Curtis, Padilla, Tillis, Schiff Press Congressional Leaders to Pass Long-Term Disaster Recovery Funding

WASHINGTON —U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) urged Congressional leaders to include long-term disaster recovery funding in any supplemental appropriations package after the Administration’s recent emergency funding request did not include desperately needed resources for communities to rebuild and recover following catastrophic natural disasters.
In a letter to Senate Committee on Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), the Senators identified natural disasters that have severely devastated communities across the country, specifically the wildfires across Utah.
“This year alone, wildfires have already burned approximately 373,295 acres across 493 fires in Utah,” wrote the senators. “It is only the beginning of the peak dry season, with dangerous conditions persisting for months ahead, and Utah’s prevention and rebuilding efforts have barely begun as communities grapple with destroyed homes, damaged infrastructure, displaced families, and the looming threats of post-fire flooding, erosion, and watershed contamination. These devastating losses not only endanger lives and livelihoods but also impose enormous economic burdens through skyrocketing suppression costs, lost agricultural productivity, and long-term recovery needs. Immediate funding for wildfire protection, prevention, fuel reduction, and rebuilding are more critical than ever to safeguard the West before the season worsens further.”
“These disasters have caused widespread damage across California, North Carolina, and Utah, affecting federal and state highways, critical public infrastructure, homes, and buildings,” the senators continued . “The scale and complexity of these events will require sustained federal support to help communities rebuild damaged infrastructure, restore essential services, and meet long term recovery needs. Therefore, we strongly urge you to include long-term disaster recovery funding, like the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR), in any supplemental appropriations package to ensure communities have the resources needed to rebuild and recover.”
The senators urged that long-term disaster recovery funding be included in any supplemental appropriations package moving forward, emphasizing the critical need required to fully rebuild, as well as support needed for other natural disasters in Utah and North Carolina.
The full letter is available here .