Durbin, Kirk Ask FEMA to Fix Funding Formulas That Hurt Downstate Illinois Communities
While FEMA is currently reviewing assistance formulas, Senators point to their legislation as a way to create a level playing field during a disaster
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fix the funding formulas that are unfairly putting downstate Illinois communities at a disadvantage following a disaster. Durbin and Kirk note that while FEMA is currently reviewing its disaster assistance process - required by law in the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 - the agency should consider the legislation the Senators introduced following the denial of both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance to Southern Illinois communities - including Harrisburg and Ridgway - in 2012.
“We urge you to fix the unfair valuation that takes place when the agency evaluates federal disaster assistance requests in which far too much emphasis is placed on the "per capita" factor. This disfavors geographically large states with a large, populous urban center, such as Illinois,” wrote the Illinois members. “We introduced legislation in the last session of Congress following the denial of individual and public assistance in the wake of deadly tornadoes in Harrisburg and Ridgway, Illinois. That bill would direct FEMA to create a level playing field for all states in times of disaster. We urge you to ensure some states do not get preferential treatment in the federal disaster assistance analysis.”
Following the November 2013 deadly storms, Governor Quinn requested federal aid for local governments in Champaign, Douglas, Grundy, Massac, Tazewell, Vermilion, Washington, Wayne and Woodford counties. On November 26, President Obama issued a major disaster declaration for the State of Illinois making residents and businesses eligible for federal Individual Assistance funding which provides financial assistance to help with temporary housing, home repairs or replacement and other disaster-related expenses. Though more than $12 million in federal aid has been approved to help people and businesses affected by the November tornadoes and severe storms, Governor Quinn’s request for Public Assistance to cover the repairs or replacement of infrastructure (roads, bridges, public buildings, etc.) and other local government costs was denied last week.
In April 2012, Durbin and Kirk introduced the Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act which would ensure consistency and fairness to the FEMA’s disaster declaration process by requiring FEMA to give a specified weight to each of the factors considered when determining which communities are eligible for two types of federal assistance Individual and Public. It also require FEMA to take into consideration local economic factors including: the local assessable tax base, the median income as it compares to that of the state, and the poverty rate as it compares to that of the state.
Though FEMA has never revealed an exact formula for determining a disaster declaration, FEMA has confirmed that the agency considers six factors to determine eligibility for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. The relative weight of each factor remains unknown and may even fluctuate with different scenarios. In a severe storm or natural disaster, communities in a state, like Illinois, with a large population – more than 10 million people – must incur a relatively higher level of damage than communities in a state with a smaller population. This is true in determining whether both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance is warranted.
Text of today’s letter is below
Dear Administrator Fugate:
We urge you to address harmful discrepancies in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster assistance process. Specifically, we urge you to fix the unfair valuation that takes place when the agency evaluates federal disaster assistance requests in which far too much emphasis is placed on the "per capita" factor. This disfavors geographically large states with a large, populous urban center, such as Illinois.
We were disappointed that FEMA did not approve Governor Pat Quinn's request for Public Assistance for damage incurred during the November 17 tornadoes. FEMA's denial stated the devastating damage experienced in areas like the City of Washington and the Village of Gifford were, "Not of such severity and magnitude as to warrant the implementation of the public assistance program." It is our understanding that this decision was based on the fact that the damage to public entities in the affected areas did not meet FEMA's designated per capita figure for the state. If identical damage was experienced in a neighboring state with a smaller population, the request for public assistance may have been granted. The process is fundamentally unfair to Washington and Gifford and other small towns faced with rebuilding infrastructure damaged by severe weather.
Pursuant to the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013, FEMA is currently reevaluating the disaster assistance process. Rather than focusing primarily on the per capita, we urge you to put greater emphasis on other factors relating to a disaster when determining whether federal assistance is warranted. Greater emphasis should be placed on factors such as the local assessable tax base, the median income as it compares to that of the state, and the poverty rate as it compares to that of the state. When a disaster destroys a town, it affects the Americans who live there the same, regardless of the state in which they reside. FEMA's analysis should not favor some states over others.
We introduced legislation in the last session of Congress following the denial of individual and public assistance in the wake of deadly tornadoes in Harrisburg and Ridgway, Illinois. That bill would direct FEMA to create a level playing field for all states in times of disaster. We urge you to ensure some states do not get preferential treatment in the federal disaster assistance analysis.
We look forward to your reply to this concern.
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