Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Washington Mayor Gary Manier visited Kirk and Manier Marfell Tuesday, viewing progress the couple has made rebuilding their home that was destroyed by a tornado in November 2013.
The visit was followed up by a town hall meeting hosted by Kirk, Manier, the Marfells and local first responders where they discussed the Fairness in Federal Declarations Act. Senate Bill 870 would level the playing field for communities such as Washington when determining the need for aid following a natural disaster.
“We have to fix FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency),” Kirk said. “My bill will make sure disasters are dealt with as they should be by the federal government.”
Specifically, SB 870 requires FEMA to take into consideration local economic factors such as the local tax base, residents' median income and the poverty rate as it compares to that of the state to ensure communities affected by natural disasters are not denied public assistance based on a per capita indicator.
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