NEWS: Sen. Schiff Joins Padilla, Tillis, and Curtis to Press Congressional Leaders to Pass Long-Term Disaster Recovery Funding

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff joined Senators Alex Padilla (both D-Calif.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and John Curtis (R-Utah), to urge Congressional leaders to include long-term disaster recovery funding in any supplemental appropriations package after the Administration's recent emergency funding request did not include desperately needed resources for communities to rebuild and recover following catastrophic natural disasters.

In a letter to Senate Committee on Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the Senators identified natural disasters that have severely devastated communities across the country, specifically highlighting the Eaton and Palisades fires that impacted Los Angeles County.

"Over the last few years, natural disasters have devastated communities across the United States," wrote the Senators. "In 2025, fueled by wind gusts reaching up to 100 miles per hour, the Los Angeles County wildfires burned over 40,000 acres, destroyed over 16,000 structures, forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate, and claimed more than two dozen lives. During the response, California mobilized more than 15,000 personnel, including firefighters, National Guard members, highway patrol officers, and transportation teams, to contain the fires and protect communities. For comparison, these wildfires burned an area nearly three times the size of Manhattan. The scale and severity of these wildfires underscore the urgent need for additional federal assistance, coordination, and funding."

The Senators urged long-term disaster recovery funding be included in any supplemental appropriations package moving forward, emphasizing the critical need required for fully rebuilding, as well as support needed for other natural disasters in North Carolina and Utah.

"These disasters have caused widespread damage across California, North Carolina, and Utah, affecting federal and state highways, critical public infrastructure, homes, and buildings," continued the Senators. "The scale and complexity of these events will require sustained federal support to help communities rebuild damaged infrastructure, restore essential services, and meet long term recovery needs. Therefore, we strongly urge you to include long-term disaster recovery funding, like the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR), in any supplemental appropriations package to ensure communities have the resources needed to rebuild and recover."

The full text of the letter can be viewed here and below:

Dear Chair Collins, and Vice Chair Murray:

We write to express our concern that the supplemental appropriations request received by Congress on June 24, 2026, did not include a request for additional disaster recovery funding. As communities across the United States continue to rebuild from costly disasters, we strongly urge you to include long-term disaster recovery funding, like the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR), in any supplemental appropriations package.

Over the last few years, natural disasters have devastated communities across the United States. In 2025, fueled by wind gusts reaching up to 100 miles per hour, the Los Angeles County wildfires burned over 40,000 acres, destroyed over 16,000 structures, forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate, and claimed more than two dozen lives. During the response, California mobilized more than 15,000 personnel, including firefighters, National Guard members, highway patrol officers, and transportation teams, to contain the fires and protect communities. For comparison, these wildfires burned an area nearly three times the size of Manhattan. The scale and severity of these wildfires underscore the urgent need for additional federal assistance, coordination, and funding.

In North Carolina, Hurricane Helene brought more than 30 inches of rainfall in some areas, unleashing floodwaters and landslides, the likes of which we have never seen. Despite being more than 250 miles inland, many areas in the region experienced hurricane-force winds with sustained speeds over 100 miles per hour. Helene tragically claimed the lives of at least 108 North Carolinians, leaving behind an estimated $60 billion in damage. As we approach the two year anniversary of the most expensive storm in state history, North Carolina still has more than $10 billion dollars in unmet recovery needs. Additional federal assistance is desperately needed to give the people of Western North Carolina the resources to rebuild their lives and communities.

This year alone, wildfires have already burned approximately 373,295 acres across 493 fires in Utah. It is only the beginning of the peak dry season, with dangerous conditions persisting for months ahead, and Utah's prevention and rebuilding efforts have barely begun as communities grapple with destroyed homes, damaged infrastructure, displaced families, and the looming threats of post-fire flooding, erosion, and watershed contamination. These devastating losses not only endanger lives and livelihoods but also impose enormous economic burdens through skyrocketing suppression costs, lost agricultural productivity, and long-term recovery needs. Immediate funding for wildfire protection, prevention, fuel reduction, and rebuilding are more critical than ever to safeguard the West before the season worsens further.

These disasters have caused widespread damage across California, North Carolina, and Utah, affecting federal and state highways, critical public infrastructure, homes, and buildings. The scale and complexity of these events will require sustained federal support to help communities rebuild damaged infrastructure, restore essential services, and meet long-term recovery needs. Therefore, we strongly urge you to include long-term disaster recovery funding, like the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR), in any supplemental appropriations package to ensure communities have the resources needed to rebuild and recover.

Thank you for consideration of this request.

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