[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4139-S4140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse):
  S. 5018. A bill to approve certain requests for a major disaster 
declaration, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Disaster Relief 
Fairness Act, along with Senator Whitehouse. This bill would approve 
major disaster declarations requested under the Trump administration 
for incidents that meet or exceed FEMA's damage thresholds. I wish that 
this bill was not needed, but it is because President Trump has chosen 
to block disaster assistance based on political partisanship.
  According to the Urban Institute, roughly 84 percent of disaster 
requests from States that voted for President Trump in 2024 have been 
approved under this administration, compared to just 42 percent from 
States that voted for Kamala Harris. Further, POLITOCO reported that 
Republican-led States have waited 39 days on average for a decision 
compared to the 80-day average for Democratic-led states.
  This winter, Rhode Island was struck by the largest blizzard in State 
history. Over 3 feet of snow fell on the State in a 24-hour period--the 
highest 1-day snowfall on record for Rhode Island. The storm hit Rhode 
Island with the

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intensity of a category 2 hurricane, with heavy winds up to 74 miles 
per hour. It caused widespread power outages and tragically resulted in 
two fatalities and hundreds of emergency room visits. Local businesses 
faced prolonged closures due to disruptions to transportation, 
utilities, and public services across the State.
  Following the storm, the State of Rhode Island worked with FEMA to 
develop a preliminary damage assessment of the storm's impact. The 
assessment found over $19 million in damages, amounting to more than 
nine times the threshold required for a major disaster declaration. 
Under any other administration, this disaster declaration would have 
been approved on the merits, given its historic nature and FEMA's own 
damage assessment. However, after months of waiting, on July 2, 2026, 
President Trump denied the request from Rhode Island with no 
explanation. On the same day Trump denied Rhode Island's request, he 
also denied requests from New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts that 
all reportedly exceeded FEMA's damage thresholds. Yet, that same week, 
he approved disaster aid for six Republican-led States.
  Disaster aid and helping communities recover from deadly storms 
should never be political. Yet President Trump's record proves that he 
cannot be trusted to adjudicate disaster money fairly without invoking 
his own partisan biases. The Disaster Relief Fairness Act would address 
that problem by granting all disaster declarations requested between 
January 20, 2025 and January 20, 2029 that meet the Federal 
requirements and thresholds for assistance. This will help ensure that 
States and Tribes get the relief they need--regardless of who they 
voted for--and allow them to fully recover from disasters.
  I urge my colleagues to join Senator Whitehouse and me in supporting 
this legislation.
                                 ______