Rep. Chu in Data For Progress Insights: Voters Across Party Lines Agree That Disaster Relief Should Come with No Strings Attached
Newly released polling by Data for Progress shows 71% of Americans believe disaster relief should be given without conditions attached
PASADENA, CA — Today, Data for Progress released a DFP Insights opinion piece by Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) that includes newly released polling demonstrating whether American voters think that policy conditions should be placed on states to receive federal disaster relief.
The piece in full is available below and here:
The wildfires we all witnessed throughout Southern California in January were a catastrophic natural disaster of historic proportions — burning more than 40,000 acres of land and 16,000 structures due to unprecedented Santa Ana winds and dry conditions, claiming at least 30 lives, and displacing tens of thousands in the process. In Altadena and northern Pasadena in my district, the Eaton Fire left 20,000 of my constituents homeless and took 18 lives.
Sadly, these wildfires are far from the only disasters that have devastated American communities in the past year. Scars from last September’s deadly Hurricane Helene still cover the landscapes of North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. This year to date, tornado activity has nearly doubled the historical average, with more than 470 reported throughout the Midwest and the South. All too often, these tornadoes are accompanied by the severe flooding we’ve seen in states like Missouri and Kentucky over the last few weeks, displacing residents and businesses and inflicting staggering economic damage. Climate change will continue to increase the frequency and intensity of these disasters.
But after any type of natural disaster impacts an American community, it’s on us as elected officials to come together and put aside any political differences to support those who are suffering and need the government’s help to rebuild homes, businesses, and community institutions. After all, natural disasters know no political parties, they know no political affiliation.
For months, I have been listening to the stories of my shell-shocked constituents, many of whom ran out of their houses with only their clothes on. The generational wealth that they built up in their homes was entirely wiped out. The memories of a lifetime vanished. These hardworking Americans are overwhelmed as they deal with insurance and mortgage companies, all while moving from place to place and making critical decisions about rebuilding.
The federal government has a duty to respond to them by delivering urgently needed relief without prejudice or bias for all Americans, regardless of whether that state swings red or blue. The help that FEMA is critical because states often lack the capacity to contain extreme disasters and provide the relief necessary for communities to recover. And the federal government has never in our history imposed policy conditions on disaster relief funding, because these matters are both urgent and nonpartisan. This seems like a no-brainer.
Thankfully, the American electorate agrees.
A new Data for Progress survey asked voters whether disaster relief should come with or without conditions attached, 71% of voters, including majorities across party lines, say that “disaster relief should be given freely without any conditions attached.”
Disaster relief is not and should never be a partisan issue, and voters across the political spectrum overwhelmingly agree that help should come with no strings attached. That shouldn’t only be the standard for California — it should be the case for any state, red or blue, that is hit by the devastation of a natural disaster.
The people of Southern California have demonstrated so much strength and resolve throughout the course of this catastrophe. It’s imperative that Congressional leadership and the President ensure that our communities have the resources they need to recover and rebuild.