WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 – As the nation contends with dwindling disaster relief funds, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Rep. Becca Balint (D-At Large) today called for the urgent passage of supplemental funding to help communities recover from natural disasters that have devastated Vermont and states across the country. In the letter – sent today to Senate and House leadership and appropriators – the Delegation also urged that the legislation be in line with President Biden’s recent emergency request for nearly $100 billion in disaster funding, including $40 billion to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund. 

“We were grateful to see President Biden’s recent request for nearly $100 billion in emergency funding to help the nation respond to natural disasters,” said Sanders, Welch, and Balint, “as well as the Senate Appropriations Committee’s hearing to conduct ‘A Review of Disaster Funding Needs’ with leaders from FEMA, DOT, HUD, USDA, and SBA. We sincerely appreciate your attention to the needs of our state, and we once again urge you to act as quickly as possible to pass legislation providing supplemental disaster funding in line with the president’s request.

“As you craft a supplemental package, we encourage you to ensure that all states affected by disasters in 2023 and 2024, including Vermont, are eligible for funding. We cannot afford to wait to help Vermont, and states across the nation, recover and rebuild.”

Without passage of a disaster relief package, FEMA faces a shortfall in funding for the coming year. The Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program has been out of cash for over a month, pausing thousands of recovery loan offers. In addition to FEMA, Sanders, Welch, and Balint also called for disaster relief funding to support small businesses, farmers, homeowners, renters, infrastructure, drinking water and wastewater systems, and more.

Congress last passed disaster funding in 2022. Since then, dangerous natural disasters have wreaked havoc across many states – from floods and wildfires to tornadoes, hurricanes, and severe storms.

This letter comes ahead of a hearing this Wednesday held by the Senate Appropriations Committee to discuss disaster funding needs. 

Read the full letter here.