Since January 2025, the federal government has approved 89 percent of emergency disaster aid requests from states won by Trump, but only 23 percent of requests from states won by his opponent. States that voted against him also wait nearly twice as long for a decision – an average of 105 days compared to 55. This isn't a hypothetical. Colorado requested federal disaster aid last year after a series of fires and floods. The request was denied, and an appeal backed by the state's entire congressional delegation, Republicans and Democrats alike, was denied again. As wildfires currently blaze across Spokane, WA, states cannot be caught in a political popularity contest while their populations wait for emergency aid. This cannot stand.
Sign the petition to demand Congress require federal disaster aid decisions to be based on need, not politics.
Minnesota recently suffered a cyberattack on its water supply systems, a potential act of foreign aggression, and instead of federal support, the state was told it should "get its act together." Disaster aid isn't a reward for political loyalty, it's federal money that all fifty states pay into, meant to help any American whose home, health, or safety is at risk after a disaster.
Congress can fix this by requiring that federal disaster aid decisions be based on documented need and processed within a set timeline, with clear public reporting on every request and decision.
That kind of transparency would make it far harder for any future administration to quietly reward political allies and punish everyone else, regardless of which party holds the White House.
No one should have to wonder whether their community will get help after a disaster based on how their neighbors voted.
Sign the petition to demand Congress guarantee that disaster aid goes where it's needed, not where it's politically convenient.
