider his denial” letter to Trump.
“As Governor Sanders pointed out in her request, these storms have caused devastating damage throughout the state, resulting in a disastrous amount of debris, extensive destruction of homes and businesses, the deaths of three Arkansans and many more injuries.” I wrote it in the letter on April 21st.
The letter continued. “Given the cumulative impacts and magnitude of the destruction from these harsh weather events, federal support is essential to ensure that state and local communities have the capacity to rebuild.”
The latest rejection of disaster funding comes as Trump has repeatedly stated he wants to overhaul and eliminate FEMA. In March, Trump signed an executive order to help state and local governments play a more active role in disaster relief.
Read the order: “Preparations are most effectively owned and managed at state, local, and even individual levels, supported by competent, accessible and efficient federal government.”
“If states are given the authority to make smart infrastructure choices, taxpayers will benefit.”
Trump also ordered a review of FEMA in January. I’ll talk about it later: “I say you don’t need FEMA, you need a good state government,” while visiting the aftermath of the Los Angeles fire. He added: “FEMA is very expensive. In my opinion, it’s a situation that has almost failed.”
Critics of Trump’s position argue that he is weakening US disaster preparedness, particularly as natural disasters are more likely and more intense, especially with global climate emergency.
Disaster management is already in the hands of states and local governments, critics point out. Adding FEMA means cutting back on funding for states that rely on after a disaster.
The Guardian contacted FEMA for further comment.
