RM Markey: Trump is Putting Politics Before People by Denying Disaster Aid to Massachusetts, Blue States

Since Inauguration Day, Trump approved 89% of Republican-led state disaster relief requests, only 23% of Democratic-led state disaster relief requests

Full Remarks (Video)

(Washington, September 30) - Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today spoke on the Senate floor to condemn the Trump administration's political attacks on disaster victims through its denial of Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) aid to Democratic-led states, including Massachusetts. The Trump administration denied disaster relief to Massachusetts and three other blue states for severe blizzards in February, which caused hundreds of thousands of power outages across Massachusetts and cost the state more than $45 million in direct expenses.

In his floor remarks, Ranking Member Markey slammed the Trump administration's brazen attempts to extort Americans in need of disaster aid and called on his Senate colleagues to hold the Administration accountable for wrongfully withholding aid from Massachusetts and other Democratic-led states across the country.

"Trump overrode the advice of his own agency and prevented four Democratic states, including Massachusetts, from receiving the disaster assistance they need. That is unacceptable. A president cannot use essential disaster aid as a tool for political extortion, yet there he is, making it plain as day that he values politics over people," said Ranking Member Markey. "If the Trump administration insists on putting MAGA before the many, Congress must act to force this Administration to treat disaster victims fairly, regardless of the state they live in or who they voted for."

On July 2, 2026, Massachusetts was notified that the Trump administration denied the Commonwealth's major disaster declaration request to help fund expenses related to the historic blizzard that hit the state in February. On July 31, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey filed a formal appeal in response. The Trump administration denied Governor Healey's appeal.

In August, Ranking Member Markey led Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Representatives Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Bill Keating (MA-09), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Jake Auchincloss (MA-04) in writing to the Trump administration to demand that FEMA rescind its denial of Massachusetts' request for disaster relief following the February blizzard. The lawmakers first called on the Trump administration to approve the request for disaster relief in April.