Rep. TJ Cox and 69 Fellow Members of Congress Send Letter to President Trump on National Guard and FEMA Cost-Sharing Requirements

Washington, DC — Last week, Rep. TJ Cox (CA-21) joined 69 fellow Members of Congress to pressure President Trump to waive National Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) cost-sharing requirements for all state, local, territorial and tribal (SLTT) governments. The national COVID-19 pandemic response has been a challenge and an adjustment for everyone. As SLTT governments navigate and adapt to the public health crisis, they are facing funding and workforce challenges. Unrestricted, comprehensive assistance from the National Guard and FEMA is necessary to save American lives.  

Congress has allocated funds and President Trump has pushed for a federal response to COVID-19, but the aid still comes with cost-sharing requirements. These requirements are both unfair and politically motivated. Members of the National Guard are vital to the pandemic response, and though Texas and Florida are arbitrarily exempt, the other 48 states and territories are dealing with an undue burden of cost-sharing for their assistance. 

“I am deeply concerned that the Trump Administration continues to put politics before the health and safety of Americans. If President Trump wants FEMA to coordinate the Federal response to this pandemic, then he should adjust the FEMA cost-share requirements to mirror that goal,” said Rep. Cox. “Our state and local governments are working tirelessly to modernize and adapt to the growing needs of the pandemic response. The last thing they need is to deal with additional costs for assistance from the National Guard.”  

In their letter, the Members demanded that the President make transparent the decision making behind these cost-sharing requirements by answering several questions. 

“An estimated 25,000 National Guard troops are currently deployed throughout the country selflessly providing crucial assistance to state and local government COVID-19 responses,” the Members wrote in their letter. “These states and territories, which are already under immense financial strain due to COVID-19, will have difficultly providing all the needed services to their communities if they are burdened with the additional costs of the National Guard’s crucial assistance.” 

The Members continued: “While we applaud the monumental efforts of the National Guard and FEMA to help state and local communities throughout the country, we believe SLTT governments have endured additional and unnecessary hardship because of these cost-sharing requirements and the lack of a more robust Federal response…. It is time for the Federal government to step up and finally fulfill its role as a leader during a crisis.” 

A full copy of the letter can be found here.