The Bicameral, Bipartisan Group Wrote in Support of Governor Whitmer’s Denied Disaster Aid Appeal
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), along with Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), are urging President Trump to reconsider the denial of key federal disaster aid following severe winter storms that struck Michigan earlier this year. In a letter to the President, the lawmakers raised concerns about the limited federal response to the storms, which caused widespread damage and left hundreds of thousands without power. Although a Major Disaster Declaration was issued on July 22, it excluded three critical forms of assistance: support for public utilities, individual aid for residents, and hazard mitigation funding.
“The winter storms resulted in severe ice accumulation, widespread destruction to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, and caused long-term power outages for hundreds of thousands of residents,” the lawmakers wrote. “Rural electric cooperative companies…were hit hard by the storm, with restoration costs exceeding $150 million for each co-op. Without PA category F, these co-ops will have to recover these losses through increased costs paid by their local customers…These rate increases are expected to continue for many years, placing a greater financial burden on already vulnerable areas.”
The lawmakers are calling on the administration to reverse the aid denials and provide the full scope of federal support needed for recovery.
Read the full text of the letter here.
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