Rep. DeFazio Applauds White House Approval of Emergency Declaration for Oregon

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 10:

Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) today applauded White House approval of Oregon's request for an Emergency declaration in response to the catastrophic wildfires that are currently ravaging the state.

The Emergency declaration will provide assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the State and includes a provision that DeFazio pushed for to ensure assistance for temporary housing for displaced evacuees, as well as for additional firefighting resources.

"Oregon is facing an unprecedented crisis, and this decision to declare an emergency comes not a moment too soon," said DeFazio. "With tens of thousands of Oregonians--who are already dealing with public health concerns and economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic--forced to evacuate their homes, it's imperative that the state has the resources it needs to provide safe temporary housing for all who need it. I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to get Oregon the resources it needs to recover from this disaster."

On Wednesday, DeFazio sent a letter to President Trump and FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor urging a swift approval of Oregon's request for an Emergency declaration.