Sen. Smith: Members of Minnesota Congressional Delegation Urge Administration to Approve Minnesota Request for Major Disaster Declaration

WASHINGTON, April 7 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release:

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN), and Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN-2), Dean Phillips (D-MN-3), Betty McCollum (D-MN-4), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5), Tom Emmer (R-MN-6), and Pete Stauber (R-MN-8) urged the Administration to approve Minnesota's request for a major disaster declaration due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

"All of Minnesota's 87 counties and 11 tribes have been affected by the spread of the pandemic," the lawmakers wrote. "As of April 5, the State had 935 positive cases and 29 deaths, with those affected ranging in age from 4 months to 104 years old. Minnesota's health care facilities are confronting a lack of needed supplies and limited capacity, which will be exacerbated by a limited number of qualified medical staff that is expected to decrease further as the pandemic continues to spread. At the same time, the State's economy has been dramatically impacted by this crisis, with approximately 300,000 applications for unemployment having been filed since the pandemic's onset and businesses small and large facing sharp declines in revenues."

Dear President Trump:

We write to urge you to approve Minnesota's request for a major declaration due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As the State continues to confront this crisis, additional assistance from the federal government is essential.

All of Minnesota's 87 counties and 11 tribes have been affected by the spread of the pandemic. As of April 5, the State had 935 positive cases and 29 deaths, with those affected ranging in age from 4 months to 104 years old. Minnesota's health care facilities are confronting a lack of needed supplies and limited capacity, which will be exacerbated by a limited number of qualified medical staff that is expected to decrease further as the pandemic continues to spread. At the same time, the State's economy has been dramatically impacted by this crisis, with approximately 300,000 applications for unemployment having been filed since the pandemic's onset and businesses small and large facing sharp declines in revenues.

It is for these reasons that we ask for your timely approval of this request. As specified in the Governor's letter, we ask that you issue an expedited major disaster declaration for Public Assistance (PA) Category B (emergency protective measures), and authorize the provision of aid through the following individual assistance programs: Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Program, Individuals and Households Program, Other Needs Assistance to include Medical Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Funeral Services, Disaster Legal Services, and Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance, as well as statewide Hazard Mitigation.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent request. We look forward to your response.