New Jersey to appeal Trump denial of $84M in winter storm disaster aid
NEW JERSEY - New Jersey plans to appeal after President Donald Trump rejected federal disaster aid tied to a February winter storm that state officials say cost New Jersey, its counties and municipalities more than $84 million.
What we know:
A spokesperson for Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Trump rejected $227 million in disaster aid requests from four Democratic-led states, including New Jersey.
The New Jersey portion represents more than $84 million in costs borne by the state, counties and municipalities, according to Sherrill’s office.
"Without that aid, our local governments would be stuck with the costs of an unprecedented snowstorm that didn't care about political boundaries," the spokesperson said. "We will appeal this decision and Governor Sherrill will continue to fight for every dime that New Jerseyans are owed, regardless of political party."
The denial comes as New Jersey is also recovering from recent heat, storms and flooding.
The winter storm
The aid request was tied to a severe winter storm that hit New Jersey in late February.
Sherrill declared a State of Emergency across all 21 counties ahead of the storm, warning of blizzard conditions, heavy and widespread snow, wind gusts up to 55 mph and possible coastal flooding.
The state later lifted the emergency declaration after the storm response.
Earlier this year, New Jersey’s congressional delegation urged Trump to approve the major disaster declaration request, saying the February storm killed 12 people across nine counties, caused power outages affecting more than 127,000 customers, led to 544 crashes and caused nearly $100 million in damages.
Why the aid matters
The disaster declaration would have unlocked federal assistance to help cover public costs tied to the storm.
That can include emergency response, snow removal, debris cleanup and repairs to public facilities.
Sherrill’s office said without federal aid, local governments in New Jersey could be left absorbing costs from the storm.
Broader political fight
The denial is part of a broader fight over federal disaster aid for Democratic-led states.
POLITICO reported that Trump rejected disaster aid requests from New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island while approving requests from several Republican-led states.
The White House denied that politics played a role in the disaster aid decisions, according to POLITICO.
What's next:
New Jersey will appeal the decision, according to Sherrill’s office.
The state is also continuing to assess damage from recent severe weather, including storms, flooding and power outages that affected communities across New Jersey this month.
The Source: This article was written using information from Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s office, POLITICO, the Office of Sen. Cory Booker and the New Jersey governor’s office.