Democratic lawmakers are trying to weaken President Donald Trump’s control over federal disaster aid.
A bill introduced Wednesday and sponsored by five Democrats would give Congress the authority to override presidents when they reject state requests for recovery money in the wake of catastrophes. The move is a response to Trump denying aid to Democratic-led states such as Colorado and Illinois after storms and wildfires caused extensive damage.
POLITICO’s E&E News recently reported that Trump has approved only 23 percent of disaster requests from states with a Democratic governor and two Democratic U.S. senators, in his second term. For states with a Republican governor and two Republican senators, Trump has approved 89 percent of disaster-aid requests through March.
“Congress must be able to push past political retribution,” Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) said in a statement announcing the legislation.
