Illinois Gov. Quinn pushed for changes to the formula FEMA uses to calculate disaster aid eligibility. He said the current methodology is unfair to populous states. (Sara Olstad/Medill)
WASHINGTON — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn called on other governors Monday to push Congress to form a coalition to “modernize” the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s formula for determining eligibility for federal disaster aid, saying the current methodology is unfair to states with large populations.
“It’s really not a fair formula. It needs to be more specific in the weight of certain factors and whether you get relief when there’s a disaster,” said Quinn, who was speaking at a disaster preparation policy summit at the Newseum.
FEMA’s eligibility formula requires states with populations of more than 10 million people, like Illinois, to sustain more damage than smaller states need to qualify for federal aid. The formula assumes that larger states have more resources and a broader tax base to use to respond to the damage on their own.
After a disaster, a governor can apply for federal funds from FEMA. FEMA uses many factors to determine if the situation warrants its aid or not. For example, the agency’s formula takes into account insurance coverage, preparation by the state and local governments and the cost of other disasters that have occurred in the area within the last year. Quinn objects to the formula’s “per capita damage indicator,” which requires the total damage from the disaster to exceed a certain threshold, based on the state’s total population, in order to receive federal assistance. In 2013, FEMA calculated this to be $1.39 per resident, according to Illinois data. Quinn argues this methodology is unfair because Illinois’ population and wealth are concentrated in the Chicago area, not outstate where recent disasters have occurred.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., introduced legislation in January that addresses the governor’s concerns. His bill would modify the FEMA formula to take local factors, including the poverty level and regional tax base, into consideration, instead of relying on the state’s total population. The bill has been referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
In the last five years, Illinois has been hit by 11 natural disasters, including drought, tornadoes, flooding and harsh winter storms. Quinn said he has needed to rely on state and local agencies to respond to many of these events, occasionally because FEMA denied to provide federal assistance.
FEMA turned down a request in January from local Illinois governments seeking an additional $6.1 million to cover their debris removal costs following the Nov. 17 central Illinois tornado outbreak. Quinn’s administration is appealing this decision, arguing that the frigid winter weather has led to higher than expected cleanup costs.
FEMA and the Small Business Administration have already provided survivors of this storm with more than $21 million in federal disaster grants and loans, according to FEMA documents.
Deputy FEMA Administrator Timothy Manning defended the current formula for disaster relief eligibility, saying the agency makes all its decisions based on the law as it is written. However, he said the agency is working with Illinois politicians to address their concerns.
Matt Mayer, chief operating officer at the Liberty Foundation of America, an Ohio-based think tank that advocates for free market policies, said the federal government cannot afford Quinn’s suggestions for reform. Instead of increasing federal aid opportunities, he said, states should be required to match all federal grants and loans they receive.
“State and local governments cut emergency disaster funding by 25 percent in recent years because they can get the federal government to pay for it,” he said.
Mayer, however, conceded that Quinn’s reforms may gain traction in Congress because the changes will be backed by congressmen from other populous states.
Quinn and Durbin will meet with members of Congress on Tuesday to win their support for Durbin’s bill that would revise the FEMA formula.
