Rep. Pingree: President Approves Governor Mills' Disaster Declaration Request

WASHINGTON, April 7 -- Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, issued the following news release:

Following the advocacy by U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, President Donald Trump approved Governor Janet Mills' request for a Major Disaster declaration for the entire State of Maine as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. On Thursday, the Delegation wrote to the President to express their full support of Governor Mills' request.

"We are pleased the President has granted Governor Mills' request for a disaster declaration for the State of Maine," Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Golden said in a joint statement. "As we wrote in our letter to the President on April 2nd, COVID-19 has overburdened our state's health care system and taken a tremendous toll on Maine employees and small businesses.

This much-needed federal assistance will help mitigate the significant hardship that Maine people and businesses are experiencing as a result of this virus."

The approval is specifically for public assistance, which means that state agencies and municipalities in all of Maine's 16 counties will be reimbursed for 75 percent of approved costs associated with their COVID-19 response. Governor Mills' other requests for disaster assistance, including additional resources for Maine people to support child care, behavioral health, and legal services, among others, remain under review by the Trump Administration. Additionally, Governor Mills' request for approval of Title 32 Section 502(f) funds for the Maine National Guard remains under review.