Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury and Gabe Vasquez called on House leadership to fully fund the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund (DRF). In a letter to House leadership, they emphasized the urgent need for federal disaster relief funding to support New Mexico communities affected by recent natural disasters.

“As Representatives from the state of New Mexico, we have seen firsthand how natural disasters have affected our state. Federal disaster relief funding has been crucial to helping our communities recover and rebuild, but we must act now to restore New Mexico’s trust in the federal government,” Reps. Leger Fernández, Vasquez and Stansbury wrote in the letter.

FEMA’s DRF is vital for New Mexico’s recovery efforts following natural disasters. Recently, the Salt Fire and South Fork Fire devastated more than 25,000 acres across the Mescalero Apache Reservation and the Ruidoso area. Over 2,600 New Mexicans have sought federal disaster assistance, with FEMA approving more than $3.85 million in housing and rental assistance to date. Additionally, storm and flooding events in Rio Arriba, San Juan and San Miguel Counties have caused extensive damage to homes, farms, roads, and other infrastructure.

The Department of Homeland Security projects a $6.6 billion deficit in the DRF by September 30, jeopardizing the ability of disaster-stricken communities to recover. Despite the Administration’s request last fall for $9 billion in supplemental funding for the DRF, Congress has yet to appropriate these funds. As wildfires continue to spread across the West, the need for this funding is more critical than ever.

The New Mexico House Delegation emphasized the importance of immediate action to ensure FEMA can continue its essential work in aiding communities across New Mexico and the nation.

Full text of the letter can be found at the link HERE.