Graves aims to more quickly get disaster relief dollars into communities

U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) on Tuesday signed on as the lead original cosponsor of legislation that would authorize the president to provide faster disaster assistance to states and Native American Indian tribes under a major disaster recovery program.

“Everyone in Louisiana knows that someone a thousand miles away in Washington, D.C., is too far removed to be directing disaster recovery,” Rep. Graves said. “Our legislation empowers the recovery process at the local level rather than waiting on bureaucrats and contractors who get paid by the page and minute to shift paperwork.”

The Natural Disaster Recovery Program Act, H.R. 1605, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), would expedite disaster recovery funding to impacted communities and aims to improve the recovery process, resiliency, infrastructure repairs, housing, mitigation, and economic revitalization following disasters, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Graves’ staff.

“The federal government continues to repeat the same mistake when it comes to natural disasters: a failure to respond quickly, all because of continued red tape and bureaucratic log jams,” said Rep. Graves. “This bill fixes that.” 

Specifically, H.R. 1605 would create an unmet needs block grant program under the Federal Emergency Management Agency to send immediate assistance to states impacted by federally declared disasters and they would have the decision-making capability to decide where to spend disaster dollars so that funds get into communities faster, the summary says.

“Folks shouldn’t have to wait years for recovery dollars while trying to get their homes, businesses, churches, or other community cornerstones back up and running,” Rep. Graves said. “Our communities should come back stronger and much more quickly as a result of this legislation.”

H.R. 1605 has been referred to the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for consideration.