(The Center Square) – A top emergency aid official for the federal government told state officials across the country recently they should be prepared to bear more of the burden of emergency response to disasters instead of expecting federal help.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Cameron Hamilton told emergency management officials at a conference Tuesday about the government’s plan to provide less support after natural and other disasters, according to remarks he made reported by Politico.
Illinois relied on about $1.95 billion from the federal government for its Emergency Management and Office of Homeland Security, while about $27.7 million came from state taxpayer funds.
In comparison, In Texas, about $63 million came directly from the state’s allocations this year, with the remaining part of the $1.74 billion budget coming from federal support.
Florida’s Department of Emergency Management is currently projecting a near-billion-dollar deficit after shifting some of the agency’s scope in the direction of immigration enforcement.
The difference between Illinois and the southern states’ allocations does reflect some difference in need for preparedness for disasters, as both Florida and Texas are more prone to widespread, especially damaging events such as hurricanes.
Hamilton’s comments don’t come as a surprise to some in Illinois.
He had previously signaled FEMA’s plan to have states rely less on the agency, which he said was only ever intended to act as a stopgap for states’ response to disasters.
“I think the challenge is that we’ve put a lot of those responsibilities upon one agency when in reality it’s a much more shared responsibility,” Hamilton told Spectrum News this week. “So, [the goal is] speeding up recovery timeframes and keeping this agency back on track with its original scope, it was not meant to manage social assistance programs that last in perpetuity.”
In a statement from the Governor’s Office, J.B. Pritzker criticized President Donald Trump’s administration and its leadership of the agency – arguing the denial of emergency aid has been used as a partisan punishment for states that haven’t supported him.
“This is about accountability and a shared national responsibility to protect all Americans from catastrophic disasters that require a comprehensive federal, state, and local response,” read the statement. “The federal government is denying valid requests for assistance from Democratic states impacted by severe weather, and cutting long-standing investments that have always been in place to support a state’s emergency response and recovery,” read the statement.
FEMA denied a request for multiple storms Pritzker declared a disaster over summer, which caused significant damage in communities across the state, while Wisconsin and Indiana both received approval for requests for some of the same storm systems and others that happened in July and August.
Under typical federal requirements, Illinois’ request appeared to be eligible, though shifting criteria and definitions of what qualifies as a disaster in recent months may have played a part in why the state’s request was denied.
Hamilton also suggested some states serve as examples for how the agency feels all states should be preparing for disasters, such as Texas, Florida and Kentucky.
“Ultimately every state is different with its tax revenue. I think ultimately every state, though, needs to prioritize investment in the emergency management space, investment in the professionalization of their workforce,” Hamilton said.
Pritzker argued the state has been able to make investments into emergency management, but disasters will continue to outpace state and local ability to respond.
