1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Today I’m writing about the atrocious management of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. To date, FEMA still owes many communities nearly $10 billion in disaster payments, and the delays are putting lives at risk. You need to ensure the agency is fully funded and staffed to process this backlog immediately. The fallacy of every Republican Administration to date is that that disaster recovery and the funds are not needed by states, or that they can be somehow handled locally. Nothing has been proven more wrong than this Administration’s handling of disasters and cleanup afterward. For example, in Placerville, California, over 500 homes are still waiting for fire-resistance upgrades through a $25 million project approved by FEMA in 2023. The environmental review has been stalled for over a year. Republicans don’t care. Shasta County's project to protect 500 homes will expire in August if funding doesn't come through. These aren't bureaucratic inconveniences. These are families who will lose everything when the next fire comes. The backlog started when the stupid and incompetent Kristi Noem required her office to review all grants over $100,000 for "waste, fraud, and abuse." That policy has since been revoked, but most funding still hasn't been released. Meanwhile, FEMA has lost thousands of employees and faces potential elimination or further cuts under proposals from Trump's so-called FEMA Review Council. Republicans don’t care because they want to make money off disasters, not help anyone. Research shows investing ahead of disasters saves money by preventing costly damage. Communities can't wait any longer. Release the $10 billion owed to states now and restore FEMA's capacity to do its job. That means returning staffing and operations to pre-Trump levels. Thank you.