Edward J. Markey, MA
“I object to passing this bill right now. I support making disaster programs accountable, but the Trump administration is playing politics with disaster aid. It approves help for Republican states much more often than for Democratic states, including my own state of Massachusetts. Aid should go to all Americans who need it, no matter how their state voted. Congress needs to hold hearings and stop this unfair treatment first.”
“Let me just begin by saying I agree with Senator Budd about the importance of transparency and of accountability in our disaster programs. But I cannot support this legislation while the Trump administration politicizes and withholds aid from disaster victims in blue States, including my own home State of Massachusetts. Recent reporting revealed that Trump overrode the recommendation of his own Agency and prevented four Democratic States--including Massachusetts--from receiving disaster assistance related to blizzards earlier this year. So parts of my own home State got nearly 41 inches of snow in 24 hours, costing our State over $45 million in blizzard- related expenses. And according to this report, the States easily met FEMA’s internal qualifications for disaster aid. But for Trump, the only qualification is blind loyalty. And this is not an isolated incident. While red States’ FEMA disaster applications have been approved 89 percent of the time, those from blue States receive signoff from the Trump administration only 23 percent of the time. But don’t think you are safe just because you are in a State that voted for the President. Earlier this month, at a rally in North Carolina for Michael Whatley--Trump’s hand-picked MAGA Senate candidate--President Trump told a community devastated by Hurricane Helene--here’s what the President said this month in North Carolina: You know you’re waiting for some additional funding. Now, if Michael loses, I’m not sending it to North Carolina. What? The people of North Carolina should get the help. It shouldn’t depend upon whether the Senator is a Democrat or Republican, whether it is blue or red. It is about Americans who have suffered a disaster. And the numbers are incredible. This is the history, since Ronald Reagan, of disaster relief in the United States. And you can see that it tracks pretty much red and blue the whole way--Reagan, George Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2, Obama, Trump 1--stayed the same. Money went out in equal amounts to red and blue States, Democrat and Republican States. But then Trump won again, and you can see what is happening. In the blue States, it looks like the 1929 stock market crash. We go from being equal with Republican States to falling off the table, and you can’t really treat disasters that way. They are Americans. It could be a flood; it could be a hurricane, a tornado. It doesn’t make any difference. They are all our American neighbors. They deserve the Federal assistance. The President, again as recently as this month, is saying in North Carolina: If you elect a Democratic Senator, you won’t get the help. That is just not right, and we all know that is not right. So that has to get rectified because that is really not cooperation; that is just corruption, right? That is just saying: We’re going to take this Federal program and turn it into something where he gets arbitrarily to determine whether or not he dishes out the money. And it doesn’t really make any difference to me if it is Oklahoma or North Carolina or Massachusetts or California; everyone who suffers a disaster should get the Federal help they need. The President just cannot be allowed to use essential disaster aid as a tool for political extortion. Yet there he is, he is making it plain as day that if you don’t vote for a Republican Senator, you don’t get any money in your State for a disaster which has devastated your people. We just have to make sure that we stand up and, if we are serious about transparency and accountability in the disaster recovery process, we should hold hearings, demand answers from this administration about why blue States are denied help at such a disproportionate rate. And if the Trump administration insists on putting MAGA before the many, Congress must force the administration to treat disaster victims fairly, regardless of the State where they live or who they voted for. I want to work with the Senator from North Carolina to address the administration’s unacceptable treatment of disaster victims in Massachusetts and other blue States. We just have to get it back to the historic norm. The Senator has identified a problem, and I have worked with him in the committee to help to move that legislation. But this is in many ways an even bigger problem. We cannot have this disparate treatment to continue any longer. So because of that, but with my request that I work with the gentleman as we head into the lameduck session, that we can work to talk to the Trump administration about rectifying this historic injustice. So, at this time, as a result, I must object to the Senator’s request.”
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Speech in the House
Respect 98 of 100
This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “But for Trump, the only qualification is blind loyalty”.
See full analysis
Let me just begin by saying I agree with Senator Budd about the importance of transparency and of accountability in our disaster programs. But I cannot support this legislation while the Trump administration politicizes and withholds aid from disaster victims in blue States, including my own home State of Massachusetts. Recent reporting revealed that Trump overrode the recommendation of his own Agency and prevented four Democratic States--including Massachusetts--from receiving disaster assistance related to blizzards earlier this year. So parts of my own home State got nearly 41 inches of snow in 24 hours, costing our State over $45 million in blizzard- related expenses. And according to this report, the States easily met FEMA’s internal qualifications for disaster aid. But for Trump, the only qualification is blind loyalty. And this is not an isolated incident. While red States’ FEMA disaster applications have been approved 89 percent of the time, those from blue States receive signoff from the Trump administration only 23 percent of the time. But don’t think you are safe just because you are in a State that voted for the President. Earlier this month, at a rally in North Carolina for Michael Whatley--Trump’s hand-picked MAGA Senate candidate--President Trump told a community devastated by Hurricane Helene--here’s what the President said this month in North Carolina: You know you’re waiting for some additional funding. Now, if Michael loses, I’m not sending it to North Carolina. What? The people of North Carolina should get the help. It shouldn’t depend upon whether the Senator is a Democrat or Republican, whether it is blue or red. It is about Americans who have suffered a disaster. And the numbers are incredible. This is the history, since Ronald Reagan, of disaster relief in the United States. And you can see that it tracks pretty much red and blue the whole way--Reagan, George Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2, Obama, Trump 1--stayed the same. Money went out in equal amounts to red and blue States, Democrat and Republican States. But then Trump won again, and you can see what is happening. In the blue States, it looks like the 1929 stock market crash. We go from being equal with Republican States to falling off the table, and you can’t really treat disasters that way. They are Americans. It could be a flood; it could be a hurricane, a tornado. It doesn’t make any difference. They are all our American neighbors. They deserve the Federal assistance. The President, again as recently as this month, is saying in North Carolina: If you elect a Democratic Senator, you won’t get the help. That is just not right, and we all know that is not right. So that has to get rectified because that is really not cooperation; that is just corruption, right? That is just saying: We’re going to take this Federal program and turn it into something where he gets arbitrarily to determine whether or not he dishes out the money. And it doesn’t really make any difference to me if it is Oklahoma or North Carolina or Massachusetts or California; everyone who suffers a disaster should get the Federal help they need. The President just cannot be allowed to use essential disaster aid as a tool for political extortion. Yet there he is, he is making it plain as day that if you don’t vote for a Republican Senator, you don’t get any money in your State for a disaster which has devastated your people. We just have to make sure that we stand up and, if we are serious about transparency and accountability in the disaster recovery process, we should hold hearings, demand answers from this administration about why blue States are denied help at such a disproportionate rate. And if the Trump administration insists on putting MAGA before the many, Congress must force the administration to treat disaster victims fairly, regardless of the State where they live or who they voted for. I want to work with the Senator from North Carolina to address the administration’s unacceptable treatment of disaster victims in Massachusetts and other blue States. We just have to get it back to the historic norm. The Senator has identified a problem, and I have worked with him in the committee to help to move that legislation. But this is in many ways an even bigger problem. We cannot have this disparate treatment to continue any longer. So because of that, but with my request that I work with the gentleman as we head into the lameduck session, that we can work to talk to the Trump administration about rectifying this historic injustice. So, at this time, as a result, I must object to the Senator’s request.